35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Superb Piece of Work, September 4, 2005
This review is from: The Book of Saladin: A Novel (Paperback)
Tariq Ali's "The Book of Saladin" is the second in his "quintet" about Islam. Don't let that put you off, though, as there is no set order to read the series in - no characters carry over from one book to the next and the continuity throughout is in fact the relationship between Islam and other religions during times of upheaval.
As the name suggests, "The Book of Saladin" is about that famous adversary of the Crusaders, the Kurdish Yusuf Salah-ad-din Ibn Ayyub who founded the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt. The basis of this novel is that Saladin has hired a Jewish writer to record his life and times as he leads the battle to re-take Jerusalem from the "Franj" (Crusaders, one of the many Arabic words used in the book and explained in the glossary).
The reader is therefore treated to a series of stories-within-stories, and knowing Ali's sense of humour (he is an electric public speaker) the parallel to the "Arabian Nights" is probably more than a fortuitous coincidence. Our narrator leads his own life over the years of his acquaintance with Saladin, along with its attendant highs and lows while recording Saladin's memories and hearing stories from his loyal retainers and members of his harem. All of these strands combine and separate in various ways to create a narrative experience quite hard to describe in words.
While the novel ends on a somewhat pessimistic note, this is probably only to be expected, as this was hardly a glorious time for either side involved in the conflict.
While certain characters - particularly Maimonides, who makes a cameo appearance - suffer from being relatively two-dimensional, the central characters are all eminently believable. In the case of Saladin, this is quite a feat as the volume of ink devoted to him over the centuries is quite spectacular and separating the man from the myth is a difficult task. The reader will almost certainly find themselves cheering when the Sultan wins a victory, whether on the battlefield or in the court chambers.
Ali's eye for detail is also deployed to great effect here. Ayyubid Cairo is evoked lovingly, as are the other locations which play important roles in the plot. Similarly, while the court intrigues of the time are confusing at best, Ali makes a noble attempt at simplifying things for the casual reader without an interest in the politics of the time. The frequent use of Arabic terms for events and places can be disconcerting to the reader with no background in the history of the region, however the glossary will help to overcome that - and the terms become easy to understand soon enough.
His sense of humour, too, plays an important part in this novel. Ali has a particular fondness for what can sometimes be described as "dirty jokes", as his description of Richard I of England clearly demonstrates. His dialogue between a heretical (Cathar, I believe) crusader and Saladin is hilarious, even to the extent of offensive comments being made in perfect Latin.
In short, this is a book which can be heartily recommended. For newcomers to Ali's writings, this is as good a place to start as any - possibly better than some other offerings, at that. This is also a great demonstration of "how the other half lives", in that the humanity of the "saracens" during the crusades is often overlooked. Knowledge of that humanity is, in my opinion, something we need now more than ever.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A superb historical fiction, February 12, 2001
This review is from: The Book of Saladin: A Novel (Paperback)
Tariq Ali's "The Book of Saladin" is a rich and teeming chronicle set in the twelfth-century Cairo, Damascus and Jerusalem. The Book of Saladin is a fictional memoir of Saladin, the Kurdish liberator he Muslim leader during the Crusades, was one of the best known figures of the Middle Ages. The West accepted him as a worthy opponent; Islam was indebted to him for the recovery of Jerusalem. Ali brilliantly weaves a fiction tale around the historical figure Saladin.
Saladin grants permission to Ibn Yakub, his jewish scribe to walk to his wife and retainers so that he may portray a complete picture of his memories. A series of interconnected stories follow, tale brimming over with warmth, earthly humour and passions in which ideals clash with realities and dreams are confounded by desires. At the heart of the novel is an affecting love affair between the Sultans favorite wife, Jamila and the beautiful Halima.
The novel charts the course of Saladin as Sultan of Egypt and Syria and follows him as he prepares in alliance with his Jewish and Christian subjects to take Jerusalem back from the Crusaders.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful work of historical fiction., March 2, 1999
By A Customer
This is a satisfying novel, told, despite its exotic settings, in sparse prose carrying a ring of authenticity reminiscent at times of Naguib Mahfouz. The book deals in complex and subtle people who question the nature of the relationship between body and soul and ponder the purposes of war, not in easy steretypes or generalisations, even in an area which has been traditionally replete with them. It is illuminationg to have the Saladin story told by a writer who has immersed himself in the 'other side'. Tariq Ali's novel creates an authentic-seeming court, full of intrigue, dominated by a man who is charismatic yet not a hero of romance, a rather hesitant, limping figure, a Sultan whose preferred diet is soup and beans. In Saladin's entourage are strong and intelligent women, the Sultana Jamila and her female lover, and their story is interwoven with that of the Sultan's public life. It may be controversial to assign such dominance to the women in a harem, but these are characters in a convincing story with a reality beyond that of historical cliche.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
