Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature [Hardcover]

Julie Scott Meisami (Editor), Paul Starkey (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0415068088 | ISBN-13: 978-0415068086 | Edition: 1

The Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature is an authoritative reference source on the most important authors, works, genres, key terms, concepts and issues in the Arabic literary tradition. The Encyclopedia covers the classical (pre-Islamic to 1258), transitional (1258-1798) and modern periods within a single work. In over 1300 separately-authored entries, many of the world's experts combine current research with traditional study to provide authoritative analysis and commentary on a wide range of areas. These include major authors, important works, and a variety of literary terms. Also covered are forms such as poetry, drama and newspaper writing and key critical concepts of Arabic literature.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A unique and useful reference for the scholar or student rather than the casual browser, this encyclopedia contains generally brief biographical articles on writers in Arabic as well as longer ones on literary genres, prosody, writing techniques, and related topics such as censorship and literary patronage. A brief bibliography of primary sources and secondary material follows each article. The encyclopedia has a wide scope, covering Arabic writing (and the oral tradition, too) from ancient and pre-Islamic times to the present and including not only Muslim writers but Christians, Jews, and others who made significant contributions to Arabic literature. Meisami (Persian, Oxford) specializes in medieval Arabic and Persian poetry, while Starkey (Arabic, Univ. of Durham) specializes in modern Egyptian prose literature; the 100 or so contributors include many native Arabic speakers. This two-volume set is perhaps priced out of the reach of smaller libraries but will make an excellent addition to academic or public collections specializing in things Arab or in world literature.?James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

It's probably safe to say that until Najib Mahfuz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, few people other than specialists could name a single Arabic author. As this new encyclopedia reveals, Arabic literature has a much older and richer tradition than most of us know.

The editors, both scholars in Middle Eastern studies, have brought to completion a project begun in the early 1980s. The work was originally conceived as a biographical dictionary of Arab personalities, then as a dictionary of writers, then as a handbook modelled on the Oxford Companions. It has entries on "the most important authors, works, genres, key terms, and issues in the Arabic literary tradition--classical, transitional, and modern." Entries are arranged alphabetically and vary in length from a few sentences to more than eight pages (for Alf layla wa-layla, or the Thousand and One Nights). Among the longer entries are those for genres, such as historical literature and prose, non-fiction, medieval. Most of the entries are devoted to writers, ranging from Aristotle, regarded by many Islamic philosophers as the first teacher, to al-Araj Wasini, an Algerian novelist born in 1954. A sample of other entries shows the diverse coverage--books and bookbinding, artistic prose, Al-Jarida (an important newspaper), censorship in Arabic literature, Tunisia.

Most entries end with lists of further reading, some of which are fairly extensive. The bibliography appended to Spain, for example, lists more than 30 items, many in languages other than English. Appendixes include a glossary and dynastic tables. Access is aided by see and see also references as well as a general index.

The four-volume Cambridge History of Arabic Literature (Cambridge, 1983^-92) takes a more in-depth approach. This encyclopedia will be useful for students of Middle Eastern culture and philosophy, as well as literature, and should be a welcome addition to any academic or large public library.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 896 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (May 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415068088
• ISBN-13: 978-0415068086
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.3 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,043,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)