Spirit Brides (Arkana) [Paperback]

Kahlil Gibran (Author), Juan R. I. Cole (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Arkana | Publication Date: November 1, 1998

In Spirit Brides, a collection of three short stories, Kahlil Gibran portrays his belief in the overwhelming power of love in human nature. In "The Ash of Centuries and the Immortal Flame", Gibran describes a love that unites souls beyond time and social restrictions. "Marta al-Baniyah" expresses Gibran's views on the exploitation of women and the poor. He then makes a cutting commentary on the contrast between the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus in his final story, "Yuhanna the Madman".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These two collections, which inaugurate a five-volume series, are not likely to enjoy the popularity of Gibran's The Prophet (1923). Originally published in Arabic in the first decade of this century, these stories and prose poems are chiefly vehicles for the writer's vague spiritualism, nostalgic idealism, or gloomy condemnation of society. The narratives themselves are either entirely symbolic or mere frames for the messages (such as belief in the transmigration of souls, exposure of the wickedness of established religion, and censure of the oppression of the poor and weak). Since the translations are new, the self-conscious literariness of the high-flown style must be Gibran's own. Some wisdom can be gleaned from these tendentious pieces (a brief essay on slavery in The Storm is moving), but the combination of mysticism, melancholy, and mannerism here ranks no higher as philosophy than it does as literature.
- Patricia Dooley, Seattle
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Arabic

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140195556
• ISBN-13: 978-0140195552
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,125,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)