Customer Reviews

The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories

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"The Wedding of Zein" actually includes three separate stories, all set in pleasant, rural, Muslim villages of the Sudan, in Africa. The book is named after one of the stories. The other two are called "The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid," and "A Handful of Dates." Each tale has the universal feel of a fable -- the wisdom they encode in their simple language can speak to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The Muslim characters have a few traits which could seem odd to Western readers, but basically they are just like small town folks all over the world. They walk with dignity, they live in peace amidst old friends and loved ones, and they cherish their own dreams of love and happiness.

The title story is my favorite. Zein is sort of a "holy fool" in his little village. He is not exactly retarded, or crazy, but is clearly eccentric. He seems to promote laughter and good feelings wherever he goes, although sometimes this is at his own expense. Many of the villagers laugh at him. All of the villagers laugh with him. Zein seems unaware that there could be a distinction between these groups of people, and, perhaps, therein lies his potential for healing... He is betrothed to the beautiful, solemn, almond-eyed Ni'ma, before whom he has NEVER made a fool of himself. She, and she alone, holds this honor... Their courtship, and the impact it has upon the village, comprises a highly provocative, and ultimately warm, view into human nature. You won't forget this comedic, yet highly serious, love story.

Taken together, these stories really got me thinking about what it's like to live in an average Muslim village. It makes me want to know these people better, they're nice people, just like anyone else.

Tayib Salih is recognized in the Arab World as one of the most exciting of today's Arabic writers. He writes in the one language understood by all Sudanese - Sudanese Arabic. Here is a short novel, The Wedding of Zein, and two short stories. Salih displays a timelessness, humanity and hunor that had led many to hail him as the current genius of ARabic literature.

Teachers/Librarians: 9th grade and up. Social Studies/Humanities.

World Literature teachers: this work represents not only Arabic literature of the Middle East but also African literature, as the Sudan is that cross-over nation of both North African and Sub-Saharan Africa. And look to The Arab World Studies Notebook for a Lesson Plan in the "Literature" section on using "The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid" (one of the short stories contained in this collection)in the high school classroom. The lesson plan also contains a biography of Tayib Salih.