Beirut Blues
Encyclopedia
Beirut Blues is Hanan al-Shaykh
's third novel. It involves a woman
struggling to make sense of her life in war
ravaged Beirut
. It is told through the protagonist Asmahan letters, of which many may not reach their destination. First published in 1995. The English translator is Catherine Cobham
.
The novel does not just depict the struggle of a woman. It is the struggle of people living the mania of the civil war. Asmahan, the protagonist, is presented as an independent woman who is even in times of war is able to sensualize the beauty of the land, the concept of home, and the country in itself. Asmahan's narration, though fragmanted, is still perceived to tie together the peaceful past of Beirut with the present war time. Al-Shaykh shows how Asmahan's character was shaped by the determince of her grandmother and the solidarity that unites people in times of war. The letters, which Asmahan writes for the people she loves and the land she carries with her, are historical documents to day-to-day experiences of people trying to communicate in this tragic period overcasting Beirut.
Hanan al-Shaykh
Hanan al-Shaykh is a Lebanese author of contemporary Arab women's literature.- Biography :Hanan al-Shaykh's family background is that of a strict Shi'a...
's third novel. It involves a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
struggling to make sense of her life in war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
ravaged Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. It is told through the protagonist Asmahan letters, of which many may not reach their destination. First published in 1995. The English translator is Catherine Cobham
Catherine Cobham
Catherine Cobham is a scholar and translator of Arabic literature. She obtained a BA from Leeds University and an MA from Manchester University and presently teaches at the University of St Andrews...
.
The novel does not just depict the struggle of a woman. It is the struggle of people living the mania of the civil war. Asmahan, the protagonist, is presented as an independent woman who is even in times of war is able to sensualize the beauty of the land, the concept of home, and the country in itself. Asmahan's narration, though fragmanted, is still perceived to tie together the peaceful past of Beirut with the present war time. Al-Shaykh shows how Asmahan's character was shaped by the determince of her grandmother and the solidarity that unites people in times of war. The letters, which Asmahan writes for the people she loves and the land she carries with her, are historical documents to day-to-day experiences of people trying to communicate in this tragic period overcasting Beirut.