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Showing posts with the label arabic classics

Outstanding

How The Queue Unmasks the Dangers of Authoritarianism and Surveillance

Imagine a world where citizens are trapped in an unending queue, waiting for a faceless authority to dictate their fate. The Queue , a haunting dystopian novel by Egyptian author Basma Abdel Aziz, presents such a reality. Published in 2013, the novel has been widely praised for its chilling portrayal of bureaucracy, authoritarian rule, and the struggle for survival under an oppressive regime. Often compared to George Orwell’s 1984 and Franz Kafka’s The Trial , The Queue offers a thought-provoking and unsettling reflection on power, control, and human resilience. Plot Summary: The Never-Ending Wait The novel is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country where the government, known only as "The Gate," holds absolute control over every aspect of its citizens' lives. The Gate's decisions are final and unquestionable, and people are required to wait indefinitely in an enormous queue for permission to do anything—whether it is receiving medical treatment, purchasing essenti...

The Epistle of Forgiveness (رسالة الغفران) by Al-Ma'arri: A Journey Through the Afterlife

Exile, Identity, and the Human Condition in Ghada Samman’s The Square Moon

The Sand Fish (سمكة الرمل) by Maha Gargash: A Tale of Tradition and Transformation

Zayni Barakat (زينى بركات): A Historical Masterpiece by Gamal al-Ghitani

Ibn Hazm - (Tawk al Hamama) The Dove's Talk: A Timeless Exploration of Love, Loss, and the Human Soul

Arabic Love Poems by Nizar Qabbani - Romance and Revolution in Arabic Poetry

Hayy ibn Yaqdhan: Ibn Tufail’s Philosophical Journey of Enlightenment and Self-Discovery