Palestinian and Arab-Jewish Cultures - by Reuven Snir

About the Book

Studies Arabic literary production from the point of view of commitment and hybridization and the interactions between them

Book Synopsis

Part of a two-volume set, this volume examines the issues of commitment and hybridization in Arabic literature concentrating on Palestinian literature and Arab-Jewish culture and the interactions between them. Reuvin Snir studies the contribution of Palestinian literature and theatre to Palestinian nation-building, especially since the 1948 Nakba. Becoming an essential part of the vocabulary of Arab intellectuals and writers, since the 1950s commitment (iltizām) has been employed to indicate the necessity for a writer to convey a message rather than merely create an imaginative work for its own sake. As for hybridization, the author focuses on the role Jews have played in Arabic literature against the backdrop of their contribution to this literature since the pre-Islamic period, and in light of the gradual demise of Arab-Jewish culture in recent years. The blending of elements from different cultures is one of the major phenomena in Arabic literature, certainly in light of its relationship with Islam and its cultural heritage, which has been extending during the last one-and-half millennia.

Review Quotes

Apart from the author's possessing an undisputable in-depth knowledge of the subjects discussed, the most interesting thing with this work is the new perspectives that are being presented. This is achieved by the writer's method of putting the subjects against the backdrop of different angles. The method of looking at the subjects against the different axes has its own original place and it gives its own contribution to a deeper understanding of Arabic literature.