Ash’ab Prince of Parasites

Description

From the rich heritage of Arabic literature and his own life, the world-renowned writer Tawfiq al-Hakim presents us with this book about Ash’ab. He recounts his anecdotes and humorous stories, found in the works of al-Hajj, Badi’ al-Zaman, al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, and Ibn Abd Rabbih, but not in their usual, dubious form. Rather, he presents them in a cohesive narrative, with well-ordered events and rich descriptions, revealing the unique characteristics of this Arab figure, a parasite in the world of parasitism. Through this work, the great Tawfiq al-Hakim achieves his aim: to combine the beauty, wit, and conciseness of Arabic literature with the analytical depth of Western literature, as he explains in his introduction to this small book. Despite our prior familiarity with Ash’ab, the prince of parasites, this book offers a fresh perspective, allowing us to reread him through the pen of the Prince of Romanticism. We read our ancient Arabic literature and breathe in the essence of Tawfiq al-Hakim.