The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English

This large anthology constitutes a timely and significant contribution to this subfield of comparative literature. It establishes a genealogy of Anglo-Arab literature, which is neither linear nor final, linking novelists from various periods and places together into a constellation, and establishes a nuanced and transformative vision of the tradition. It also invites further theoretical reflections, in particular regarding ethnicity, comparative literature, and the form of the novel. * Middle Eastern Literatures *
The publication of The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel is significant, and for at least two reasons of equal importance. Firstly, as writers of Arab origins choose, for a variety of reasons, to pen their works in languages other than Arabic--in this case English, their particular contributions to world literature need to be assessed by a broader readership. Secondly, this collection, carefully edited by Nouri Gana, brings together in a single volume the work of some of the very best comparative literature scholars, both well established and emerging, who have chosen to specialize in this increasingly important trans-cultural context. The essays are all marked by both their theoretical rigour and the clearly expounded close readings of the texts and authors upon which they focus (exemplified by, but by no means limited to, Gana's own introductory chapter). The Companion is valuable addition to the relatively small but growing library of critical works devoted to this particular subfield of comparative literature studies. * Roger Allen, Professor of Arabic & Comparative Literature Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania *
A much needed and welcome anthology. Gana has collected an excellent range of essays of various critical approaches, all of them readable and insightful, as are his contextual contributions. Highly recommended for classroom use. * Steven Salaita, Associate Professor, English, Virginia Tech *
The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English is expansive, comprehensive, and unique. To date, it is the only collection dedicated solely to the study of the Anglophone Arab novel. In its geographical scope, it is far-reaching: its chapters cover Arab American, Arab Canadian, Arab Australian, and Arab European output by writers rigorously studied and theorized, such as Ameen Rihani and Ahdaf Soueif; pedagogically popular, such as Diana Abu Jaber and Laila Aboulela; literary but less established, such as Hisham Matar and Rawi Hage; and little theorized and little studied, such as Mona Simpson. * Studies in the Novel *
The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English charts the development of the Anglophone Arab novel at the turn of the twentieth century, continues throughout the anti-colonial and nationalist periods, the ensuing successive waves of Arab immigration to Europe and the United States, and ends with the current period…Covering the full spectrum of Anglophone Arab fiction is an ambitious project,especially when one bears in mind the abundant output of Anglophone Arab authors since 1911; nevertheless, this edited collection successfully manages to illustrate the richness and uniqueness of Anglophone Arab fiction. * The Journal of Arabic Literature *
The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English charts the development of the Anglophone Arab novel at the turn of the twentieth century, continues throughout the anti-colonial and nationalist periods, the ensuing successive waves of Arab immigration to Europe and the United States, and ends with the current period…Covering the full spectrum of Anglophone Arab fiction is an ambitious project, especially when one bears in mind the abundant output of Anglophone Arab authors since 1911; nevertheless, this edited collection successfully manages to illustrate the richness and uniqueness of Anglophone Arab fiction. * The Journal of Arabic Literature *