The Other in the Saudi Novel (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9786144296325)

According to Bakhtin, novels serve as a dialogue that often encompasses other-oriented artwork, reflecting the community along with its diverse trajectories. These novels have been associated with varying depictions of the Other's image, shaped within the community's collective memory and the perspectives of its distinct groups and individuals. An examination of the Saudi novel, in particular, reveals its persistent engagement with the theme of the Other since its earliest manuscripts. Starting with the publication of Abd al-Quddus al-Ansari's al-Taw'amān (The twins) in1930 (1349AH), Saudi novels consistently delve into and scrutinize this issue across subsequent phases. Novelists employ diverse techniques in their exploration of the Other, representing a spectrum of intellectual discourses and narrative styles. This book explicitly addresses the inquiry into the Other through a curated selection of Saudi novels, tracing their development since their inception. Furthermore, meticulous attention has been devoted to portraying the various historical and literary stages that Saudi novels have undergone. This effort aims to define these novels' stances towards the Other and capture the shifts and evolutions of this stance throughout the century-long history of the Saudi novel.