The Calligrapher's Secret
Rafik Schami
Arabia Books
Dh117
Does Rafik Schami belong to German or Arabic letters? He grew up in Syria and his fiction tends to gravitate to themes about Damascene life. But he writes in German, a leading figure in the school of "Gastarbeiterliteratur" (guest-worker literature). His latest novel to reach English readers, a meandering account of the marriage between the master calligrapher Hamid Farsi and the beautiful Noura, is superficially Arabic and deeply German.
Schami's style is conversational, mimicking the digressions and prolepses of an oral story-teller. Seemingly every incidental character gets a backstory, usually a rather picturesque one, so that the novel as a whole appears like a kind of tapestry -an almost stereotypically Arabic effect. At the same time, there's something rather chilly and cerebral about Schami's concerns. Hamid, for instance, is part of a secret society which is trying to reform classical Arabic script to make it more precise - a blasphemous quest which occasions a number of extended disquisitions on the history of Arabic writing. That, and Schami's interest in the grotesque side of sex, seems very German, at times almost Gunter Grass-like.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.