The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist (Arabic: الوقائع الغريبة في اختفاء سعيد أبي النحس المتشائل) is a 1974 satiricalfiction book by Emile Habibi.[1]
The novel's name comes from merging the Arabic words for pessimist (al-mutasha'im المتشائم) and optimist (al-mutafa'il المتفائل), to describe the narrator Saeed's unique way of viewing the world.[2] Saeed, the novel's narrator, frequently recounts tragic events related to his family and the plight of Palestinians, but adds in comic flourishes to show his "optimistic" side.
Narrative and PlotEdit
Habibi used a comic mode to mitigate the intensity of his world in Israel and to make the story easier for readers to understand. This would have been more difficult had he used a straightforward historical narrative.[2] Habiby showed his resistance against oppressive Israeli policies by using Arabic literary expressions and traditions.[3]
The story begins with a Palestinian man named Saeed, who writes in a letter to an unnamed recipient that he was visited by people from outer space. The letter describes Saeed's life in Israel, after he was forced to flee from his childhood home during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Later, he becomes an informant for Israeli intelligence. Saeed and his wife Baqiyya (باقية, which means "she who has remained" in Arabic) have one son together, Walaa. Unlike his father, Walaa becomes a member of the resistance, and he and his mother are later killed by Israeli forces. Despite Saeed's cooperation with Israel, he is sent to prison multiple times, where he is assaulted by the guards.
ReceptionEdit
The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist is regarded as a classic of Arabic literature, and was ranked the 6th-best Arabic novel of the 20th century by the Arabic Writers Union.[4] Nancy Coffin wrote that the book's success "lies in its ability to straddle the expectations of both acceptable politics and good literature and, perhaps even more important, the fine lines between military response and political solution."[3]
Salma Khadra Jayyusi's forward to an English translation of the book stated that its "unanimous welcome" derived from the fact that it was "highly original, fresh, and, being cast in the straight ironic mode of comic fiction, it was a challenge to the existing modes of fiction in the Arab World."[5]
ReferencesEdit
^إميل حبيبي وصورة الباقين بأرضهم بعد النكبة (in Arabic).
^ abSaloul, Ihab (2008). ""Performative Narrativity": Palestinian Identity and the Performance of Catastrophe". Cultural Analysis. 7.
^ abOuyang, Wen-Chin (2012). Poetics of Love in the Arabic Novel: Nation-State, Modernity and Tradition. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 98.
^"What are the best 105 Arabic books of the 20th century?". Arablit & Arablit Quarterly. Arablit. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
^Habiby, Emile (1989). The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist (English translation). Readers International. pp. x–xi.
August 28, 2023
secret, life, saeed, pessoptimist, arabic, الوقائع, الغريبة, في, اختفاء, سعيد, أبي, النحس, المتشائل, 1974, satirical, fiction, book, emile, habibi, authoremile, habibitranslatortrevor, legassick, salma, khadra, jayyusilanguagearabicgenresatiremedia, typebookth. The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist Arabic الوقائع الغريبة في اختفاء سعيد أبي النحس المتشائل is a 1974 satirical fiction book by Emile Habibi 1 The Secret Life of Saeed The PessoptimistAuthorEmile HabibiTranslatorTrevor LeGassick and Salma Khadra JayyusiLanguageArabicGenreSatireMedia typeBookThe novel s name comes from merging the Arabic words for pessimist al mutasha im المتشائم and optimist al mutafa il المتفائل to describe the narrator Saeed s unique way of viewing the world 2 Saeed the novel s narrator frequently recounts tragic events related to his family and the plight of Palestinians but adds in comic flourishes to show his optimistic side Narrative and Plot EditHabibi used a comic mode to mitigate the intensity of his world in Israel and to make the story easier for readers to understand This would have been more difficult had he used a straightforward historical narrative 2 Habiby showed his resistance against oppressive Israeli policies by using Arabic literary expressions and traditions 3 The story begins with a Palestinian man named Saeed who writes in a letter to an unnamed recipient that he was visited by people from outer space The letter describes Saeed s life in Israel after he was forced to flee from his childhood home during the 1948 Arab Israeli War Later he becomes an informant for Israeli intelligence Saeed and his wife Baqiyya باقية which means she who has remained in Arabic have one son together Walaa Unlike his father Walaa becomes a member of the resistance and he and his mother are later killed by Israeli forces Despite Saeed s cooperation with Israel he is sent to prison multiple times where he is assaulted by the guards Reception EditThe Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist is regarded as a classic of Arabic literature and was ranked the 6th best Arabic novel of the 20th century by the Arabic Writers Union 4 Nancy Coffin wrote that the book s success lies in its ability to straddle the expectations of both acceptable politics and good literature and perhaps even more important the fine lines between military response and political solution 3 Salma Khadra Jayyusi s forward to an English translation of the book stated that its unanimous welcome derived from the fact that it was highly original fresh and being cast in the straight ironic mode of comic fiction it was a challenge to the existing modes of fiction in the Arab World 5 References Edit إميل حبيبي وصورة الباقين بأرضهم بعد النكبة in Arabic a b Saloul Ihab 2008 Performative Narrativity Palestinian Identity and the Performance of Catastrophe Cultural Analysis 7 a b Ouyang Wen Chin 2012 Poetics of Love in the Arabic Novel Nation State Modernity and Tradition Edinburgh Edinburgh University Press p 98 What are the best 105 Arabic books of the 20th century Arablit amp Arablit Quarterly Arablit Retrieved 2022 12 21 Habiby Emile 1989 The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist English translation Readers International pp x xi Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist amp oldid 1129145320, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
