Books review of author Jabra Ibrahim Jabra pdf
He is an author, painter, and plastic critic, a Palestinian Syriac Orthodox who then converted to Islam to marry Lamia al-Askari. He was born in Bethlehem during the British Mandate era, and settled in Iraq after the 1948 war. He produced about 70 novels, authored books and translated material, and his work has been translated into more than from twelve languages. The word Jabra is of Aramaic origin, meaning strength and intensity. He was born in Bethlehem, studied in Jerusalem, England and America, then moved to work in Iraqi universities to teach English literature, and there, where he was closely acquainted with the educated elite and established strong relations with the most important literary figures such as Al-Sayyab and Al-Bayati. He is considered one of the most prolific and diverse Arab writers, as he dealt with novels, poetry, criticism, especially translation, and served literature as an administrator in publishing institutions. He was known in some Palestinian circles by the nickname "Abu Sadir", which he used in many of his articles, whether in English or in Arabic. Jabra Ibrahim Jabra died in 1994 and was buried in Baghdad. Jabra Ibrahim Jabra presented to the Arab reader the most prominent Western writers and was known for modern literary schools and doctrines. Perhaps his translations of Shakespeare are among the most important Arabic translations of the immortal British writer, as well as his translations for the eyes of Western literature, such as his transfer of the novel “The Noise and Violence” for which the American writer William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature. No less important than the translation of this novel is that important introduction to it, and without this introduction, Arabic readers would find it very difficult to understand. Jabra Ibrahim Jabra's fictional works can present a powerful and suggestive picture to express the depth and face of the tragedy of his people, even in his way that does not see flaws or defects in presenting a vision that emanates from the eyes of a cultured, sensitive and aware person who is able to truly understand the spirit of his people. But at the same time he is able to understand the world around him, and understand how he views life and developments. In poetry, he did not write much, but with the emergence of the prose poetry movement in the Arab world, he experimented with the same enthusiasm as the young poets. In the novel, his novelistic project was distinguished by the search for a modern writing style that transcends previous generations of fiction writing with an Arabic flavour. He dealt in particular with the Palestinian personality in the diaspora. His most important novels include "The Ship", "The Search for Walid Masoud" and "A World Without Maps" in association with Abd al-Rahman Munif. In criticism, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra is considered one of the most present and followed critics in the Arab cultural arena. He was not limited to literature only, but wrote about cinema and plastic arts, knowing that he practiced drawing as a hobby. In translation, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra is still better than Shakespeare, as he preserved the aesthetics of the original text while submitting to the writing laws in the Arabic language. He also translated many important Western books on Eastern history, such as “The Legend of Symbol” and “Before Philosophy.”