The Arabic Literary Heritage: The Development of its Genres and Criticism

by Roger Allen

Overview

The Arabic Literary Heritage describes a cultural tradition of literary texts in Arabic from the fifth century A.D. to the present day. After two preliminary chapters on principles and contexts, there are chapters devoted to the Qu'ran as literature, poetry, belles-lettrist prose, drama, and criticism. The volume as a whole, which contains extensive quotations in English translation, a chronology and a guide to further reading, makes a major non-Western literary tradition newly accessible to students and scholars in the West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521485258
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/17/2005
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	476
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 1.02(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Chronology; 1. An essay on precedents and principles; 2. The contexts of the literary tradition; 3. The Qu'ran: sacred text and cultural yardstick; 4. Poetry; 5. belletristic prose and narrative; 6. Drama; 7. The critical tradition; Guide to further reading.

Editorial Reviews

"Allen's book . . .is of great help to beginning students of Arabic literature." Issa J. Boullata of World Literature Today

From the Publisher