Carregue numa fotografia para ir para os Livros Google.
A carregar... Tales of a Severed Head (2005)por Rachida Madani
A carregar...
Adira ao LibraryThing para descobrir se irá gostar deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. “She speaks of all nights and all women she speaks of the sea of waves which carry everything away as if everything could be carried away of waves which begin the sea again there where the sea stopped. She goes through the city she walks with death hand in hand and her hand does not tremble…” This slim volume of poetry is a modern-day One Thousand and One Nights set in Morocco describing the position of women within that country. It tells of the repression of people, not just women, who are poor, hungry, have little recourse as freedom of expression has been taken from them. It is about history repeating itself time and time again. Madani argues that not much has changed since the days when One Thousand and One Nights was written. In One Thousand and One Nights, the profoundly distrustful King Shehriyar vows to marry a new virginal bride each day only to behead her come morning. This continues until Scheherazade volunteers to be a bride. Her trick, however, is to start to tell the King a story and not finish. He wants to know the ending so does not behead her in the morning. The next night she finishes the story, but begins another… so this continues saving many maidens in the process. The author, Rachida Madani, wrote this in French and it was translated to English by Marilyn Hacker. Hacker’s introduction to the poem is incredibly helpful in framing a reference for it. Rachida Madani, an activist, began writing poetry during Morocco’s leaden years. During this time, under King Hassan II’s rule, there was much political unrest and the government was brutal in it’s response to criticism and opposition. Madani’s writing, though strongly feminist evaluating the role of women in the hierarchy, is more powerfully about the corruption in the society as a whole and the repression and abuses of the government towards it’s people. Within this poem of three parts, Madani encourages a palace rebellion. She is encouraging people to protest, speak out, share their voices. I read this as part of Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge and am happy I did. It satisfied the following requirement: read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love. I’m glad I read it and feel that I learned more about Morocco and this time period as a result. sem críticas | adicionar uma crítica
Pertence à Série da EditoraPrémios
A brilliant retelling of the classic Arab tale of Scheherazade, set in the present day This volume brings Moroccan poet Rachida Madani's remarkable poems to English-language readers for the first time. In Tales of a Severed Head, Madani addresses present-day issues surrounding the role of women in society--issues not unlike those explored a thousand years ago in the enduring collection of Arab tales known as The Thousand and One Nights. In the ancient tales, the insanely distrustful King Shehriyar vows to marry a new wife each night and have her beheaded the next morning, thus eliminating the risk of being cuckolded. Through the courage and wit of young Scheherazade, who volunteers to be the king's bride and then invents the legendary tales that go on for a thousand and one nights, Shehriyar is healed of his obsession and the kingdom's virgins are saved. Like her brave-hearted predecessor, Madani's modern-day Scheherazade is fighting for her own life as well as the lives of her fellow sufferers. But in today's world, the threat comes as much from poverty, official corruption, the abuse of human rights, and the lingering effects of colonialism as from the power wielded by individual men. Madani weaves a tale of contemporary resistance, and once again language provides a potent weapon. Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
Current DiscussionsNenhum(a)
Google Books — A carregar... GénerosSistema Decimal de Melvil (DDC)841.92Literature French French poetry 1900- 2000-Classificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos EUA (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
É você?Torne-se num Autor LibraryThing. |
Using the story of Scheherazade, Madani reflects on the position of women in patriarchal societies (so, everywhere!) In the context of the oppression of King Hassan II of Morocco, known as the Years of Lead. The preface quotes Hassan's view on freedom of independent thought: "There is no danger greater for the State than that of self-styled intellectuals. You would have been better off remaining illiterate." Better off, as under his regime you'd be tortured, imprisoned or disappeared for expressing any criticism, opposition or dissenting thought.
Madani's poem is by turns beautiful and terrifying. ( )