Введение
Роман Ханана аль-Шейха «Женщины из песка и мирры» – роман, написанный Хананом аль-Шейхом. Это пятый роман автора. Первоначально он был опубликован в 1989 году под названием Misk al ghazal (مسك الغزال) и на английском языке – в 1992 году. Переводчиком на английский язык является Кэтрин Кобэм. Журнал Publishers Weekly включил «Женщин из песка и мирры» в список 50 лучших книг 1992 года. Сюжет строится вокруг четырех главных героинь: Сухи, Тамр, Нур и Сюзанны. Различные части романа представлены с точки зрения каждой из этих женщин, что делает книгу историей, рассказанной четырьмя разными голосами. Суха и ее муж бежали из охваченного войной Ливана в неназванную страну, однако Суха чувствует себя несчастной и скучающей, и заводит роман с богатой и избалованной Нур. Сюзанна – американская домохозяйка, прибывшая вместе с мужем; он больше не проявляет к ней интереса, но Сюзанна обнаруживает, что привлекает местных мужчин. Тамр – бедная турецкая женщина, пытающаяся открыть собственный бизнес, но сталкивающаяся с трудностями как разведенная женщина, лишенная прав. Действие романа разворачивается в относительно современном обществе на Ближнем Востоке. В отличие от глубоких корней в Ближнем Востоке до XX века, он отражает жизнь в некоторых из наиболее фундаменталистских обществ последних десятилетий. Элементы, описанные в книге, присутствуют в этом обществе и сегодня: женщины носят абайи и используют различные элементы инфраструктуры, совершают обязательные молитвы в определенное время дня. Это патриархальное общество, где многие считают, что единственное предназначение женщины – рожать и воспитывать детей. В романе упоминаются опреснительные установки (важный намек на то, что действие происходит в Саудовской Аравии), аэропорты и другие объекты инфраструктуры. Роман затрагивает множество проблем современного общества и охватывает широкий спектр тем. Основные темы романа включают различные гендерные роли, классовое неравенство, культуру, религию и противопоставление материализма и романтизма. Среди тем:
Women of Sand and Myrrh is a novel written by Hanan al Shaykh. It is al Shaykh's fifth novel. It was originally published in 1989 as Misk al ghazal (مسك الغزال) and was published in English in 1992. The English translator is Catherine Cobham. Publishers Weekly chose Women of Sand and Myrrh as one of the 50 best books of 1992. The storyline consists of four main characters: Suha, Tamr, Nur, and Suzanne. Different sections of the novel give the perspectives of the four women, making the book a story with four different narrators. Suha and her husband have escaped from war torn Lebanon into the unnamed country; despite this, Suha finds herself miserable and bored, and cheats on her husband with the wealthy and spoiled Nur. Suzanne is an American housewife who has also arrived with her husband; her husband is no longer attracted to her, but Suzanne discovers that she is extremely attractive to the local men. Tamr is an poor Turkish woman who tries to establish her own business, but struggles as a divorcee with no rights. The story is based in a relatively modern society in the Middle East. Rather than having strong ties into the pre 20th century Middle East, it is representative of life in some of the more fundamentalist societies within the last few decades. Elements of the book are present in this society today:
Women wearing abayas and using different infrastructure elements. Mandatory prayers at certain times of the day
Patriarchal society; many view women as good for little except raising children. Implementation of desalinization plants (a large clue that the main setting is Saudi Arabia), airports, etc. The novel addresses many issues in today's society and has a wide variety of themes. Main themes of the novel include differing gender roles, class distinctions, culture, religion, and materialism vs. romanticism. Themes include:
Men vs. women
Feminism
Use and/or abuse of power in a relationship
Class distinctions
Structure of society
Rebellion against the status quo
Culture and religion
Freedom vs. Confinement/Restraint
Elements of traditional culture and their effect
Materialism vs. Romanticism
The sexual disadvantages and existing desires of Arab women
Hidden Lesbianism in Arab cultures
The Innate desire of Arab women to be treated better
Women of Sand and Myrrh was banned in many Arabic lands for strong content (sexual, political, etc.) and for a strong treatment of Arabic culture.
Противостояние мужчин и женщин
Феминизм
Использование и/или злоупотребление властью в отношениях
Классовое неравенство
Устройство общества
Бунт против существующего порядка
Культура и религия
Свобода и ограничение/сдерживание
Влияние элементов традиционной культуры
Материализм против романтизма
Сексуальные проблемы и скрытые желания арабских женщин
Скрытый лесбианизм в арабских культурах
Естественное стремление арабских женщин к лучшему обращению
Women of Sand and Myrrh is a novel written by Hanan al Shaykh. It is al Shaykh's fifth novel. It was originally published in 1989 as Misk al ghazal (مسك الغزال) and was published in English in 1992. The English translator is Catherine Cobham. Publishers Weekly chose Women of Sand and Myrrh as one of the 50 best books of 1992. The storyline consists of four main characters: Suha, Tamr, Nur, and Suzanne. Different sections of the novel give the perspectives of the four women, making the book a story with four different narrators. Suha and her husband have escaped from war torn Lebanon into the unnamed country; despite this, Suha finds herself miserable and bored, and cheats on her husband with the wealthy and spoiled Nur. Suzanne is an American housewife who has also arrived with her husband; her husband is no longer attracted to her, but Suzanne discovers that she is extremely attractive to the local men. Tamr is an poor Turkish woman who tries to establish her own business, but struggles as a divorcee with no rights. The story is based in a relatively modern society in the Middle East. Rather than having strong ties into the pre 20th century Middle East, it is representative of life in some of the more fundamentalist societies within the last few decades. Elements of the book are present in this society today:
Women wearing abayas and using different infrastructure elements. Mandatory prayers at certain times of the day
Patriarchal society; many view women as good for little except raising children. Implementation of desalinization plants (a large clue that the main setting is Saudi Arabia), airports, etc. The novel addresses many issues in today's society and has a wide variety of themes. Main themes of the novel include differing gender roles, class distinctions, culture, religion, and materialism vs. romanticism. Themes include:
Men vs. women
Feminism
Use and/or abuse of power in a relationship
Class distinctions
Structure of society
Rebellion against the status quo
Culture and religion
Freedom vs. Confinement/Restraint
Elements of traditional culture and their effect
Materialism vs. Romanticism
The sexual disadvantages and existing desires of Arab women
Hidden Lesbianism in Arab cultures
The Innate desire of Arab women to be treated better
Women of Sand and Myrrh was banned in many Arabic lands for strong content (sexual, political, etc.) and for a strong treatment of Arabic culture.
«Женщины из песка и мирры» был запрещен во многих арабских странах из-за откровенного содержания (сексуального, политического и т.д.) и критического взгляда на арабскую культуру.
Women of Sand and Myrrh is a novel written by Hanan al Shaykh. It is al Shaykh's fifth novel. It was originally published in 1989 as Misk al ghazal (مسك الغزال) and was published in English in 1992. The English translator is Catherine Cobham. Publishers Weekly chose Women of Sand and Myrrh as one of the 50 best books of 1992. The storyline consists of four main characters: Suha, Tamr, Nur, and Suzanne. Different sections of the novel give the perspectives of the four women, making the book a story with four different narrators. Suha and her husband have escaped from war torn Lebanon into the unnamed country; despite this, Suha finds herself miserable and bored, and cheats on her husband with the wealthy and spoiled Nur. Suzanne is an American housewife who has also arrived with her husband; her husband is no longer attracted to her, but Suzanne discovers that she is extremely attractive to the local men. Tamr is an poor Turkish woman who tries to establish her own business, but struggles as a divorcee with no rights. The story is based in a relatively modern society in the Middle East. Rather than having strong ties into the pre 20th century Middle East, it is representative of life in some of the more fundamentalist societies within the last few decades. Elements of the book are present in this society today:
Women wearing abayas and using different infrastructure elements. Mandatory prayers at certain times of the day
Patriarchal society; many view women as good for little except raising children. Implementation of desalinization plants (a large clue that the main setting is Saudi Arabia), airports, etc. The novel addresses many issues in today's society and has a wide variety of themes. Main themes of the novel include differing gender roles, class distinctions, culture, religion, and materialism vs. romanticism. Themes include:
Men vs. women
Feminism
Use and/or abuse of power in a relationship
Class distinctions
Structure of society
Rebellion against the status quo
Culture and religion
Freedom vs. Confinement/Restraint
Elements of traditional culture and their effect
Materialism vs. Romanticism
The sexual disadvantages and existing desires of Arab women
Hidden Lesbianism in Arab cultures
The Innate desire of Arab women to be treated better
Women of Sand and Myrrh was banned in many Arabic lands for strong content (sexual, political, etc.) and for a strong treatment of Arabic culture.
Критический прием
Kirkus Reviews высоко оценил роман, назвав его «многообещающим дебютом». Издание Publishers Weekly также дало положительный отзыв. Элиз Салем Манганаро, выступая для Ассоциации исследований Ближнего Востока, критиковала стиль романа, но в целом высоко оценила его за темы и актуальность для современного мира. Эдвард Саид назвал роман книгой, «которую западным феминисткам стоит прочитать». Ханнади аль-Самман подвергла критике изображение лесбийских отношений в романе, заявив, что лесбийская любовь в нем представлена лишь как неполноценная альтернатива гетеросексуальности.