The Arabian Nightmare


Book Description

A cult classic that “combines the genres of travelogue, fable, dream narrative, novel and confessional into one beguiling whole” (Publishers Weekly). The hero and guiding force of this epic fantasy is an insomniac young man who, unable to sleep, guides the reader through the narrow streets of Cairo—a mysterious city full of deceit and trickery. He narrates a complex tangle of dreams and imaginings that describe an atmosphere constantly shifting between sumptuously learned experiences, erotic adventure, and dry humor. The result is a thought-provoking puzzle box of sex, philosophy, and theology, reminiscent of Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco. “Deft and lovely . . . The smooth steely grip of Irwin’s story-telling genius is a joy to read.” —The Washington Post “The Arabian Nightmare is a conceit worthy of Borges.” —The New York Times “[Irwin’s] fascination for inner perception, helped along with a delight in Scheherazadian frames and exotic lore, makes for quite a rich experience: a strangely playful construct that, like an intricate Chinese box, delights with each unexpected combination and hidden drawer.” —Kirkus Reviews




Arabian Nightmares


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An Arabian Dream


Book Description

An Arabian Dream is a story that falls through the crevices of pitiless anonymity, yet miraculously waits to be told... Shijukutty, a Malayali fisherman, leaves his tiny hamlet of abject poverty in a coastal village in search of his destiny in Dubai, that gleaming hub of fortune, like millions of his brethren. What unfolds is a stirring saga of hardship, exploitation, identity, and friendship, and the heartbreaking choices Shiju is often forced to make. What he sees is not what he experiences when he lands in a world of glimmering towers, fast-paced life, and unabashed opulence. Shiju’s life takes dramatic turns in the Dream City’s dark underbelly. But he holds his ground, drawing on the ancient instincts of his seafaring ancestry. To make matters worse, he is inexorably pulled into the canyon of global recession… Will Shiju be able to hold on to his dreams? Will he survive against all odds? Will he redeem himself? Nikhil Ramteke weaves a captivating tale of migrant labourers, their struggles, their loneliness, and their dreams. Nikhil Ramteke is a Maharashtrian making a living in Sharjah, UAE, as a production manager with an MNC. When he’s not writing, Nikhil likes to paint, indulge in a bit of wildlife photography and travel the world.




The Arabian Nightmare


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The Arabian Nightmare


Book Description




The Arabian Nightmares


Book Description

Unintended consequences are the threads with which Allah weaves the tapestry of our lives. But is it indeed a tapestry or a pall that He creates?During the reign of the caliph Harun Al-Rashid, three men thrown into the same Egyptian prison tell each other their stories in a contest to determine who is the most miserable of them all. Unbeknownst to each of them, their fellow inmates were at the root of their tragedies.




Arabian Nightmares


Book Description

Three timely one-act plays, showing the brutal and bloody impact of the current Middle Eastern crisis on ordinary people.




Nightmares in the Saudi Arabian Desert


Book Description

This is my autobiography, my true story, starting out as a young educated cosmopolitan woman from Athens Greece when life was opening up before me, full of promise. With dreams of living in Paris, the City of Light that I loved so much...However, love beckoned me in the form of a charming Arab with promises of paradise and I decided to leave everything behind, including my dreams. However, my marriage to a handsome important Saudi will become my prison from which escape seems impossible...Will she make it? Will she manage to escape the nightmare and reclaim her right to life?Review"From love story to Arabian nightmare"... "Paris-educated Alexandra Symeonidou was a stewardess at Saudi Arabian Airlines when she fell in love with he pilot colleague. The years of torture she endured are now depicted in her book"... Neos Kosmos - Melbourne, Australia "It took three years to write the book, which was a best seller in Europe, because it was difficult to keep reliving the pain" - The National Herald - New York"If all this sounds like a fairy tale to you, well I can assure you, that if you were with me at this beautiful apartment in Athens, you would not think so. Nothing in this apartment resembled Saudi Arabia, and the lady in front of me was not smiling when talking about her life as presented in her autobiography..." - The Greek Reporter - Los Angeles"From a good life to a nightmarish isolation". - The Hellenic Voice - ChicagoBiographyAlexandra Simeonidou was born and grew up in Athens, Greece. As a French speaker, she studied in France (French and English Literature at the University of Aix- en-Provence and at the Institute of Political Sciences - IEP). She worked for the Greek National Tourist Board at its Paris offices in the Public Relations department. Later, she was employed by the Official Journal of the European Union, a position she left to work as an air hostess with Saudi Airlines. She lives with her son in Athens. Currently, she divides her time between writing and public affairs.




1001 Arabian Nightmares


Book Description

Listen! Would you be interested in reading a few pages from a diary of a terrorist? Seriously! That is if you, like many others, believe that anyone who is from the Middle East is a potential terrorist. On the contrary I found that the Middle East is a wonderful place where laughter is in abundance. You just got to explode, I mean explore by traveling through various countries of the Middle East. Not only an exhilarating life experience, you will also discover mystery, adventure and plenty of humour. No time, no problem! I have done it for you. The last few years have been difficult for the Arab nations. The world seemed to have latched on to its stereotypical image without understanding Arab's fascinating culture. Arabia is truly a fun place. It's a secret that needs to be let out: Arabs have a deep-rooted sense of humour and it exists in their daily life. Let me explain. I know there are millions of people who can't possibly believe what I'm telling them: that Arabs both have and appreciate a sense of humour. I know that the press has convinced you otherwise. And they will. That is their job and it helps them to sell newspapers. The only way to bring in a balanced perspective is to look closely at their humour. A good and clean sense of humour to enjoy and not rude or offensive to be upsetting! Come on, don't be so serious, and smile. Did you know that humour in the Arab society is not recent or out of necessity? It has been in existence for centuries as an integral part of their culture. Way back in the Middle Ages, Mullah Nasruddin was one of the great humorists of Arab history. He has thousands of tales, my favourite is: When a ruler said to Nasruddin, "Mullah, all the great rulers of the past had honorific titles with the name of God in them. There was, for instance, 'God-Gifted', and 'God-Accepted', and so on. How about some such name for me?" Nasruddin thought only for a moment and said, "God Forbid." See what I mean: subtle. I believe that the funniest humour is the one that you experience for yourself. So I packed my bags and travelled all through Arabia. I liked it so much that I stayed there for several years. Why? Because I wanted more to get past: A priest, a rabbi and a mullah walk into a bar. The barman says - "What is this, a joke?" I needed something fresh, original and personal. Did I get it? Well, I'd let you be the judge of that. Come along on an adventurous journey with me to the fascinating world of Arabia and experience a unique brand of humour that you would not find on the Internet. Not that I don't trust the God Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (Google). Through these short, humorous stories I invite you on a journey of humour, mystery and adventure to the amazing Middle East.




Look at the Evidence


Book Description

For more than 50 years John Clute has been reviewing science fiction and fantasy. Look at the Evidence is a collection of reviews from a wide variety of sources - including Interzone, the New York Review of Science Fiction, and Science Fiction Weekly - about the most significant literatures of the twenty-first century: science fiction, fantasy and horror: the literatures Clute argues should be recognized as the central modes of fantastika in our times. It covers the period between 1987 and 1992.