Born in Damascus, Syria in 1946, Rafik Schami (Arabic: ) is the son of a baker from an Arab-Christian (originally Aramaic) family. His schooling and university studies (diploma in chemistry) took place in Damascus. From 1965, Schami wrote stories in Arabic. From 1964-70 he was the co-founder and editor of the wall news-sheet Al-Muntalak (The Starting-Point) in the old quarter of the city. In 1971 Schami moved to Heidelberg and financed further studies by typical guest worker jobs (factories, building sites, restaurants). He earned his doctorate in chemistry in 1979 and began career in the chemical industry. In his spare time, he co-founded the literary group S眉dwind in 1980 and was part of the PoLiKunst movement. Schami became a full time author in 1982. He lives in Kirchheimbolanden with his Bavarian wife and son and he holds dual citizenship. Schami's books have been translated into 20 languages
Me ha encantado, una de esas historias llenas de historias. Un homenaje al pueblo y la cultura 谩rable cargada de dulzura y sencillez pero al mismo tiempo muestra discretamente la situaci贸n pol铆tica y social de Siria en los a帽os 50. Muy recomendable si busc谩is una lectura ligera pero evocadora. Y oye, a lo tonto se ha convertido en una de las mejores lecturas que he hecho para este #marzoasiatico
A renowned storyteller loses his voice, and his seven friends must each tell him a story to bring it back. This is a colorful, Arabian Nights sort of tale, set in 1959 Syria, where an oppressive government occasionally infringes on the world of the eight old men who spend every evening together and rally around to bring back Salim鈥檚 voice. The characters鈥� stories have a fairytale quality, even when they claim to be telling stories from their own pasts, and are enjoyable and imaginative.
This isn鈥檛 a book I loved or one I expect to prove memorable. It doesn鈥檛 have much plot in the frame story, and there鈥檚 more insight into the human condition generally than into any of its specific characters. But it is a pleasant read, and a strong and easily readable translation (it is perhaps more easily translated to English than most Middle Eastern literature; Schami moved to Germany as a young man and originally wrote this one in German). Worth a read for lovers of fairytales or Middle Eastern fiction.
This was a beautiful book. Exquisitely told. Thanks Haroon.
This book was recommended to me by a friend whom I have since lost contact with (hi Haroon!) and I cannot stress how grateful I am that he urged me to read this Damascus Nights. I was about 18 (how young) when I read this and I reckon that the book is a good fit for anyone who enjoys stories and storytelling.
Damascus Nights is about Salim, a coachman and also the most famous storyteller in all of Damascus. When he tells stories, people from all over Damascus gather to hear them. He spends his evenings with seven of his closest friends. They tell each other stories, they argue, and they laugh. One night, Salim loses his voice and the only way he can regain it is if he is given seven wondrous gifts. Salim鈥檚 seven friends try to give him different things to see if his voice comes back but they fail consecutively. Until one of them realizes that the 鈥榞ift鈥� in question is a story. Each of Salim鈥檚 friends must tell Salim (and the gathering of friends) a story. Seven friends equal seven stories equal seven wondrous gifts. It鈥檚 the only way to save Salim鈥檚 voice.
With some misgivings and a whole lot of reluctance, the friends agree to share their stories and so begins Damascus Nights. The novel is Arabian Nights without Scheherazade and the rapacious king. Damascus comes to glorious life in Schami鈥檚 book; his imagery is so concrete that you will be able to hear the vegetable-seller鈥檚 call, or the muezzin saying the azaan. You will feel the heat of the coffee in the cup Salim holds and you will hear the voice of the chosen storyteller of the night. The narrator of the story is a shadowy character in the book whose presence the readers will see once or twice but never in any detail.
Each story offers something new, something wondrous. There are flying carpets, lost love, abandoned children, demons, masks, fairies. Some tales are sly, some twist and twirl and every tale matches the teller. I really admired the way Schami differentiated between all his characters; he individuated each character so thoroughly that it is possible to know who is speaking simply by the way they speak. This is not easy to do as any writer will tell you.
The friendship between the old men is a wonderful part of the novel: the way they tease each other, the way they argue, the way they offer understanding and help. Sometimes, the way the story is told (with the frequent interruptions) is as wonderful as the story itself. There is political commentary woven throughout the stories and a more aware reader will be able to extrapolate these opinions and perhaps write a wonderful essay on it. (I鈥檓 just saying.) But the novel itself offers a unique glimpse of a culture foreign to us who live in North America. Damascus Nights allows us to walk on terrain that would otherwise be impossible for us to traverse.
Syria has a long tradition of storytellers and a quick search on the internet will reveal the storyteller of Damascus who passed away recently. Damascus Nights pays homage to the tradition of storytelling and points at the importance of storytelling in human lives. Who we are is largely the stories we tell. I believe that children are often the ones who lost themselves the most in stories, and as such may be able to empathize the most with the Salim the storyteller and his quest to regain his voice and his ability to tell stories. I recommend it for teenage audiences but I dare say that if a parent were to read this one out loud to their children, both the parent and the child would enjoy it thorougly.
5 out of 5 stars! 猸� Rafik Schami takes the basic concept of this classic of Arabian literature and sets it in Damascus in 1959. This book is made up of fairy tales with real life reflection. Damascus-born, Germany-based children's writer Schami delivers an occasionally charming but more often unmoving tale of Arabian nights and a determined effort to help a master yarnspinner regain his lost ability to speak.
So here is what the fabulous book is about: The time is present-day Damascus, and Salim the coachman, the citys most famous storyteller, is mysteriously struck dumb. To break the spell, seven friends gather for seven nights to present Salim with seven wondrous giftsseven stories of their own design. Upon this enchanting frame of tales told in the fragrant Arabian night, the words of the past grow fainter, as ancient customs are yielding to modern turmoil. While the hairdresser, the teacher, the wife of the locksmith sip their tea and pass the water pipe, they swap stories about the magical and the mundane: about djinnis and princesses, about contemporary politics and the difficulties of bargaining in a New York department store. And as one tale leads to another and another all of Damascus appears before your eyes, along with a vision of storytellingand talkas the essence of friendship, of community, of life...
The writing is so beautiful and lyrical. It was a joy to read the beautiful phrases in this book, especially those that gave beauty to very common actions. I felt like I was reading lyrical poetry in prose form, the feel of it was poetry but it wasn't poetry - I hope that makes sense.
鈥淎nyone can listen to an exciting story; but a good listener is like a determined gold prospector patiently digging through the mud to find a little nugget of the prized metal.鈥� 鈥� Rafik Schami, 'Damascus Nights'
Eines meiner Herzensb眉cher ist 鈥淓rz盲hler der Nacht鈥� von Rafik Schami, der nicht zuletzt durch dieses Buch zu einem meiner absoluten Lieblingsschriftsteller avanciert ist.
Rafik Schami ist ein syrischer Autor, der seit den 70er Jahren in Deutschland lebt und auf Deutsch schreibt. In 鈥淓rz盲hler der Nacht鈥� legt er all seine Liebe zu seiner Heimatstadt Damaskus und beschreibt die Menschen und ihre Lebensart, die Ger眉che in den Gassen und die Kl盲nge der Stadt auf unbeschreiblich herzerw盲rmende Weise.
Er erz盲hlt die Geschichte des Kutschers Salim in den 1950er Jahren, der eines Tages verstummt. Die Fee, die ihn Zeit seines Lebens bei seinen sagenhaften Erz盲hlungen und Abenteuergeschichten unterst眉tzt hat, ist nun gealtert und will sich verabschieden. Eine Chance jedoch gibt sie ihm noch, um f眉r eine Nachfolgerin zu sorgen: Er muss sieben einzigartige Geschenke erhalten, um seine Sprache wiederzubekommen.
War es bisher Salim, der seine Freunde 眉ber viele Jahre Abend f眉r Abend mit seinen Geschichten unterhalten hat, stehen nun seine sieben Freunde vor der Aufgabe, die richtigen Geschenke zu w盲hlen und es reiht sich eine Geschichte an die n盲chste. Ich liebe dieses Buch auf zweierlei Weise. Wie der Kutscher Salim hat auch Rafik Schami eine Fee, die ihn immer wieder den roten Faden finden l盲sst, wenn eine Geschichte die n盲chste gebiert. Wie in tausend und einer Nacht spinnt sich der Faden von Abenteuern zu leisen Geschichten, von wahren Begebenheiten zu m盲rchenhaften Erz盲hlungen und l盲dt zum Nachdenken, Tr盲umen oder einfach nur gebanntem Zuh枚ren ein.
recommend Damascus Nights to me when I was asking for suggestions for . I decided to read it because I was intrigued by the stories within a story concept. The book was originally published in German, however I read the English translation.
It's #ownvoices for Syrian representation.
__
The writing is so beautiful and lyrical. It was a joy to read the beautiful phrases in this book, especially those that gave beauty to very common actions. I felt like I was reading lyrical poetry in prose form, the feel of it was poetry but it wasn't poetry - I hope that makes sense. Check out the beauty in these phrases:
"Writing is not the voice's shadow but the tracks of its steps."
"The stamp is a piece of every official's soul, and if he has to press it down on a sheet of paper, it hurts his soul - though a banknote or two has been known to lessen the pain."
"Fruit, you see, is first eaten with the eyes, then with the nose, and only last with the mouth."
"A lie can change even the blandest occurrence into a piquant dish."
I loved how the story described in this book is that of a storyteller being told stories by his friends. Damascus Nights is both a short story collection and a full-length novel at the same time, the short stories being woven into the tapestry of the full-length novel. I think it's quite lovely when a person who usually tells stories is given the opportunity to listen to stories that others have to tell, thus being able to relax and enjoy the story. The stories were all beautiful and in my opinion, there were lessons that the reader can learn from each story. There are many genres of stories, and thus I think that most readers will find at least one likable story. Some of the stories have magical aspects, while others are based on reality. Some are about personal experiences of the storyteller in question, while others are fictional. Each story was uniquely part of the storyteller in question and the storyteller's personality influenced the method of their storytelling as well as the story itself.
The main story is set in Damascus, and while the short stories take place in different parts of the world, Damascus is never ignored. The author has managed to write beautiful and vivid descriptions of the city, its culture and people.
__
Damascus Nights is a beautiful book. The writing is poetic and lovely. I'm very happy that it was recommended to me, and I recommend it to you as well!
This review is part of the (#顿别耻迟蝉肠丑别顿颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测叠眉肠丑别谤). The book is available in a lot of languages.