reading only ARABIC books for a week (in english)
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- i spent a week reading 5 books by arabic authors, translated into english! this included books from Oman, Libya, and Sudan. i hope you enjoy and find some arabic reading recommendations :) special shoutout to Fedaa, Saadia, and Maya for suggesting these books!!
MY NEW SECOND CHANNEL !!!! • i did a literature pub...
Watch an Arabic version of this video here: • مراجعة 5 كتب أدبية الن...
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Jack Edwards
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chapters + books mentioned:
00:00 video intro & explanation
02:14 season of migration to the north
05:06 gold dust
07:07 celestial bodies
09:44 a river dies of thirst
11:35 time of white horses
13:03 conclusion & recs
subscriber count at time of upload: 286,500
thanks very much for watching, don't forget to subscribe, and give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed!!
As a translator I can't tell you how much I appreciate you mentioning the translators as we are often overlooked. Thank you 💛
❤️❤️
the translator creats and opens the door for us to walk into a new world made by the writer ❤. You guys are amazing
Do translators earn enough to live ?
Yes, mentioning the translators realy impacted me and it is the first time for me to say in my head "what about being translator?" Translating is Very important work because it makes us know alot about other people who are living different lifestyle and far away from us . All appreciate 💗
Fellow translator here and I second that
As an Arab viewer who has always felt that Arabic literature is sadly overlooked or ignored because of misconceptions or stereotypes I can't even begin to explain how touching this video is and how much it means to me xx
yup!!!
Totally agree 💛
I totally understand you, I am Portuguese and I think we have a lot of great books that aren’t that known outside Portugual. They are amazing, for example “Os Maias” or “Os Lusíadas”. The first one is one of my favourite books ever, I mean ever. It is huge but such a beautiful peace, It gives you a clear look at Portuguese society in the 1800’s. It is so deep and so funny at the same time. I can’t describe all of my feelings about this book. Everyone should give it a try
I agree!
I'm Arab too and I've even grown up in an Arabic country for a good chunk of my life and even when I was there, no one around me ever paid attention to literature. I've been wanting to read Arabic books so my language skills don't get rusty but I didn't know where to start. I'm very happy that this video exists.
"Patience is life" fun fact - the arabic version possibly uses the word "sabr", which is commonly translated to patience. But sabr has some important connotations and is an extremely important concept within Islamic beliefs, it's more like "being patient while carrying a steadfast faith in your heart that things will get better and you should not get beaten down because everything will turn our justly", and I think that's beautiful and potentially less docile than "patience"
WOW. Thank you so much for this comment! This is so fascinating, and it's such a shame you lose this in the translation. Incredible, thank you!!
Resilience is a better translation of sabr than patience.
ترجمهه ؟
@@ummpearls i am not sure about it but you might say.
Sabr is a cognate of the indonesian word for patience, which is "sabar". Indonesian has a lot of arabic loanwords hence yeaa
"I respect you, but I don't understand you" everyone should use this more often
“I don’t mean to fatshame a book” damn
[proceeds to fat shame the book anyway]
Me going back to see that
They aren’t fat, they CHONGAS.
@@jack_edwards After having a look at an old arabic book, I felt like I have loss interest in modern Arabic books. I highly recommend old Arabic books for everyone for they are extremely precious.
@@uth5425 like??? Pls give me some recommendations. (Beginner friendly)
Someone who isn't sexualising Arab culture or a weird obsession with being the colonizer/orientalist, AND you're highlighting literature from all around the Arab world? It's a dream come true!!
i mean someone who isnt sexualizing the culture is kinda the bare minimum 😂, still get what you meant tho haha
People sexualize Arab culture?
@@joatanpereira4272 i guess with like baladi and stuff
يتكلم عن ايش 😢
@@toulatami296 يتكلم على الادب العربي قرا كم كتاب وحبه
I’m from a village in the northern district of occupied Palestine in which Mahmoud Darwish spent a part of his childhood. Grandmas always tell stories about him and how they used to play together as kids and then he grew up to be one of the most famous poets in the arab world. He changed the view about literature in our village encouraging many people to read and write despite not being able to go to school (they are now of ages 70-100). so we have schools and educational centers and a neighborhood named after him. Literally not a day passes without reading his poems
That's so cool!
Do you still live in Palestine if so are you guys okey
@@aysenurb yes I still live in palestine and I’m alive for now😅
@@nazhaassadi1361 hope you and your family are always safe
Thats really cool what village are you from? (my grandparents are 1948 refugees from Tetaba and Tarshiha)
I've never seen a non-Arab so SINCERELY excited and interested and genuinely happy to be reading Arab literature i'm barely a few minutes in and I LOVE this video - instant subscribe!
Me, a non-Arab LOVING Arabic and just wanting an opportunity to start to learn it as a third langyage so I can read Quran and all the other books in their original language thus meanings because Arabic literally has the best literature ever and you can say even the word camel like 50 different ways and- okay okay I shut up but like your language is. just. BEAUTIFUL.
So yeah I love Arab literature.
@@zynpkrdg I've been wanting to pick up another language and arabic is tempting me 😭
As an Arab, I'm so happy that you're showcasing Arabic literature on your channel! It means a lot, so thank you!! ❤
as an arab, I was not expecting this at all, so happy that you got to explore arabic literature
I feel like u have an ask fm account ! Hmm are u the one who loves space and religion studies ?
@@narashikamaru0 ahhh i dont think so because idk what you're talking about
@@nha8909 ok sorry
@@narashikamaru0 Its okay :D
:0
Arab literature is so poetic. Like, even the novels are so poetic, and I don't think I've ever found a translation that does justice to how beautiful they are in arabic.
The literal translation isn't "celestial bodies" ,it's "the ladies of the moon" or in Arabic "سيدات القمر"
yes Jack! I need to get my hands on these :)
KING!! i'm living for your travel vlogs!!
@@jack_edwards do pakistani literature next🇵🇰
read "Secrets of Divine Love" Jay!
A crossover i didn't expect from my two top RUclips channels. 🌟
Jaaaay 😍
I clicked SO fast when i saw "Arabic"
Same here.
Lol same 😂
Yeah my heart skipped a beat tbh
Same
Me too
Jack secretly (but not really) becoming a booktuber, bit by bit.
worst kept secret of all time
I'm here for it.
I’m a new viewer and i thought he is a booktuber lol .. isn’t he tho ?
i followed thinking he was a booktuber LOL
I came here from the green aesthetic book video so the fact that jack wasn't always a booktuber is actually news to me
As a Libyan, I couldn't help myself from crying when you were talking about Darwish. Palestine will forever be a subject that brings tears to my eyes whatever the context talked in was
hello fellow libyan
as a palestinian thank you
As another Palestinian, thank u
@@d1m1u are you a directionar and swiftie as well ??
Same 🇱🇾
I completely adore how you review literature. You always approach books with such open-mindedness and respect, and your passion towards these novels make me feel connected to them even when I haven’t read any of them. 💙
This is so kind, thank you!!
I never clicked on a video this fast!! As a Tunisian (I am Arab and I speak Arabic), I am so happy to see this. By the way, Seasons of Migrations to the North is one of my favourite books ever. I love Tayeb Salih's writing style and narratives. I read his complete works when I was 12 years old and it changed me. THANK YOU for this. Arabic literature needs more recognition internationally.
Please can you suggest me some other books if you don’t mind?
Hi @@auroraqoshi9353 These are few of my favourites:
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
The Broken Wings by Khalil Gibran
The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi
I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti
East of the Mediterranean by Abdul Rahman Munif
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
@@mariemmahmoudi8785 thank you
Never thought I would find another Tunisian here haha. I usually read in English but i'll take a look at what you recommended 😊
@@salmahalloumi I usually read in English too because I am an English literature student. But I try to read at least the classics of Arabic literature.
Hope you enjoy reading them.
The books:
1. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih
2. Gold Dust by Ibrahim al-Koni
3. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
4. A River Dies of Thirst by Mahmoud Darvish
5. Time of White Horses by Ibrahim Nasrallah
Omg ily
Thank you!
Do you possibly have it in Arabic ?
@@same3601
1-موسم الهجرة إلى الشمال، طيب صالح
2-التبر ،إبراهيم الموني
3-سيدات القمر، جوخة الحارثي
4-نهر يموت من العطش، محمود درويش
5-زمن الخيول البيضاء، إبراهيم نصر الله
As a Syrian, I cried when you quoted Darwish 😭
but I must recommend you two other Arabs Writers, you may choose or ask your audience for a book name for them.
NIZAR QABBANI and YOUSSEF ZAIDAN ❤❤❤
love love love nizar qabbani his poetry has my heart 🥺❤️
ايش اسم كتاب محمود درويش بالنسخة العربية ؟
@@Thattw نهر يموت من العطش
I love the fact that you're mentioning names of the translators!
I was looking for someone to mention this! ❤️
yes!! as a translation student that’s so heartwarming 🥺 im glad someone appreciates our work
@@dpaf3534 oh boy we do appreciate u
@@dpaf3534 appreciate u bestie thank you for letting ppl understand literature that isnt in their native language. heres a 🥐 for ur hard work
Same! 🥺❤️
i strongly recommend Gibran Khalil Gibran's ''The Prophet'' and ''Broken Wings''
Broken Wings made me cry like a baby! I need to read The Prophet.
@@kris-ish600 the prophet is absolutely ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ It was my initiation into reading more poetry because WOW 😭
@@zainabqureshi9334 Yes, I have it, so I will pick it up soon! It sounds like I need to. 🥰
Oh yesss!!
I remember my lit Teacher always recommending our class to read the Prophet!! It's really good, it's like the book that made me interested in poetry
I need to learn Arabic. Arabic poetry is so magical, as well as Arabic books.
Arabic is so deep that you would love to live longer in this dunya purely because you sunk into that beautiful deep language that Allah chose as the last one for the revelation to whole humanity!
I’m interested in Arabic too, but it sounds and looks so tricky. 🥺
@@yinhannasjournal it’s worth it, try it!!
@@notime497 I just might! Thanks for the support :3
@@yinhannasjournal good luck with Arabic 🌼
as a North African, this means a lot! It’s amazing that you took the time to read arabic books which are so often overlooked. Books in other languages can be so beautiful, and i’m glad you enjoyed them! loved this video, please do more like this!
North African here too :D hello and stay safe!
Usually I don't comment on RUclips, but I just wanted to tell you that especially your recent book videos are genuinely getting me to fall back in love with reading - quite a thing in times of online uni and aimlessly starring at screens the whole day. Thx!
Thank you so so much!!
Absolutely agree! His enthusiasm and passion are contagious.
I am a student of Arabic Studies and in literally one weeks time we are about to start reading Arabic literature. The timing of this video is just spot on! Thank you Jack for introducing your viewers to literature that is less talked about, yet so important 🙏
"Hepta" try to read this one
What's arabic studies talks about?
Great choice I appreciate it ... I really respect the Arabic foreigners students
As an arab i recommend u "The Granada Trio" for Radmw Ashor
Oh God as an arab myself I really like the fact you highlighted the richness of Arabic literature. That's why I suggest you these two female and feminist writers too ( they are arabs )
Nawal saadaoui, Fatima Mernissi ❤️ their books are so engaging and breathtaking
I know it's one year later, but maybe you get a notification for this comment:) I'm trying to read a book from as many countries in the world as I can right now, and I was wondering if you could recommend me any specific books by the two authors you mentioned above:) It sounds very interesting and I haven't read books from Egypt and Morocco yet. Thank you in advance
@@marion8252 not from this two authors, but a good place to start with Egyptian literature is naguib mahfouz (you may have heard of him if you did a little searching, he had a Nobel prizes so like,,,, that’s why) but the Cairo trilogy is what he won the Nobel for, so maybe try palace walk :) definitely try the other authors though!
@judi Thank you so much, I appreciate it😍 Definitely gonna check it out🥰
@@marion8252 For old Arabic Books and literature. The best Arabic books of all are the Qur’an, then hadith, then old Arabic poetry, but there is a big difference between the original text in Arabic and its translations. However there you can enjoy reading the following old Arabic literature: The Muqaddimah for Ibn Ibn Khaldûn, The Arabian Nights or Tales of 1001 Nights, The Travels of Ibn Fadlan and Ibn Battuta, and Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan.
Arabic literature (Egyptian) in the last century and this century. You can start with Naguib Mahfouz, who has many novels translated into English, and also, The Days of Taha Hussein, The Sin and Other Novels by Yusuf Idris, and other novels for Tawfiq al-Hakim, books by Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad, and Azazil by Yusuf Zaidan.
Nawal saadaoui, or Fatima Mernissi, wrote in feminism, not Arabic literature.
"I'm pleased that it's over" giggles, hidding his chin on his chest. So cute, so tender. I wanted to hug him
As a Palestinian viewer this made me so happy! Especially you reading Darwish's work :)
i am jordanian american
Oh same!
I am palestinian too yaay nice to meet you here 😂
@@joelle9027 nice to meet you too♥️😌
Hi from Algeria 🇩🇿❤
I’ve never clicked on a video so quickly!! As an Arab (I’m from the UAE) who studies in a British curriculum school, I sort of overlooked Arabic literature as I was too focused on reading English literature for my GCSEs and AS Level. Your video has now inspired me to delve a little deeper within my culture and perhaps find new books to add onto my reading list! I might have a go at reading them in Arabic too to see how the translation differs.
Loved this video so much! :)
exact same situation here, except that now I'm studying abroad for uni and I'm honestly missing Arabic SO MUCH
Honestly when I made that transition from English to Arabic literature ( in Arabic) I found it VERY hard to go back! Arabic is truly captivating
@@remy9051 Awwe good luck in your studies abroad! (I’m hoping to study abroad as well after Year 13). I would say try and immerse yourself back into the Arabic culture as much as you can- I know with studying abroad that can be very hard :( Try and read more!
Wishing you all the best!! ✨💕
@@ftmb24 Oh my gosh!! YES!! that’s exactly what I’m aiming to do (after finishing my AS level). That’s so awesome!! ✨💕
@@maryamalketbi1770 Thank youuu, studying abroad is hard for sure, but it helps you grow and develop in so many ways! It makes you appreciate our Arab culture and language even more and not take it and its beauty for granted
I really appreciate you reading foreign literature, cause there's so much out there. I'd love to see you read more African literature, like Chimamanda's books or some from my home, Kenya, like the River and the Source by Margaret Agola. If you do short stories, there's a collection of them from different countries called When the Sun Goes Down.
Hell Yeah
Hell Yeah
As an Arab person, I'm so glad to see someone who is interested in out culture. Darwish is definitely the most respected poet we have had during the last century. Glad you enjoyed them all! ❤️
as an arab i’m so glad you’re giving a platform for arab writers because the arab world is rich with literature yet so under appreciated in the modern world!
Hey, you could try reading only Indian literature in a video too. I have some suggestions -
1. The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
2. Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar
3. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
4. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
5. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
6. Joothan by Om Prakash Valmiki 7. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
8. Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand
9. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
10. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
11. The Inheritance of Loss’ by Kiran Desai
Definitely recommend the white tiger
all of these are pure gold
Also, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
@@priyanshiarora1193 Enhhh ...... I guess everyone has a right to hold their own opinion about something , so I am not saying that you shouldn't like it or something like that , but honestly didn't you find it a bit too meandering and one-dimensional ?
Perhaps something by R.K Narayan too ? Because I don't think any other writer has ever been able to capture the simple innocence of life in a small indian town quite the way he did .
As an Arab who's always lived outside their country, I've really never read past maybe 2 pieces of Arabic literature. I feel like I really need to get back into reading more Arabic books to be more in touch with my language and culture...
Thank you Jack for the motivation!
Omg a booktuber who folds down the pages! I finally feel seen 😂
Jack: posts a video
Me: clicks faster than the speed of light
I'm so ready to watch you talk about books instead of writing my essay about a book
From a Palestinian whose family was expelled in 1948: Thank you so much.
As a Pakistani who was born and raised in the middle east. It's the most rich language ever tbh. I can speak arabic with all it's different accents and i do write arabic as well. Urdu is my mother language:)
Yess I’m soo excited to watch this video!!But I just wanted to let you know, for the title, it’s ‘Arab’ authors not Arabic. Arabic is the language so you would either say Arabic books/literature or books by Arab authors.
corrected the title -- thank you so much for pointing this out so kindly!
@@jack_edwards I hate to be nitpicky like this but you forgot to change it in the description too
I'm an Arab and I love how you're showcasing Arabic literature 😍😍 Oh! I do suggest you read books for Gebran Kahlil, Said Akl and Naguib Mahfouz ! Three of the best Arabic writers by all means.
I would recommend reading Jebran Khalil Jebran’s books he is an iconic Lebanese writer (try reading The Prophet)
Omg yesss i was waiting for someone to mention him!!! He is one of my all time favourite authors, his "the madman" being my number one favourite book.
I love his books! Someone gave me The Prophet years ago when I was at University, and I've always been so grateful they gave it to me. His books are so wise and his words are so beautiful, you will want to read them again and again and memorize them.
As a Sudanese book enthusiast, it’s often sad to recommend people Sudanese books because all they think of when they hear Sudan is all the media shows them. Arabic literature is a whole new world.
Sorry this is an old comment so idk if you will see this but PLS I would love some recommendations
The pronunciation of the authors' names is so sweet, I can tell you tried to nail them!
i’ve been waiting for this one... TURN IT UP
Nice profile picture 👍
hahaha thank you!
This is probably an odd thing to point out: but I adore the way you use sophisticated vocab/jargon and you give definitions or explain it as you go. I'm an English teacher, and this is something I have had to learn to do for my lower ability classes, and the fact that you do it automatically almost, just shows that you care about creating an inclusive community.
Hey jack!
I've been watching your videos for the past few days quite religiously and just taking in all the book recommendations and your gripping reviews. My 'To Read' Good Reads list is overflowing at this point, but I have started to dig my way through it. I actually really wanted to study English Literature but my unadulterated love for the medical sciences won me over.
This video is by far my favorite and I might be a bit biased due to the fact that I, myself, am Palestinian. Seeing you actually appreciate these books and not talk about them with a condescending tone (yes sadly that is something I've seen and heard) was really nice. Sadly, the bar is to the floor with treating the middle east with dignity in this day and age.
I am thanking you for these Arabic recommendations, as I haven't read them yet but with your reviews I know which ones my taste would call for.
I hope you keep making videos for the unforeseeable future and I can't wait to see what you will do next.
- An Admirer
as an arab i’m very appreciative of this!
Absolutely love Arabic literature and poetry 😍 just the way they manipulate words is so beautiful. Honestly want an Arabic love poem dedicated to me lol
Here you go
لَوْ أَنَّ الْحُبَّ كَلِمَات تُكْتَب لانتهت أَقْلَامِي لَكِن الْحَبّ أَرْوَاح تُوهَب فَهَل تَكْفِيك رُوحِي ✌🇩🇿
@@xabderrazakx3132 that was smoooth 🇧🇩 can I be greedy and ask for both your heart and your soul?
@@reehachoudhury2532 thank you 😘✌
Much respect brother may Allah bless you❤
I love these types of videos. You're so passionate it makes me want to read EVERYTHING.
I clicked so fast when I saw Arabic! As an Arab, I feel so happy how you highlighted the greatest parts of Darwish's poetry; his poems are driven by his exile and you can actually feel the trauma from his work. I would recommend reading Naguib Mahfouz's work. He's considered a pillar and his work would give you another perspective about Arabic literature.
Are u a student of English?
i love that this is just becoming a booktube channel this sparks So much fucking joy
Ikr. 😭❤️
First of all your book rec are immaculate, you are one of my favourite booktuber and we should acknowledge and thanks all the booktuber, bookstagraamer for keeping the novel reading culture alive as well as interesting ☺️
As a Sudanese viewer who fell in love with season of migration to the north I feel so touched and I recommend that you read the forty rules of love by elief shafaq it's realy deep and great and it's sets in the 13th about such great concepts like god life friendship community diversity it really blew my mind.
I would recommend continuing with Murakami’s work for a week or in a Japanese week!
currently reading kafka on the shore!! but will definitely do an 'asian authors' version of this video at some point too :)
@@jack_edwards Brilliant choice! 😁
@@jack_edwards I'd definitely recommend The Memory Police by Ogawa Yoko or The Thief by Nakamura Fuminori, or anything by Tsushima Yuko! (Overenthusiastic Japanese studies major here .😁 )
@@likelyowl ooo wow, have you read no longer human by Dazai? It’s one of my favourites 😊
@@jack_edwards I recommend you to read "No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai. It's a semi-autobiography set in the first half of 20th century Japan, and deals with the author's problems of his changing culture. It's however though to read, because of the author's mental health issues - which ultimately lead him to end his life early, just a month after the novel was published.
The novel is a must read in Japanese schools, hence why I recommend it for an east Asia themed book week.
yesss!I'm trying to read more non-english literature too!I really want to start reading Urdu literature and it's a shame that it's taken me this long since I'm literally Indian.I hope you'll include some Urdu Literature too.It really is beautiful and it's unfortunate that nobody outside South Asia seems to know about it.Saadat Hasan Manto's short stories are probably the most widely read(at least where I live).His stories are usually set during the India-Pakistan partition.They are difficult to read because of the subject matter but are really really important in South Asian History & literature.
Same! I can read Urdu yet I feel like haven’t read much. It’s such a beautiful language, even the ‘insults’ sound poetic.
Woah you guys can read urdu I'm impressed maybe I should try to learn hindi
Thank you so much for introducing arabic literature to me! As a former cologne (not from England though) I totally agree with the comment section: our culture and literature is usually overlook internationally and even we tend to look always outside instead of inside. I love this idea, I am SO ready to be introduced to literature styles from cultures that I haven't read before.
And if you need a hand for the selection of the books from Latin America, I'm here to help!
I really appreciate you making this video!
Being an Arabic viewer who has been raised by a mother with an Arabic Literature Degree; I have been surrounded by Arabic literature my entire life, and have enjoyed it thoroughly for a long time. But when I was introduced to the amazing world of English written/translated literature, I sort of neglected all the Arabic titles on my shelves in exchange for all the exciting and "flashy" English titles. However, your video has inspired me to regain my love for Arabic works and it really encourages me to be more diverse in my reading and pick up all those great books that I've been putting off reading!
I am studying translation and it makes me so happy that you also give credit to the translators. Loved this video!
This made me SO much more interested in reading books from other cultures (especially since I don't read them for a level english lit)
Arabic literature is the closest thing to perfect..reading it in English doesn’t even come close, idk how 1 language can b this beautiful
As a palestinian I can't tell you how much this video means to me. Arab culture is rarely appreciates so thank you x
HOW DOES HE READ SO FAST it takes me two weeks minimum to finish a book
Well when I first started reading books I did the same. But now that I am too deep I once read all the 8 books of Harry potter in 15 days.😂😂
Well i was just like you but now if I’m really interested in a book I can finish it in a day , if I’m busy it takes me ages
Here’s a piece of advice don’t ever start more than a book at the same time it’ll drive you crazy
would take me 2 weeks for that thickest book. The one half the size, just 3 days - 1 week.
@@zakiahassan5564 8 weeks? How?
I’m so jealous of him. 😭✋🏻
omg, I loved this video, I love the way you describe books 🥺💖 please do one of these with brazilian authors 🥺
the fact that you name people who made the translations of these books makes me so happy. you're such a joy jack 💕
Being an Arab and seeing my favorite youtuber talking about our literature and reading our novels is wonderful.... i am so happy thank you and we love you so much : )"نحبك" and this is in arabic .....
I have been subscribed to your channel for so many years, as an Arab living in the Middle East I would’ve never thought people would be interested in Arabic literature let alone of my favorite RUclipsr ❤️
For this series, you could do Brazilian literature as well! Some classics:
1. The Posthumous Memories of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis
2. The Passion According to GH by Clarice Lispector
3. The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by Guimarães Rosa
4. Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis
5. Macunaíma by Mario de Andrade
6. Captains of Sand by Jorge Amado
7. The Slum by Aluisio Azevedo
8. Barren Lives by Graciliano Ramos
9. The Girl in the Photograph by Lygia Fagundes Telles
10. Ancient Tillage by Raduan Nassar
This video has surprisingly been so helpful for research for my coursework and I am so severely impressed by how quickly you inhale books. If you do another of these could you perhaps put a list of the books with their authors and such in the description? It was a little hard trying to zip back and forth through the video. Love your work! :D
Brilliant! I loved that you shared quotes from books that you found especially inspiring. You are inspiring me to read more and more widely, thank you! 🙂
Thank you for doing this series! I took a Chinese literature class in university, and it struck me that there are so many good classics from around the world that no one talks about. If you ever do Chinese lit, I highy recommend Family by Ba Jin. It features a multi-generational family and explores how societal expectations sometimes clash with personal dreams.
Thanks to RUclips for suggesting this video to me , omg! I don’t know how to describe my feelings rn ! As an Arabic girl (Tunisian 🇹🇳 ) I’m so happy that there’s non Arabic people read our literature ♥️ good job man you’ll never regret this ...💓
I love this concept! Loved that you brought this topic to your audience.
I love your energy and how passionate you are when you talk about books in general, makes me want to read more books
Hi jack, maybee u should try "memory in the flesh" as well.. it's a wonderfull book written By Ahlam mostaghanmi
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As a Muslim (American, though), I learned a few Arabic words through the religion, but when it came time to learn everyday Arabic in Arabic class, that stuff was hard lol! I thrived in high Spanish though 😅
I'm 21 now, but I'm sure it would've been easier to pick up on as a kid, instead of learning when you're older. My husband speaks it so maybe I can learn from him, because I still really want to learn the language 🤣. These books sound good, so I may take a look at some of them.
Yeah I think it's really hard to learn! I've been trying to learn arabic for so long... I still can't speak fluently or understand most words when I'm listening to people speaking it but it's a really beautiful language so I guess I'll never stop trying
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Thank you so much for making this video jack, I have just discovered and I'm really enjoying your content.
Never thought I'd see a day where I see my favorite books on an English book channel... This is making me feel a bit emotional, not gonn lie..
I read then in Arabic, it's my native language... But wow.. Thank you, Jack, for being open and welling to understand and listen.. I appreciate it so so much.. 💜
i was so happy when i came across this. as an arab that wanted to get into arabic literature, this video was extremely helpful!
I hope you make this a series! Would love to see a vlog with brazilian or other latin-american books
Thank you SO much for making a video about Arabic books. I have been trying to find novels that will help me to connect with my heritage on a deeper level and I had not heard of any of these until you reviewed them. I'm Palestinian so Time of White Horses really caught my attention. I'm currently reading it and it is beyond gorgeous and heartbreaking and enlightening all at once. What a gift! Sincerely, thank you, for introducing these novels.
I’ve been waiting for this video, thank you so so much
This video reminded me of Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie’s talk about the “dangers of the single story”. Great to see such variety of authors/countries. Adding Season of Migration to the North to my TBR.
As an Arab, I’m ashamed that I haven’t heard about these books before 😣 but i added them all to my tbr shelf 😍🙏🏻
لا داعي للخجل فهي كتب غير مشهوره او ربما ترجمة العناوين غير موفقه
This was an excellent video Jack! I commend you for stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring international literature. As a Sudanese, I was delighted that you have read 'Season of Migration to the North', it is a book really dear to my heart and written so beautifully! I cry a little every time I read the first two pages [partly because I miss my home country and how beautifully he described the people of Sudan, perhaps I long for that moment of return]. I read the book in Arabic initially, but then I attempted the English version! I have to say however, that the book in its original language [Arabic] was such more captivating and emotional. Maybe this is because Arabic is my mother tongue and the words resonate with me much more.
Thank you for your reviews and recommendations! I will read the book written by Mahmoud Darwish, I have always loved his writing! :)
Yey, can’t wait for the other videos in this series! Will definitely read check Season of Migration to the North this year.
There are so many amazing songs and poems in South Asia and Middle East that get overlooked because of language barriers. Thank you so much for this!
As an Egyptian , this means so much to me . Thank you Jack 💖
Ok, as a palestinian who RLLY HAS BEEN TRYING to find good arabic to reads to improve my arabic reading, i have to say this has been SUPER HELPFUL, i think ill check these out! Plus all the great recomendations im seeing in the comments. I always have difficulty finding the right arabic books to read cuz since my arabic is kinda rusty i cant do something too long & i just have difficulty finding stuff im interested jn cuz im not always in the mood for something poetic but a lot of arabic literature is VERY poetic. Anyways, thanks for making this and for giving arabic literature a chance. Arabic literature is sooo vast, its hard to know where to start, so id love to see u do an arabic books pt. 2
ooh i have been looking forward to this!! Great video, can't wait to check out these recs :)) Also, if you're doing more world lit, could you do a video on Korean literature ??
GOD I LOVE YOU FOR BEING SO BLOODY OPEN MINDED
I love this so much (all your videos really) but as an Arab myself this was really entertaining to me. Ik you are going to read from different regions not just the Arab world but you REALLY REALLY have to check out Egyptian authors, most notably Naguib Mahfouz. He’s arguably the most famous writer in Egypt and in the Arab world. He has written sooo many stuff, but his most notable one is The Cairo Trilogy (won a Nobel prize for this). His most controversial one is called The Children of the Alley (almost got assassinated for this one but thankfully he survived). The last one I read was Modern Cairo (of Cairo 30). I read it for school but I really loved it. It’s about Egypt in the 1930s and tackles so many topics but manly highlights the quest for identity as for human beings and as for Egypt as a country. It reflects the difference social classes of that time. I would really recommend him and would love if you do a video on him (if u like of course).
Love your videos. Thank you❤️
YESSSS. Here for the Naguib comments. Also Mahmoud Taymour
I have never seen anyone read Arabic books on YT before, and I am so happy you did! Time of White Horses has been on my shelf for YEARS and now I am encouraged to pick it back up. I would recommend you anything by the Egyptian author Radwa Ashour, or her husband Mourid Barghouti. Their son is also a famous poet by the name Tamim al-Barghouti, he has many publications out. But Radwa is my favorite out of the three, (Granada is translated into English and is a wonderful read).
I'm so amazed by what you are doing; not just inspiring people to have a more diverse reading experience, but also inspiring me, as a danish girl, with Arabic parents, to read books written in the same language as my ancestors. Love it!
Thank you Jack for recognizing the Arabic lite. i would highly recommend the classic arabic lit like one thousand and one night---the muqaddimah---kalila was dimna
they are awesome
My daughter (half brazilian and half norwegian) loves these stories! The Usborne Publisher has a beautiful version for kids. 💛
Just in case you are interested, a Finnish book recommendation: The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna - tells about the Continuation war between Finland and the Soviet Union in the 40s. It‘s from the Finnish soldiers pov and has a lot of great dialogue. It’s a book that basically everyone has to read in Finnish class haha but I actually love it
Your videos just make my day. I love your energy!
Great video, happy to see you were able to enjoy Aribic books. The video is inspiring, eye opening, funny and means alot to many people. Looking forward to the next video in the series.