I was rather disillusioned with a book that lost its storyline and style in the midst of reading. It was historical fiction about the Middle East in the colonial era. True to character I finished the book yet it felt incomplete. A Jordanian acquaintance who is originally from Palestine suggested that I might find reading Kanafani a different experience. Found 'Men In the Sun' in the short story section. It includes a novella of the same name and several other short stories.
Kanafani is a gifted writer and I could see a future O.Henry if only his life was not cut short so tragically early in his career. Like Henry's famous stories, Kanafani's stories too have a life
lesson to teach be it related to the plight of his people or just the normal everyday lives that many of us live.
One aspect of the title story 'Men In The Sun' is a theme familiar to the unemployed who are only too aware of the sufferings and trials to fulfill that elusive dream of finding a job to survive. A lot of the times for many it used to be about reaching the Gulf somehow and this story also describes how some of the Palestinians displaced from their homes reached Iraq in the hopes of making it to Kuwait through means straight or otherwise. It describes how these innocents from all walks of life are played back and forth by swindlers and smugglers who make a living by feeding on their dreams.
The story 'A Hand In The Grave' where two Med students attempt to steal a grave for a skeleton is one that many can identify with. One of them believed that he poked his fingers into the eyes of a dead body through a hole they dug and came off screaming. He eventually quit Med school while the other carried on. Years later they all learned that the graveyard was a fake one. The owner built it as a camouflage for storing wheat and flour and to keep them away from thieves. Reminded me of a recent movie that I watched called Delhi-6 which portrayed the fear that we all carry in our hearts in the form of 'Kala Bandar' aka 'Black Monkey', a phantom rumored to be roaming the streets and the cause for all the troubles. Read here for more on the book.
As the translator points out, Kanafani's success as a writer comes from the humanization of his stories by not limiting them to a particular people but rather presenting them as universal truths. This renders integrity to his stories and makes them classic in nature. I could only wonder what this author could have accomplished had he lived longer. His writing style is evolving and the story endings could use more finesse but the greatness and control of his stories are not easily found elsewhere.
Kanafani is a gifted writer and I could see a future O.Henry if only his life was not cut short so tragically early in his career. Like Henry's famous stories, Kanafani's stories too have a life
lesson to teach be it related to the plight of his people or just the normal everyday lives that many of us live.
One aspect of the title story 'Men In The Sun' is a theme familiar to the unemployed who are only too aware of the sufferings and trials to fulfill that elusive dream of finding a job to survive. A lot of the times for many it used to be about reaching the Gulf somehow and this story also describes how some of the Palestinians displaced from their homes reached Iraq in the hopes of making it to Kuwait through means straight or otherwise. It describes how these innocents from all walks of life are played back and forth by swindlers and smugglers who make a living by feeding on their dreams.
The story 'A Hand In The Grave' where two Med students attempt to steal a grave for a skeleton is one that many can identify with. One of them believed that he poked his fingers into the eyes of a dead body through a hole they dug and came off screaming. He eventually quit Med school while the other carried on. Years later they all learned that the graveyard was a fake one. The owner built it as a camouflage for storing wheat and flour and to keep them away from thieves. Reminded me of a recent movie that I watched called Delhi-6 which portrayed the fear that we all carry in our hearts in the form of 'Kala Bandar' aka 'Black Monkey', a phantom rumored to be roaming the streets and the cause for all the troubles. Read here for more on the book.
As the translator points out, Kanafani's success as a writer comes from the humanization of his stories by not limiting them to a particular people but rather presenting them as universal truths. This renders integrity to his stories and makes them classic in nature. I could only wonder what this author could have accomplished had he lived longer. His writing style is evolving and the story endings could use more finesse but the greatness and control of his stories are not easily found elsewhere.
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