Hassan Daoud ist ein libanesischer Schriftsteller und Journalist, dessen frühes Leben in Beirut und sein Studium der arabischen Literatur sein späteres Werk prägten. Seine journalistische Karriere begann während des libanesischen Bürgerkriegs, was ihm eine einzigartige Perspektive auf gesellschaftliche und politische Umwälzungen bot. Seine umfangreichen belletristischen Werke, die Romane und Kurzgeschichten umfassen, befassen sich wahrscheinlich mit Themen, die von diesen Erfahrungen geprägt sind. Seine Werke, von denen einige ins Englische übersetzt wurden, unterstreichen seine Bedeutung in der zeitgenössischen arabischen Literatur.
In a village in Lebanon, an old man prepares for his final journey. But right to the end he remains defiant - against his age, his failing body and the whims of memory; against the idle life his children try to impose on him; and, against their indifference, cruelty and greed. Fear arises and subsides in him like a tide.
Set against the backdrop of exile from Beirut, the narrative explores the struggles of a family grappling with confinement and the weight of unfulfilled hopes for returning home. Tensions arise as they navigate their complex relationships, grappling with past traumas and the harsh realities of their current situation. The story delves into themes of belonging, memory, and the impact of displacement on familial bonds.
Set against the backdrop of 1960s Beirut, the narrative offers a heartfelt and humorous exploration of the city's vibrant transformation. It captures the complexities of life during a time of change, highlighting the unique cultural and social dynamics that define the era. Through its vivid portrayal, the book delves into the hopes and challenges faced by its characters as they navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.
When the imam of a small town in Southern Lebanon is diagnosed with cancer, the illness he fears and has expected for years, he takes the radical decision to abandon the life he inherited from his father. He was persuaded to wear the robe and turban in his youth to preserve the family tradition and entered into an arranged marriage. While his grandfather and father were once powerful imams, he displays no interest in the mosque. The wife, for whom he feels no affection, attends to her chores and nurses his father, now sick and bedridden, in his house. Though he worries about his two sons, who were born deaf and mute, he takes no measures to secure a special education for them.