A Comparative Analysis of the Great American and Arab Novel

Book excerpt: This book represents the first comparative reading of the Great Novel of American and Arabic literature to date. The Great American Novel, that most elusive and frustrating of concepts, ever-present in film and literary scholarship, has been an object of pursuit, inspiration and contention for more than a century. By reviewing the most serious literary scholarship in the field, this book identifies the work often recognized by critics as the quintessential American novel, the work that best captures the different aspects of American society, and compares and contrasts it with its counterpart in Arabic culture. Intended for both academics and serious readers of literature, the book serves to establish a new trend in cross-cultural literary scholarship, in addition to opening up new vistas for literary exploration in this politically charged field.