Fi Toufoula by Abdelmajid Ben JellounMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclosure:
The Book I am reviewing now is an Autobiography of a Moroccan writer who used to live in Manchester during his childhood, I just get Interested on how these people think of England, I bought it in Paperback written in Arabic. The title means "In Childhood".
My Plot:
The story began with a "questionable style" of how the writer was born, It was a complete blackout for the writer to ignore the aspects of his birth. After that he start telling about his trip to England and especially in Manchester City, where he start getting a fear from the "Cold Nature" of England. The writer gets along with an English Family, called PATERNOS, His focus was going much to Millie, who was the elder daughter of the family. Most of the writer's conversations with Millie were about missing his mother who had been death, about his will to enjoy in England. Soon he had been accustomed with the Tradition of the "English World" and the beautiful aspects of life inside England. His joy begin when visiting the Black Pool. But suddenly this joy was converted to fear especially when he saw the Quick Train falling out from Its rails, and how people were falling like "butterflies". The writer gets back to his native country during the vacation, After a while the Writer start having regular lessons in England due to the obligation of Education in that country, School life did not change the writers intentions especially by the death of his sister. and the following death of his cousin's daughter. The writer in this period makes a process of a "resurrection" especially when he move to Fes, and starts by having regular lessons in "the University of Al Karawiin", he falls in love with the teachers inside the University, and Start having a devotion to the Arab Literature. from this step forward he moves to Egypt to become the very famous literary figure named Abdelmajid Ben Jelloun,
Positive and Negative Aspects:
Since it was the first time I read an Autobiography of an Arab famous writer, I would say that it is enjoying, first the Events go smoothly without interruption, and there was so much psychological description especially in the writer's feeling. Speaking of the Positive aspects, I would say that all the elements that concerns the writing styles were all presented inside this Autobiography, moreover there was much admiration and love to the Arab world and to everything that relates to it. The writer stays objective toward the Traditions of England but most of the time he fears from it, In other words, the writer gets his "opium" from the Arab Arts and Literature not from the British tradition. Concerning the negative aspects, I would confess that there was no harm that may bother the reader, because the whole story was all simple and clear.
My Personal Reaction:
I have read so much Autobiographies but this one was the most likely to represent the Moroccan skills in writings. It was all nice and simple, the Language went formal all time, the styles stayed simple and fruitful, the events go smoothly without interruption. Personally I enjoy reading it. and I would confess that I can translate it to English if I get the chance to do so. Anyway it worths being read again.
Recommendations:
I hear that the Autobiography became a part of the Moroccan curriculum but indeed I would recommend to those who want to explore the Moroccan style in writings, I recommend it to all ages because it contains no obstacles to understand it, at all.
View all my reviews