Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present

This book is exactly how I rated it, 5 stars. For a student studying Arabic, it's the best way to expand your vocabulary. All of the literature in the book is in Arabic with a glossary after the passage to help the student learn new words.

As for the diverse material covered in the Anthology, it has everything from Jahilliya love poetry to the Prophet's (pbuh) last sermon to certain excerpts from Andalusian and Medieval Sufis such as Ibn Rushd and Hallaj. It even covers some stories from Kalila wa Dimna.

The attached CD with the book is awesome as you can read along with the speaker to learn the proper pronounciation and rhythym of certain poetry. If you are tired of reading the same old Al-Kitaab part I/II/or III and you want to finally test and use your Arabic skills, get this book.

An awesome buy and highly recommended!!

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would! After dealing with the pain of Al-Kitaab for years, I was relieved when I began studying out of this book. All of the major authors in the Arab world are featured inside: Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud Darwish, Imru al-Quais, Ibn Khaldoun, etc. It is perfect for the upper-intermediate/advanced Arabic student.

Dr. Bassam Frangieh's Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought is an indispensable tool for the advanced student of Arabic. Since the advanced student expects to be able to converse with educated Arabs, he or she must be familiar with all the great names of classical Arabic literature and, with very few exceptions, the names with representative texts are all here: Imru' al-Qays, Ibn al-Muqaffa (whose "Kalila wa Dimna" is a brilliant marriage of Machiavelli's "The Prince" and "Aesop's Fables"), Al-Jahiz, Ibn Jinni, Abu Nuwas, Al-Mutanabbi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, Al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn Khaldun. More importantly, Dr. Frangieh has devoted almost half of the book to modern Arab poets, novelists, and critics. Any student conditioned to seeing the Arab-Islamic world through the lens of 9-11 and the issues of radical or political Islam will find enlightening and refreshing the selections by Adonis, Hisham Shirabi, Sadiq Jalal al-`Azm and their respective secular critiques of Arab society. Mahmud Amin al'Alim's "The Arabic Novel" and Idwar Kharrat's "Three Faces of Ghalib Halasah" will provide the student whose native language is English with exemplary models of the modern, expository styles of Arabic expression. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this collection is the heightened sense the student gains of the expressive and metaphorical potential of Arabic. For the student accustomed to associating the "poetic" in Arabic with the rich and florid classical style, Nizar Qabbani's "Arabian Love Poems" will introduce the student to the poet's modern metaphorical style that in a sense recaptured the secret of Abu Nuwas-that metaphysical and abstract truths are best expressed through creative juxtapositions of the immediate and sensible. All the selections in Dr. Frangieh's anthology are no more than 4-5 pages, easily readable in an evening's study, and will send the reader running to find the originals.

To a student who has used in one form or another the Elementary Modern Standard Arabic book for more than 2 years, and who appreciates its usefulness as a grammar book, it simply cannot rival Frangieh's new book in terms of sheer challenge and enjoyment. Frangieh seeks to inform the reader not only of the language, but of literary works that have been pivotal in Arab culture. The works chosen span an inredible range in time and style, include the modern novel, as well as pre-Islamic poetry, and energize the reader with its invitation to discover the deftness and clarity of some of the language's most accomplished authors.

This is a solid, serious anthology of Arabic literature for advanced students and other intellectuals. The choice of authors and texts is excellent, as is the organized layout of the entire book. No detail has been spared in this authoritative and engrossing collection of Arabic texts.

The CD presents a scholarly reading of Arabic poetry, filled with musicality and artistic sense. Frangieh's reading captures the unique power of Arabic verse; each selection flows like a river of eloquent language.

Highly recommended!