The Egyptian novelist Saad Al-Qirsh has released a new book titled "The Seduction of Reading: Forty Books and Novels" (Fitnat al-Qira’a: Arba’una Kitaban wa Riwaya), published by Sefsafa Publishing House in Cairo. In this work, the allure of reading blends with the urge to write, as the author engages in dialogues with creative, intellectual, and philosophical works that he admires and wishes to share with his readers.
اضافة اعلان
A Celebration of Thought and Literature
The book comprises over forty chapters of varying lengths, following the rhythm of the author's conversation with his chosen works. Uniquely, the book opens with two introductions—or more precisely, a "Praise of Beautiful Writing" and a "Preface on the Majesty of Writing." Al-Qirsh argues that true writing should act as a deterrent to those obsessed with the title of "novelist" through hollow chatter that unfortunately finds eager publishers.
Al-Qirsh highlights the "intellectual agility" of the authors he selects. For instance, in the chapter "The Modernity of Ibn Hazm"—marking a millennium since his famous work The Ring of the Dove (Tawq al-Hamama)—the author explores the Andalusian Imam’s early "modernity" and foresight. Al-Qirsh specifically notes Ibn Hazm’s early linguistic precision in distinguishing between Iblis (the celestial figure before Adam's creation) and Satan (the earthly tempter), a distinction often missed by modern writers and preachers.
Bridging Cultures and Eras
The book further compares Ibn Hazm’s insights with the work of American scholar Whitney S. Bodman in The Poetics of Iblis: Narrative Theology in the Qur'an. Al-Qirsh suggests that had Bodman read Ibn Hazm’s The Ring of the Dove, he might have hesitated before making certain generalizations regarding Islamic thought on the duality of Iblis and Satan.
Diverse Literary Landmarks
"The Seduction of Reading" sheds light on a wide array of works, including:
Intellectual & Historical: The History of Literary Science by Ruhi al-Khalidi, Jewish Ransom and Muslim Captives by the late Dutch Arabist Sjörd van Koningsveld, and the biography of heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub.
Global Fiction: Chess by Stefan Zweig, Leaf Storm by Gabriel García Márquez, and the Trilogy by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse.
Contemporary Voices: Works by Palestinian writer Adania Shibli, Iraq’s Inaam Kachachi, France’s Annie Ernaux, and a host of prominent Egyptian and Arab authors including Miral al-Tahawy and Basma Abdel Aziz.
The 340-page book also features critical and philosophical essays on figures such as Salah Fadl, Zahi Hawass, and Mohamed Abla.
About the Author
Saad Al-Qirsh was awarded the "Award of Excellence" by the Union of Egyptian Writers in 2025. He is the author of seven novels, including The Soldiers' Tale (Hadith al-Junud) and the Osiris Trilogy. His novel The Beginning of the Day (Awal al-Nahar) won first place in the Tayeb Salih International Award for Creative Writing (2011), while his novel 2067 reached the shortlist for the Ghassan Kanafani Prize for the Novel in 2024. His travelogue Seven Heavens won the Ibn Battuta Prize in 2009.
