In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's TaleOnce upon a time an Indian writer named Amitav Ghosh set out an Indian slave, name unknown, who some seven hundred years before had traveled to the Middle East. The journey took him to a small village in Egypt, where medieval customs coexist with twentieth-century desires and discontents. But even as Ghosh sought to re-create the life of his Indian predecessor, he found himself immersed in those of his modern Egyptian neighbors. Combining shrewd observations with painstaking historical research, Ghosh serves up skeptics and holy men, merchants and sorcerers. Some of these figures are real, some only imagined, but all emerge as vividly as the characters in a great novel. In an Antique Land is an inspired work that transcends genres as deftly as it does eras, weaving an entrancing and intoxicating spell. |
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In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale Amitav Ghosh No preview available - 1994 |
Common terms and phrases
Aden appears Arabic arrived asked become began Ben Yiju Book boys brother Cairo called century couple course Damanhour discovered documents door East Egypt Egyptian eyes face father fields followed friends Geniza Goitein hand happened head heard History important India Iraq Jabir Jewish kind knew known land language Lataifa later letter living look Madmun Mangalore married matter medieval merchants Middle moved Muslim Nabeel Nashawy never once past Persian probably reached recto referred region seemed sent Shaikh Musa sitting slave smile soon story Studies Synagogue taken talk tell things thought told took trade turned University Ustaz village voice walked wanted watch wife writing written wrote Yiju Yiju’s young Zaghloul