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God's Banquet: Food In Classical Arabic Literature

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Eating and speaking are physically linked by the obvious biological fact that both are concerned with the mouth; thus is formed the first of many connections between food and literature. Arabic culture in particular manifests a special concern for this linkage: the Prophet himself reputedly referred to the Qur'an as "God´s banquet." Geert Jan van Gelder´s God´s Banquet surveys the many and varied ways in which food appears in classical Arabic literature, including pre-Islamic poetry, the Qur'an, Islamic poetry and tales, the Thousand and One Nights,

Hardcover: 186 pages

Publisher: Columbia University Press (March 15, 2000)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0231119488

ISBN-13: 978-0231119481

Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches

Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #208 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > Middle Eastern #312 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > African #562 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern

This innovative book illuminates both culinary and literary history. Van Gelder surveys the ways food appears in classical Arabic literature, including pre-Islamic poetry, the Qur'an, Islamic poetry and tales, the Thousand and One Nights, and popular genres such as the adab anthologies and satires. To show how food both forms and reveals aspects of Arab culture, he considers ban-quets and the prestige of prodigal hospitality; abstinence and piety versus satiety and sin; smorgasbords and rich literary diction; and food and parody. Focusing more on dishes than ingredients, the author is concerned with how food is depicted, as well as how literary texts are shaped by the theme of food. His command of the sources is magisterial, and he has a gift for unexpected conjunctions and deft phrasing that illuminate both literature and culture.

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