Al-Bayader - New Edition

Hachette Antoine, under the Naufal imprint, presents a distinguished collection of works by Mikhail Naimy, one of the most prominent contemporary Arab writers and a leading figure among Lebanese diaspora writers. His writing is characterized by its attempts to purify Arabic literature of embellishment and superfluous language, striving for a more realistic portrayal of events and situations. His style is marked by simplicity, clarity, and directness, and by its avoidance of excessive expression, particularly in description, narration, and imagery. His language sometimes borders on colloquial Arabic, further attracting readers from all walks of life to his books. This collection comprises radio broadcasts written during World War II, most of which revolve around the phenomenon of war. The war that Naimy addresses here is not merely the conflict between armies and international blocs, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the internal struggle between the higher and lower aspects of human nature, ultimately leading individuals from internal warfare to war with their fellow human beings.
Defining man how to climb upwards within himself and reach the summit, he realizes from there the light in the sublimity within him, how low and base he is and how far from his truth when he fights with his brother at the foot of the mountain.
Mikhail Naimy's work is a unique model of creative writing, not only in Arabic literature but also in the broader context of world literature. It is rare for a writer to achieve such a remarkable synthesis of intellectual, spiritual, and humanistic dimensions, along with such precision in linguistic collaboration and cohesion, ease of expression, and powerful influence.