Animal Paradise

Author's name: Taha Hussein

Animal life and its traits may seem strange, unlike the lives of humans and plants. But if you look closely and contemplate them, you will find that they differ almost exclusively in name and image. Beyond that, they are a reflection of our lives. The problems and issues of animals are our own; we just have to live them. Through this collection of short stories, the dean of Arabic literature was able to extract some of the special characteristics of animals and dress them in his invented characters. What distinguishes the collection is the titles Taha Hussein chose for it, with which he began his stories. His choices reflect the depth of the idea and the eloquence of its expression. He may be talking to you about a "child," meaning a grown man; he may be talking to you about a "brave man," meaning not someone of great strength and strong qualities. The symbolism of the word and meaning is present from cover to cover.