Oranges in the Sun: Short Stories from the Arabian Gulf

by Deborah S. Akers (editor), Abubaker A. Bagader (Editor)

The stories in Oranges in the Sun capture a distinctly unique vision of the world, embodying the range of emotional and material concerns of the peoples of the Arab Gulf region. Drawn from the increasingly rich literatures of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait , the stories also reflect the development of the short-story genre in the region.

The introduction to the collection provides historical context, as well as a broad overview of the selections.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

239 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the consistently poor translations are likely to distract the reader from the content, this collection of short stories (of variable quality) nevertheless provides an intriguing look at Arab culture and society, from Morocco to Lebanon.

[Malvika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading stories from the Arabian Gulf and to be very honest, I feel like I've stumbled upon an undiscovered gold mine. It's a shame that Arabian stories aren't as popular as the American authors.
The stories were really good and each country had a theme going around, for instance Kuwait's theme had to do mostly with war and displacement. Would definitely suggest this book to anybody who's interested in reading stories from the middle East.

[Azizul Hakim]

I didn't the book till now

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories, and these are particularly good, and very short. Each evokes the landscape, the emotions, the conditions of the countries they are from (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirate). They all explore the human condition though within the milieu of the the Middle East and the complex cultures and social structure of the authors. In an era of cultural clashes and ideological hatred, this book carries a subtle message that we are all human, that we all feel, and that we all experience troubles, challenges, love, and happiness.

[Southernbelletat]

This was great!! The social differences are evident. The stories were touching and heartshaking.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection--some stories are tragic, some joyful, and others are merely straightforward glimpses into the minutiae of a daily life, but all are presented with dignity, feeling, and beauty.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very uneven collection of short stories. Not bad, but not exceptionally good either.

[Tanja (Litteraturhesten)]

Arabiske Halvø