What do you think?
Rate this book
اعتدال الخريف
الرواية الأولى للقاص والنافذ اللبناني جبور الدويهي بعد مجموعة قصصية لافتة هي "الموت بين الأهل نعاس". وفي روايته يسلك الدويهي خط التجريب الروائي موظفاً ثقافته الأدبية ومعتمداً بنية جديدة هي عبارة عن يوميات متقطعة
140 pages
First published January 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
جبور الدويهي
13 books212 followersجبور الدويهي (1949-2021) روائي لبناني ، مولود في زغرتا ، شمال لبنان ، لأحد العائلات العريقة في زغرتا . حصل على شهادة الماجستير في الأدب المقارن من جامعة باريس الثالثة السوربون الجديدة ، وكان أستاذ للأدب الفرنسي في الجامعة اللبنانية في بيروت .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 13, 2023
4.5 stars
"Autumn Equinox" is the first book I read by Jabbour Douaihy, one of the most prominent Lebanese writers.
I read it in Arabic, and I felt like it was a very lighthearted read.
The book is a series of diary entries by the author, and right away you can sense that he's struggling with his identity in light of being back to Lebanon during the war.
I felt like the book spoke to me in ways that I didn't expect; I felt nostalgic for a time that I didn't live in, but the book has a very Lebanese feel to it nonetheless.
The language was great and easy to follow, which made it that much more enjoyable.
Having read this in Arabic, I don't know if I can suggest the English translation of the book to my friends (as some people have mentioned that some things "got lost in translation"), but I think Jabbour Douaihy is worth your time if you're looking for a good Lebanese book.
"Autumn Equinox" is the first book I read by Jabbour Douaihy, one of the most prominent Lebanese writers.
I read it in Arabic, and I felt like it was a very lighthearted read.
The book is a series of diary entries by the author, and right away you can sense that he's struggling with his identity in light of being back to Lebanon during the war.
I felt like the book spoke to me in ways that I didn't expect; I felt nostalgic for a time that I didn't live in, but the book has a very Lebanese feel to it nonetheless.
The language was great and easy to follow, which made it that much more enjoyable.
Having read this in Arabic, I don't know if I can suggest the English translation of the book to my friends (as some people have mentioned that some things "got lost in translation"), but I think Jabbour Douaihy is worth your time if you're looking for a good Lebanese book.
May 29, 2016
"I believe love is like war: we only know how it starts, and nobody knows how it will end."
~ Jabber Douaihy
~ Jabber Douaihy
November 6, 2021
This is not the best introduction to Jabbour Douaihy, and I suspect much has been lost in translation- including the exact meaning of the title which possibly has something to do with the final months of your Spring youth of your life- the protagonist is 30.
As one would expect with a story framed using diary entries their are gaps in the narrative and characterisation which become irritating as the tale progresses where characters appear and disappear with little or no introduction and no obvious means of exit- Lara being an obvious example; the mysterious after-midnight telephone calls never being explained one way or another- was the caller Lara? Or was it the usual crappy Lebanese telephone network in the 1980s at work?
If there is a point to Autumn Equinox, it is probably that Lebanon has always had a violent past, and the Civil War and Israeli invasion/ occupation were merely the latest events in a long line of violence going back centuries.
Where the tale does work is capturing the sheer simplicity of life in mid-80s small-town Lebanon where life consists of cafes, cinemas, families and casual girlfriends- not too dissimilar from small-town life anywhere in the world at that time in fact.
Overall, this was not a particularly satisfying story, and is not Douaihy at his best- The American Quarter, June Rain and Printed In Beirut are far better examples of Douaihy's craft. Autumn Equinox may benefit from a second look after reading the aforementioned.
As one would expect with a story framed using diary entries their are gaps in the narrative and characterisation which become irritating as the tale progresses where characters appear and disappear with little or no introduction and no obvious means of exit- Lara being an obvious example; the mysterious after-midnight telephone calls never being explained one way or another- was the caller Lara? Or was it the usual crappy Lebanese telephone network in the 1980s at work?
If there is a point to Autumn Equinox, it is probably that Lebanon has always had a violent past, and the Civil War and Israeli invasion/ occupation were merely the latest events in a long line of violence going back centuries.
Where the tale does work is capturing the sheer simplicity of life in mid-80s small-town Lebanon where life consists of cafes, cinemas, families and casual girlfriends- not too dissimilar from small-town life anywhere in the world at that time in fact.
Overall, this was not a particularly satisfying story, and is not Douaihy at his best- The American Quarter, June Rain and Printed In Beirut are far better examples of Douaihy's craft. Autumn Equinox may benefit from a second look after reading the aforementioned.
November 9, 2015
كتاب يوميات تعود لعام 1986, ممكن أيضا أن يكون نتاج أزمة منتصف العمر يتأمل فيه الكاتب وضع حياته وطريقة تفكيره, قراءاته, أناقته
وأهم من ذلك كله بالنسبة لي شخصيات المحيطين به
تجد العم منصور الذي الحذر المتوجّس الذي أدوخته الحروب والخيانات فأصبح يعيش فقط ليؤكد لمن حوله أن الحياة ليست إلا سلسلة من الكمائن
وأن خبرته ونصائحه لاتخطئ ومن لقي حتفه من جماعته بالتأكيد لم يطبّق توجيهاته على أكمل وجه
منصور هذا لم يسكن قط بيتا من باب واحد, ويطلّ من الباب الخلفي إن طُرق باب الشارع
أيضا الخال روفائيل الذي سبب لأبيه خيبة كبيرة عندما سماه على محرر فنزويلا بوليفار ثم اتضح أنه غير جدير بالاسم كونه لامبالي ولا علاقة له بالشجاعة مما جعل الولد والليبرتادور بأكمله عرضة للسخرية, روفائيل "ترك المدرسة في الخامسة عشر واستفاق بالعشرين", يغيب لفترات طويلة وتأتي أطراف أخبار عنه للبلدة أنه يسكن مع مقامر قزم أو عانس ومطلقة أو برفقة عازف كمان أو أن الحكومة تطارده لأنه وجد رأس قيصر روماني
لكن المتواتر أنه يتجه كل عام في خميس الجسد إلى إحدى القرى ليتطوع بتمثيل دور يهوذا الإسخريوطي وكل مرة ييهرب ووراءه سباب المؤمنين وأحجار الصبيان,
روفائيل بعد أن كبُر قليلا ترك بوهيميته وانكفئ على نفسه وأصبح يكتفي من العالم الخارجي بخصلة شعر شقراء مربوطة بشريطة عنابية يحتفظ فيها في حقيبته
هناك الجدّة التي "دخلت الظلمة بأعين مفتوحة" وساهمت في إعداد أمور جنازتها واختارت الشراشف ووزعت أعمال الطبخ
يتطرق لشخصيات هامشية كرئيس البلدية الذي هجرته زوجته إلى البرازيل فاخذ يتصبّر ويجد السلوة في تلميع أحذيتها وحين عادت إليه أغلق بوجهها الباب
أو العامل الشاب الأنيق الطموح الذي يتبرّم من أنه يدفن مستقبله بهذه الشغلة وذهب لمصر وشوهد في سينما البلدة يقود سيارة أجرة تستقلها فاتن حمامة فصفق له الحضور وأضافوا اسمه بخط اليد إلى بوستر الفيلم
من أوائل كتب جبّور يتنقّل بخفة ودقة وكثير من السخرية ويصبح أجمل كلما ترك الحديث عن نفسه
وأهم من ذلك كله بالنسبة لي شخصيات المحيطين به
تجد العم منصور الذي الحذر المتوجّس الذي أدوخته الحروب والخيانات فأصبح يعيش فقط ليؤكد لمن حوله أن الحياة ليست إلا سلسلة من الكمائن
وأن خبرته ونصائحه لاتخطئ ومن لقي حتفه من جماعته بالتأكيد لم يطبّق توجيهاته على أكمل وجه
منصور هذا لم يسكن قط بيتا من باب واحد, ويطلّ من الباب الخلفي إن طُرق باب الشارع
أيضا الخال روفائيل الذي سبب لأبيه خيبة كبيرة عندما سماه على محرر فنزويلا بوليفار ثم اتضح أنه غير جدير بالاسم كونه لامبالي ولا علاقة له بالشجاعة مما جعل الولد والليبرتادور بأكمله عرضة للسخرية, روفائيل "ترك المدرسة في الخامسة عشر واستفاق بالعشرين", يغيب لفترات طويلة وتأتي أطراف أخبار عنه للبلدة أنه يسكن مع مقامر قزم أو عانس ومطلقة أو برفقة عازف كمان أو أن الحكومة تطارده لأنه وجد رأس قيصر روماني
لكن المتواتر أنه يتجه كل عام في خميس الجسد إلى إحدى القرى ليتطوع بتمثيل دور يهوذا الإسخريوطي وكل مرة ييهرب ووراءه سباب المؤمنين وأحجار الصبيان,
روفائيل بعد أن كبُر قليلا ترك بوهيميته وانكفئ على نفسه وأصبح يكتفي من العالم الخارجي بخصلة شعر شقراء مربوطة بشريطة عنابية يحتفظ فيها في حقيبته
هناك الجدّة التي "دخلت الظلمة بأعين مفتوحة" وساهمت في إعداد أمور جنازتها واختارت الشراشف ووزعت أعمال الطبخ
يتطرق لشخصيات هامشية كرئيس البلدية الذي هجرته زوجته إلى البرازيل فاخذ يتصبّر ويجد السلوة في تلميع أحذيتها وحين عادت إليه أغلق بوجهها الباب
أو العامل الشاب الأنيق الطموح الذي يتبرّم من أنه يدفن مستقبله بهذه الشغلة وذهب لمصر وشوهد في سينما البلدة يقود سيارة أجرة تستقلها فاتن حمامة فصفق له الحضور وأضافوا اسمه بخط اليد إلى بوستر الفيلم
من أوائل كتب جبّور يتنقّل بخفة ودقة وكثير من السخرية ويصبح أجمل كلما ترك الحديث عن نفسه
January 8, 2013
A young man changes himself.
This was a short book, just 126 pages, but it didn't have a lot about it to make me want to turn those pages.
It consists of the diary entries of a young man who has returned from studying in the United Stares and is settling back into life in Lebanon. It is 1986, bombs are falling on the capital and refugees are appearing in local hotels. Other than that, the immediate impact of the war is not felt directly in his village.
Nor is there much reference to his life in the US, just a girl friend who does not reply to his letters.
Most of the narrarive involves the changes he has decided to make to his life and his appearance. His mother and sister are persuaded to sit together with him for meals, starting with breakfast. He disposes of most of his book collection. He shaves his beard and buys new clothes.
Meanwhile, life goes on around him: the local cinema is a focal point of the village and we watch the patrons come and go. There is also a cafe where he meets up with friends. One or two reasonably interesting relatives feature at times.
I have heard complaints that Arab readers are less plentiful than Western readers, but if this is the best they are offered, then, quite honestly, I'm not surprised.
2 1/2 stars and that may be generous.
This was a short book, just 126 pages, but it didn't have a lot about it to make me want to turn those pages.
It consists of the diary entries of a young man who has returned from studying in the United Stares and is settling back into life in Lebanon. It is 1986, bombs are falling on the capital and refugees are appearing in local hotels. Other than that, the immediate impact of the war is not felt directly in his village.
Nor is there much reference to his life in the US, just a girl friend who does not reply to his letters.
Most of the narrarive involves the changes he has decided to make to his life and his appearance. His mother and sister are persuaded to sit together with him for meals, starting with breakfast. He disposes of most of his book collection. He shaves his beard and buys new clothes.
Meanwhile, life goes on around him: the local cinema is a focal point of the village and we watch the patrons come and go. There is also a cafe where he meets up with friends. One or two reasonably interesting relatives feature at times.
I have heard complaints that Arab readers are less plentiful than Western readers, but if this is the best they are offered, then, quite honestly, I'm not surprised.
2 1/2 stars and that may be generous.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews