The Novels of an Egyptian Romanticist : Yūsuf al-Sibāʿī

Abstract: The Egyptian author Yuusuf al-Sibaa'ii (1917-1978) was not worried about the critical attitude that the literary élite and the book reviewers displayed towards his novels. He had many thousands of enthusiastic readers in all parts of the Arab world. This thesis seeks to uncover what lies beind these divergent opinions.This thesis analyzes the sixteen novels of Yuusuf al-Sibaa'ii through the lens of Arabic literary history and the social, political and historical contexts in which they were written. Written between 1947 and 1973, they are marked by the vast processes of change that took place i Egyptian and Arab society during this period. It is apparent that throughout his novels al-Sibaa'ii engages in social criticism and in doing so he pinpoints current topics of interest for the majority. His mode of expression is romantic and melodramatic, which appeals to some readers. Several other aspects have assisted in making his novels available and attractive to young readers: conventional and repetitious use of clichés, straightforward characters and a linguistic style that was less convoluted than what was traditional at the time coupled with the occasional use of colloquial Egyptian in the dialogues. Their continuing popularity through film versions, video tapes and new impressions is further proof of their appeal.