Milton in the Arab-Muslim World
Islam IssaBy mapping the literary & more broadly cultural consequences of the censure, translation & abridgement of Milton’s works in the Arab-Muslim world, this book analyses the diverse ways in which Arab-Muslims read & understand a range of literary & religious aspects of Milton’s writing in light of cultural, theological, socio-political, linguistic & translational issues.
After providing an overview of the presence of Milton & his works in the Arab world, each chapter sheds light on how cultural & translational issues shape the ways in which Arab-Muslim readers perceive & understand the characters & motifs of Paradise Lost. Chapters outline the ways in which the figures are currently understood in Milton scholarship, before exploring how they fit into the narrative drama & theology of the poem, & their position in Islamic creed & Arab-Muslim culture.
Concurrently, each chapter examines the poem’s subject matter in detail, placing particular emphasis on matters of linguistic, theological & cultural translation & accommodation. Chapter conclusions not only summarise the patterns & potentialities of reception, but point towards the practical functions of Arab-Muslim responses to Milton’s writing and their contribution to the formation of social ideas.
°°°
Islam Issa is an award-winning British-Egyptian writer, curator & broadcaster, & was recently named by the BBC as "one of the United Kingdom's most significant new thinkers." He is Professor of Literature & History at Birmingham City University,…