An immersive novel by Mahmoud Farra, blending philosophy, memory, and surrealism. Set across California, Paris, Nice, Damascus, and Beirut, it’s a haunting journey that captures the essence of identity, dreams, and human emotion.
Despite the amount of knowledge I've gained in literary criticism and taste through sessions at the Al-Ain Cultural Forum—thanks to a group of professors of literature and criticism—I have repeatedly tried to be patient before evaluating Mr. Mahmoud Farra's novel, commenting on it, and tracing its literary arc. I didn't want to rush into expressing my personal opinion, because I might be correct in one part and mistaken in another. However, in the end, I find it unavoidable to state whether I admire the novel or not. And indeed, the dominant feeling I had as an ordinary reader was admiration.
Born in Damascus, Syria on January 3, 1951, the author holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sciences (Chemistry and Mathematics) from the Lebanese University – Faculty of Sciences.
He has worked as a Mathematics and Chemistry teacher for more than 30 years across Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.
In 2009, he published his first fiction novel in Arabic titled “In the Beginning Was I,” which has been newly released in English in 2025.
He has also written and published numerous short stories in the Syrian cultural magazine Al Marifa.
As a freelance translator (English to Arabic and French to Arabic), he contributed to The Emirates Cultural Magazine, where he also authored a section titled “Cultural Panorama.” In this section, he covered diverse topics about global cultural activities, including art, cinema, theatre, and literature.
This novel walks the tightrope between dream and reality, beginning with an immigrant haunted by a mysterious dream that draws him back to Damascus. Characters appear and vanish like shifting shadows — Lamis becomes Isabelle, Rose replaces the past. The plot weaves through love, memory, loss, and the mystical power of dreams.
Upon finishing the novel—the author’s second work, through which he sought to analyze, depict, and embody a condition from within society—I felt as though I had traveled on a journey brimming with events and surprises.
The novel began and unfolded from realistic roots, which soon branched out and blossomed into scenes that took on hues of the imaginary, expressing the hidden recesses of the human soul. It swung between reality and fantasy, leading us to the following question
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