Paper Status Tracking

Journals by Title

Journals by Subject

Contact us

	[email protected]
	3275638434

	Paper Publishing WeChat

Useful Links

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Article

Open Access

The Impact of Socio-Cultural Contexts on the Reception of Contemporary Saudi Novels

Author(s)

Noura Algahtani

Full-Text PDF Download XML 1577 Views

DOI:10.17265/2159-5526/2016.02.003

Affiliation(s)

University of Leeds, UK

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how the socio-cultural contexts have affected readers’ responses to particular Saudi novels. It draws on Fish’s concept of “interpretive communities”, which argues that interpretation is an institutional practice, and that consequently readers hold shared prior assumptions that constrain their interpretive strategies (Fish 1980). Not surprisingly, then, some responses to Saudi authors are based on the ideological belief that their novels consist of acts of rebellion against a conservative culture. A close reading of the conflict between Saudi novelists and the social responses to their works can reflect how cultural and social contexts shape the reception of contemporary Saudi novels, and can also help to construct public attitudes toward these texts. Saudi novelists have faced a number of social constraints and factors which have affected the development of the novel in Saudi Arabia. For example, works by al-Gosaibi, Munif, Khal, al-Hamad, al-Mohaimeed, Alsanea, and al-Juhani have all been banned because they were seen to pose a major threat to the dominant, patriarchal Saudi ideology. While the social controversy around these writers was raging, some other writers applied self-censorship to avoid touching upon what were perceived to be the most sensitive issues.

KEYWORDS

Saudi novels, ultraconservative readings, interpretive communities, reception theory, ideology

Cite this paper

Sociology Study, February 2016, Vol. 6, No. 2, 104-110

References

al-Ashmawi, A. 2005. “Banat al-Riyadh” (Girls of Riyadh). al-Jazirah Newspaper, October 29, issue 12084.

al-Oglaa, H. 1999. Fatwa. Retrieved November 13, 2015 (http://www.al-oglaa.com/?section=subject&SubjectID=181).

al-Udah, S. 2012. “A TV Interview.” YouTube Website. Retrieved (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeZ0vCm_ yBs).

al-Arabiya. 2006. Tajil Muhakamat Riwaya Saudiyya Mutahama bi Alsahila Banat al-Riyadh (Postpone the Trial of a Saudi Novel That Accused of Abuse at Girls of Riyadh). Retrieved November 17, 2015 (http://www.alarabiya.net/ articles/2006/09/10/27343.html).

al-Ghadhami, A. 2001. al-Naqd al-Thaqafi (Cultural Criticism). Casablanca: al-Markaz al-Thaqafi al-Arabi.

al-Hamad, T. 2005. Al-Karadib (Name of Prison). 4th ed. Beirut: Dar al-Saqi.

——. 2012. “A TV Interview.” YouTube Website. Retrieved November 12, 2015 (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9RVEZHJ1S5o).

al-Kharashy, S. 2011. Nazrah Shar’yyah fi Kitabatwa Rewayat Turki al-Hamad (Religious View of Turki al-Hamad’s Writings and Novels). Retrieved November 12, 2015 (http://www.saaid.net/Warathah/Alkharashy/Turky. pdf).

al-Kharif, A. 2005. “Riwaya Tastahiq Ba‘danmima Dhuker la Kulah” (A Novel That Deserves Some of What Has Been Mentioned). al-Riyadh Newspaper, December 1, issue 13674.

al-Kheder, A. 2011. al-Saudiyya Sirat Dawlahwa Mujtama (Saudi Arabia: Story of the State and Society). 2nd ed. Beirut: Arab Network for Research & Publishing.

al-Luhaidan, S. 2012. “al-Luhaidan Yotalib bi Alhajerala Turki al-Hamad wa ‘Elajeh Nafsyyan” (al-Luhaidan Calls for the Prevention of Turki al-Hamad’s Books). al-Jazirah Online. Retrieved November 19, 2015 (http://www.aljazirahonline. com/2012/20121224/ln28385.htm).

al-Nemi, H. 2009. al-Riwaya al-Saudiyya: Waqi‘hawa-Tahwalataha (Saudi Novels: Its Rielity and Transformation). Riyadh: The Ministry of Culture.

al-Sanea, R. 2006. Interview. Retrieved November 18, 2015 (http://elaph.com/Web/Interview/2006/4/139279.htm).

al-Shuwiir, D. 2006. “Banat al-Riyadh Bayn al-Waqi wa-al-Khayal” (Girls of Riyadh Between Reality and Fiction). al-Riyadh Newspaper, February 17, issue 13752.

Alyaum. 2006. Alhukm ala Banat al-Riyadh (Judging Girls of Riyadh). Retrieved November 17, 2015 (http://www. alyaum.com/article/ 2420868).

Faqihi, H. 2010. “Layal al-La’ubtaqod al-Rewaial-Saudi Abdo Khal ela al-Mahakem” (Layal Leads the Saudi Novelist Abdo Khal to the Court). AlSharq al-Awsat Newspaper. Retrieved November 13, 2015 (http://archive.aawsat.com/ details.asp?section=19&article=564739&issueno=11457#.Vky1qYQ_Xow).

Fish, S. 1980. Is There a Text in This Class? Cambridge: Harvard University.

Khal, A. 2012. Interview in Alsharq Newspaper. Retrieved November 13, 2015 (http://www.alsharq.net.sa/lite-post?id =147570).

Qadi, M. 2005. “Fadayih Riwayat Banat al-Riyadh” (Girls of Riyadh’s Scandals). al-Jazirah al-Thaqafiyya, December 5, issue 132.

Roberts, E. 2006. “Something Fishy Is Going On: The Misapplication of Interpretive Communities in Literary Theory.” Pp. 31-42 in The Delta. Retrieved October 13, 2015 (http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/delta/vol1/iss1/6).

Schwartz, L., T. Helmus, D. Kaye, and N. Oweidat. 2009. Barriers to the Board Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation.

Shboul, A. 2007. “Gendered Space and Dynamics in Saudi Arabian Cities: Riyadh and Dammam in Turki al-Hamad’s Trilogy.” Literature & Aesthetics 17(1):203-223.

Zain, A. 2010. “Alraqabah Tamna Rewayat Abdo Khal Alfa’zah bi Albooker” (Censorship Prevents Khal’s Novel, the Winner of the Arab Booker Prize). Al-Hayat Newspaper. Retrieved (http://daharchives.alhayat.com/issue_archive /Hayat%20INT/2010/3/4/الرقابة-تمنع-رواية-عبده-خال-الفائزة-ب-البوكر-معرض-الرياض-للكتاب-ينطلق-بقصيدة-نسائية-والسنغال-ضيف-شرف.html).