Ports of Call (Maalouf novel)
Ports of Call (French: Les Échelles du Levant) is a 1991 novel by the French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf. The narrative follows a married couple consisting of a Muslim man and a Jewish woman, Ossyane and Clara, who become separated after World War II. The échelles du Levant were Mediterranean seaports under Ottoman sovereignty where the French had traded from the 16th century with a near monopoly.[1]
.jpg.webp) First edition with Syria - Vintage Travel Advertisement | |
| Author | Amin Maalouf |
|---|---|
| Original title | Les Échelles du Levant |
| Translator | Alberto Manguel |
| Country | France Lebanon |
| Language | French |
| Publisher | Éditions Grasset |
Publication date | 1996 |
Published in English | 1999 |
| Pages | 298 |
| ISBN | 9782246497714 |
Reception
William Ferguson wrote in The New York Times wrote that the protagonists' "marriage is presented here as an exemplary rejection of suspicion and hatred between peoples, most particularly in the Middle East. Perhaps the author's fondness for allegory is the reason Ossyane's tale sounds more like polished writing than real speech, and why the characters often seem more like ideas than people."[2]
References
- Ciba Review. 58–68. 1947. p. 2460.
- Ferguson, William (2000-01-23). "Ports of Call". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-04-12.