As part of the Literary Criticism Collection, Dar Al Hiwar for Publication and Distribution has recently released a new book entitled ‘Literary Text and Mirrors Game’ by Abdul Rahim Jiran.
The introduction of the book reads:
“The text concept is one of the basic approaches that challenged the study of literature and linguistics. Almost every article or book that discusses criticism uses this concept to serve this purpose or that. However, the random usage, especially in Arabic criticism, took the concept to a remarkable level of generalization. That’s why it was important to write a book that clarifies the concept and discusses the problematics that surround its usages. This book does not aim at providing a decisive conclusion about the aim of the text, or setting a certain theoretical direction that defines it, but it rather seeks to shed lights on the theoretical obstacles that face its usage. The main goal of this book is to provide a clear vision of this concept for those working in criticism and literature, given that the controversy in this field could open new paths for the literary knowledge.
The ‘Literary Text and Mirrors Game’ title inspires different interpretations; so, the reader can fall in the metaphoric trap suggesting that the book explores the traditional critical problematic, and the link between reality and the text or social structures. However, the book seeks to control the theoretical views about the text concept, its identity and functions. These several interpretations reflect the purpose of the book, which not only defines the different views that discussed the text concept- in criticism and literature – based on the pictures reflected in a certain theoretical mirror, but also looks at different pictures reflected in other theoretical mirrors from different directions and sources.”
