Stranger Fictions " A History of the Novel through Arabic Translation "

Is translation a mere bridge transporting foreign stories, or was it the engine that sparked the birth of the modern Arabic novel? In this extraordinary scholarly work, Rebecca C. Johnson guides readers through the vibrant publishing hubs and intellectual circles of the 19th and early 20th-century Arabic Renaissance (Nahda). Tracking how Arabic translators engaged with, adapted, and naturalized Western literature, Johnson reveals that translating the "stranger" was not an act of passive reception, but a creative force that remade Arabic storytelling, redefining cultural identity and literary horizons.

Because it unveils a compelling history of how the modern Arabic novel emerged, providing a sophisticated critical framework to understand translation as a transformative and creative political act.

For enthusiasts of Arabic literary history, scholars of translation and narrative theory, translators, and any reader curious about the intellectual history of the Arabic Renaissance.