An Arabic novella with a lesbian plot might incite shock
or anticipation, as it would instigate images of the sex
scenes it must contain of women together. And The Smell
of Cinnamon, Syrian writer Samar Yazbeck’s latest book,
does have a lot of sexual imagery. But don't get too
excited.
This is not simply the story of a rich, unhappily
married woman and her affair with the poor maid who
realizes that sex is a powerful tool she can use to
control her employers. The novella starts when the lady
catches her maid/lover in bed with her husband and
expels her, to take us thereafter – through flashbacks,
into the disparate lives of the two women, into
destitution and wealth, and the (sometimes
stereotypical) social and sexual relations that govern
these lives. The story gradually gains momentum as the
complex nature of their relationship becomes clearer,
and we wait to see if the two women are likely to
reconcile again.
This story is a
harsh one. It is shocking and provocative, even though
it is narrated in a detached tone. It contains very
little sexual relations that gratify the parties
involved, and those that do are interestingly between
women. More often though, sex is sadistic; it is a
weapon that is used mostly but not exclusively by men to
break down women.
The Smell of
Cinnamon may not be the best of Arabic literature, but
if you are interested in daring narratives that tackle
"sensitive" topics in the Arab society - poverty,
domestic abuse, rape, pedophilia, and affairs between
women, then you will want to read it.
"Ra2i7at al Korfah"
is published by Dar-Al-Adab. |
