São Paulo – Tabla, a publishing house that specializes in translating and publishing in Brazil works from the Middle East and North Africa, has just released ‘Who’s Afraid of Meryl Streep?’ [‘E Quem é Meryl Streep?’ in the Brazilian title], a novel by Lebanese author Rashid Al-Daif, written in 2001. The translation from Arabic into Brazilian Portuguese is by Felipe Benjamin Francisco. The book is on sale on the publisher’s website in paperback and e-book.
As in other works, the novel’s protagonist and narrator is Al-Daif’s namesake. Rashid, the main character, is a newlywed Lebanese man who finds himself threatened by the idea of female emancipation. Realizing that his wife uses the presence of a television in her parents’ house as an excuse to stay away from home, Rashid buys a television in hopes of attracting her; but as the fragile bond that binds the couple crumbles, the device starts to play an increasingly important role in his life.
In a crucial scene in the story, Rashid finds himself alone watching the movie ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’, and in the absence of subtitles, the character struggles to understand what goes on in the film and projects his wife’s behavior on the character played by Meryl Streep, the actress who gives the book its name, which at the same time captivates and terrifies him for representing an effort to liberate women that he considers unacceptable.
Al-Daif builds a reactionary, often repulsive character, and he is not afraid to dive into that individual’s mind and crudely describe his mentality, including his sex life, real or imagined. The book was a huge success both in its original version and translated into many languages.
“First written in 2001, at the dawn of the 21st century, and already reprinted a few times, this novel caused some stupor when it was released, mainly because of the rawness of the sexual scenes described in it. Forget about sex, however: the strength of Rashid’s acid text is the sarcasm with which it corrodes Arab moralism, hypocrisy whose allegorical ruin the present has evacuated, putting in its place the real, effective, and immovable ruin of a world in which, imploded, words are re-signified as chaos”, analyzes the professor, translator, and researcher of Arab literature, Mamede Jarouche, who signs the book’s flap text.
Rashid Al-Daif was born in 1945 in the town of Ehden, in the district of Zgharta, North Lebanon. He holds a Ph.D. in Modern Languages from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris III, the ‘New Sorbonne University,’ and has worked as a professor of Arabic language and literature and creative writing at higher education institutions in France and Lebanon.
With his works translated into over ten languages, Rashid Al-Daif is considered the Arab answer to Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco, having published over 20 books, including novels and poetry.
Tabla publishing house has also just released the novel ‘Istanbul, Istanbul’ [‘Istambul, Istambul,’ in the Brazilian title], by Turkish author Burhan Sönmez, translated by Tânia Ganho.
Quick facts:
E Quem é Meryl Streep? [Brazilian translation of ‘Who’s Afraid of Meryl Streep?’]
Rashid Al-Daif
Translation by Felipe Benjamin Francisco
Published by Tabla
ISBN 978-65-86824-12-4
1st edition, 2021
192 pages
BRL 50.40
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
