The Rock of Tanios

In what way or ways do you "connect" with the book The Rock of Tanios by Amin Maalouf? In what way is it accessible or familiar to you?

Having lived my entire life in Lebanon, I could relate to many characters and events which took place in the novel. It is astonishing how many things have remained the same throughout the past 150 years in Lebanon. The first thing I noticed when I began reading was the use of Arabic words and proverbs. “ Yabni”, “ Ya binti”, “ khweja”, “ saj”, and “ Hajje” are some of the many Arabic words that Amin Maalouf incorporated into the novel, and that are still used today. I also found several Arabic proverbs. Although it was difficult to translate a few, I identified several which are still being told today. Those who do not understand Arabic and have a very limited understanding of the Lebanese culture would find it difficult to understand much of the novel. At the same time, the use of Arabic words, and the details which refer to Lebanese/Arabic culture and traditions made the novel much more enjoyable for me. I was amused for example by the formulas and traditions associated with specific meetings and events. When the villagers give their condolences to the Sheikh he receives every person differently depending on several factors such as rank, relation to the sheikh…etc. Formulas are still a large part of our culture. The political situation has also remained largely the same. Other countries involve themselves in our politics and instead of uniting, we fight ourselves. In the novel, the Reverend Stolton reports in his journal “the only ones who cannot be forgiven are the local people, Christians and Druse…”. People are separated according to their religions and today it is not only the Christians and Druse but also the Sunnis and Chiates as well. Today's political situation is due to the segregation between the religious groups just like in the 1800s. Because of the reasons stated above it was very easy for me to connect with the novel and its character as they reflect the Lebanese culture and its traditions.