المدينة و تحولات الحرب : قراءة في رواية إبراهيم عبد المجيد " لا أحد ينام في الإسكندرية"

Abstract EN

This paper is concerned with the reading of Ibrahim Abdulmajid’s novel, «No One Sleeps in Alexandria », starting from the aspect of the setting, considering it the work’s moving and operating element.

The author was possessed by the city and following its inhabitant’s relations and the influence of its changes on them.

This reading traces the narrative structure and its relation to the city within two aspects: narrating history/ facts, narrating the imaginary.

The first aspect departs on the novel’s events reliance on the World War II and its influence on Alexandria.

Accordingly, narrating history took two fundamental forms: the first element being documenting and historicizing where the author looked after historically documenting the decisive elements of the war; while the second being traces the wars details and development as it arrives to Alexandria.

On the other hand, narrating the imaginary is based on the tale of Majd al-Deen and Zahra after moving from the countryside to the city, and exploring the city’s human relations through them.

In order to follow such relations that reunited by the city, the novel focuses on an elementary theme: following the love and friendly relations of the inhabitants through focusing on following the relations between Christians and Muslims, and also the changes that struck its characters.

It employs then description and observation of details to put a frame on narration and make the setting visible.

Thus the novel’s rhythm flows along the relations with the city throughout the war and portraying all these details