The Blue Light

The Blue Light is an autobiographical novel by Hussein Bargouthi that explores memory, time, and language, featuring Bari, a Turkish American Sufi, during his years as a graduate student in the late 1980s. It combines memoir with fiction and delves into themes of trauma, identity, and madness, offering a unique and captivating literary achievement.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 03 May 2023
Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd

The captivating autobiographical novel "The Blue Light" unfolds in a series of chapters and vignettes, traversing the realms of memory, time, and language. Author Hussein Bargouthi takes readers on a personal journey, sharing his story alongside Bari, a Turkish American Sufi, during Bargouthi's time as a graduate student at the University of Washington in the late 1980s. This novel boasts multiple beginnings and numerous returns, encompassing a diverse range of themes and perspectives. From the tumultuous sea of Beirut to contemplations on color and identity, from Buddhist paths to followers of Rajneesh, from the grip of military rule to the madness of colonialism, from the depths of drug addiction to the sacredness of rock, "The Blue Light" weaves a rich tapestry of experiences. Written and lived between Arabic and English, this unique work possesses a profound depth that is simultaneously accessible and captivating. It invites readers to dismiss it as it relentlessly compels them to delve into its pages, seeking enlightenment and liberation from the madness that permeates our lives. By seamlessly merging memoir with fiction and the sacred with the profane, "The Blue Light" emerges as a meditation on and a triumph over madness, a brilliant and inimitable literary achievement that will leave a lasting impact on all who encounter it.

Weight: 350g
Dimension: 160 x 237 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803090832