The enjoyment of imagination, dialogues with international writers

Author's name: Naif Al-Yasin Publishing house: Al-Takween for Publishing and Distribution Year of publication: 2018 Literary classification: Literary dialogues Brief about the book: Anyone who practices the art of the novel knows that all of reality is reflected in the novel with all its manifestations and complexities, and in its dealing with it, the novel often seeks to change it through criticism, exposure, and deconstruction. Thus, writing practices a real act of change. But what do the writers themselves say about this noble art? The answer comes in the book "The Pleasure of Imagination," translated to us by Dr. Naif Al-Yasin / Professor of Literature at the University of Damascus – Department of English. Dr. Al-Yasin says: "Being a teacher of the novel course in the nineteenth century, many critics have called it the golden age of the novel, perhaps because masterpieces were written then, not only in Britain but in most countries that embraced the novel in the eighteenth century AD. Therefore, I tried to convey the thoughts of international writers through dialogues conducted with them, in order to get to know each writer briefly about him, with a quick overview of the times of the works each of them presented, along with highlighting the prominent media figures who interviewed these writers and delved into their literary and intellectual depths." Accordingly, the book "The Pleasure of Imagination" collected dialogues and experiences of global writers, their narrative styles, techniques, how each writer chose his topic, his creative vision, his concerns, and even his way of living. The book also included many details explaining the characters of their fictional heroes, insights into imagination, form, and ideas expressed by each writer in his era, transcending it with his own philosophy that distinguished him and made him a famous writer. The book presented twelve creators: Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Günter Gaus, William Fauk, Vladimir Nabokov, Maya Angelou, Octavio Paz, Alain Robbe-Grillet, and Milan Kundera. The translator also included excerpts from letters written by John Steinbeck instead of dialogues, critical articles, and others. What distinguishes this book from others is that its material is not sequential in content, so the reader can enter it from anywhere they wish. The author who prefers can choose that each interview provides an independent critical dialogue material related to a specific novelist and novel. The translator did well in selecting for us the most beautiful flowers of the nineteenth century and presented them as an intellectual and creative material beneficial to anyone interested in the art of the novel, critics, and any reader wishing to explore this field with all its branches.