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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Focus Economy Opinion Culture Features Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The world of the critic
By Naguib Mahfouz
I was very sad to learn of the death of Ali El-Ra'i, a great literary critic. He was always reputed for his objectivity and professional integrity. I came to know Ali El-Ra'i in person when I began writing fiction, but I had known him through his writings long before.
He was indeed a compelling writer, with a rare ability to mesmerise his readers. He was also a kind man. When I met him, I had lost my appetite for writing, and told him about it. He was very concerned, but reassured me that what I had been suffering from was a normal reaction after completing the Trilogy. He advised me that I only needed a little rest, after which I would go back to writing.
El Ra'i's good nature showed through in his critical writings. Although he was left-wing, he never showed any bias to those with similar values, unlike other critics and journalists. He judged every work on its merits alone, rather than the writer's political affiliations -- a quality that was quite rare at the time.
But his quintessential quality as a critic was his tireless search for beauty. Many confuse criticism with faultfinding, or fastidiousness, but for him, the role of criticism was to bring out the beauty in any work of art.
El-Ra'i's two unique encyclopaedic works on drama and the novel in the Arab world will live on. I know that he was planning to publish a third book. I hope he was given the time to complete it.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
