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"The Lily of the Ocean" by Mustafa Laghteiri and the Issue of Arab Detective Fiction
By Amin Darwasha
Palestinian Critic
Arab writers have not shown much interest in writing detective novels, unlike the West, which has excelled in this field. There is no doubt that the spread of this type of novel in the West stems from the characteristics of Western civilization, which is full of life, and the political, social, and economic problems. The spread of crime and violence also provided a foundation for these novels. However, in the Arab world, despite having ample material for writing—since we live under the rule of police states—Arab writers have neglected this genre. This may be due to their preoccupation with the pain caused by oppressive regimes rather than focusing on their methods. The absence of detective novels in the Arab literary scene is a result of writers' focus on national concerns, and because detective fiction requires specific skills that many writers may not possess. There is also the fear of addressing sensitive issues. Novelist Mustafa Laghteiri attributes this to some Arab writers "despising the detective novel, considering it one of the worst types of writing," and he is surprised by this, finding no justification other than "inability to write it. Often, one despises what one cannot create, or perhaps some are used to laziness and have become content with writing simple stream-of-consciousness, not desiring anything else."
The Textual Threshold and Mastery of the Opening
The skillful opening is one of the most important elements of narrative construction, as it plays a pivotal role "in determining the direction of the story, shaping its vision, and defining its model." This threshold, which comes after the title threshold, "The Lily of the Ocean" (a café by the ocean where many conspiracies take place), represents the first true entry into the world of the text. The connection between the opening and the narrative core is the influential relationship between the narrative work and the reader in the reading process. The opening is what makes the reader either reject the story or be drawn to it passionately. Laghteiri begins his novel with this captivating and exciting imagery: "The sounds of Eastern music sway in the corners of the night club, which usually welcomes guests two hours after sunset... Neatly arranged tables surrounded by comfortable chairs, adorned with covers that match the napkins on the tables... Carefully selected glasses are arranged on the tables, with vases in the center containing various types of flowers... On each side of the table, candles of different colors are lit, giving the guests a feeling of the desired romantic atmosphere." He continues with the necessary suspense: "On the stage, a woman nearing thirty dances to the tunes of the music... Her body sways with the Eastern rhythms, moving in measured and precise motions... She wears light clothes, revealing a whiteness that captivates all who see her... Her hair is carefully arranged to harmonize with her appearance... On the left side of her hair, she places a red rose, firmly attached, despite the spasms of her body, which moves gracefully in everything." Additionally: "The dancer appears to be absent from existence, her presence is elusive... but the effect of her body is strongly present, stealing the minds and hearts of the audience, while her spirit seems absent... Her distracted expression swings over her features, while her perfect dance appears natural to the point of being unsettling, as if she doesn't exert any effort to perform it this way, as she merges completely with the strong rhythms at times, and the soft, gentle ones at others." This delicate girl no doubt stirred the emotions and instincts of the readers, as well as their curiosity. Although the novelist paved the way for the reader to know where he wanted to go with his opening, he maintained ambiguity and mystery. The writer also succeeded in the conclusion, which gave the novel coherence and life. The ending, like the opening, influences the reader, offering a diverse vision and containing an aesthetic dimension resulting from the skill in shaping the language, along with balance in the use of dialogue and description, which provided the work with vitality and interaction with the reader.
The Plot
In his novel, Laghteiri presents detective stories, chases, and conspiracies carried out by the criminal and the hero. The abundance of events increases the vitality of the novel. The novelist worked on the dramatic structure, which is the core of detective fiction, so it came out well-crafted and precisely drawn, using a group of main characters. It can be said that there is more than one protagonist in the novel. The story tells of Sara, a beautiful and youthful girl working in a nightclub in France owned by a Turkish man, and she possesses an excellent dancing skill that makes the place crowded with customers every day. The plot threads begin to appear when Khalid and his wife Layla visit the nightclub, where Layla becomes acquainted with Sara’s character. Layla is characterized by curiosity, intelligence, and loyalty. Sara was her classmate, so Layla suspected something was wrong with the case because Sara was very rich and ambitious, yet Layla did not recognize her, which made her suspicion grow. Through the intertwining events, we learn that Sara suffers from memory loss and does not even recognize herself. Layla begins to search for and investigate the reasons for Sara’s presence in France and the events that happened to her. She enlists the help of her friend Rahma, an activist in women's rights, who shows interest because she was also Sara's classmate in college. Layla also asks her brother Yusuf, a director, for help to uncover the details. In the end, they agree to kidnap Sara and rescue her.
The Complexity of Events
The events begin to intertwine, revealing the criminal's traits, who exploits Sara for significant profit. Kamel, the Turkish villain, is characterized by arrogance, overconfidence, and the ability to do anything to achieve his goal. He gathers all his men and spends money to retrieve Sara. Yusuf falls in love with Sara and marries her, complicating Kamel’s task, especially when Yusuf and Sara return to Morocco.
The movement between countries and Moroccan cities plays its role in creating suspense and excitement in the chase. The novel is filled with carefully woven conspiracies, as each character wants to reach their goal. The villain Kamel uses illegal means to achieve his goal of retrieving Sara and taking her to France. He resorts to former criminals, exploiting his vast network to kidnap her. He even plans to kill Yusuf if necessary. Yusuf, after gathering the necessary information, crafts a well-planned trick to trap Kamel with the police’s help. Ultimately, the central plot is resolved when Kamel is arrested while attempting to escape to France at the airport.
Secondary Plots
Among the secondary plots in the novel is Kamel’s exploitation of Yusuf’s sister, Sanaa, and tricking her into marrying him to help him kidnap Sara. There is also the character of Sufyan, the opportunistic gambler, whom Kamel exploits to ensnare Sara. Sufyan tries to get close to Sara after falling in love with her, but in the end, his loyalty shifts to Yusuf, who offers him more money. The novel also tackles an important and serious issue: "exploitation," such as the exploitation of a woman's body, as Kamel exploited Sara in the nightclub, or the exploitation of children as workers, like the girl Zaynab, whom her parents abandoned for money. The novel also addresses domestic violence, which destroys families and the social fabric.
A Palestinian Critic and Writer
By Amin Darwasha
Palestinian Critic
Arab writers have not shown much interest in writing detective novels, unlike the West, which has excelled in this field. There is no doubt that the spread of this type of novel in the West stems from the characteristics of Western civilization, which is full of life, and the political, social, and economic problems. The spread of crime and violence also provided a foundation for these novels. However, in the Arab world, despite having ample material for writing—since we live under the rule of police states—Arab writers have neglected this genre. This may be due to their preoccupation with the pain caused by oppressive regimes rather than focusing on their methods. The absence of detective novels in the Arab literary scene is a result of writers' focus on national concerns, and because detective fiction requires specific skills that many writers may not possess. There is also the fear of addressing sensitive issues. Novelist Mustafa Laghteiri attributes this to some Arab writers "despising the detective novel, considering it one of the worst types of writing," and he is surprised by this, finding no justification other than "inability to write it. Often, one despises what one cannot create, or perhaps some are used to laziness and have become content with writing simple stream-of-consciousness, not desiring anything else."
The Textual Threshold and Mastery of the Opening
The skillful opening is one of the most important elements of narrative construction, as it plays a pivotal role "in determining the direction of the story, shaping its vision, and defining its model." This threshold, which comes after the title threshold, "The Lily of the Ocean" (a café by the ocean where many conspiracies take place), represents the first true entry into the world of the text. The connection between the opening and the narrative core is the influential relationship between the narrative work and the reader in the reading process. The opening is what makes the reader either reject the story or be drawn to it passionately. Laghteiri begins his novel with this captivating and exciting imagery: "The sounds of Eastern music sway in the corners of the night club, which usually welcomes guests two hours after sunset... Neatly arranged tables surrounded by comfortable chairs, adorned with covers that match the napkins on the tables... Carefully selected glasses are arranged on the tables, with vases in the center containing various types of flowers... On each side of the table, candles of different colors are lit, giving the guests a feeling of the desired romantic atmosphere." He continues with the necessary suspense: "On the stage, a woman nearing thirty dances to the tunes of the music... Her body sways with the Eastern rhythms, moving in measured and precise motions... She wears light clothes, revealing a whiteness that captivates all who see her... Her hair is carefully arranged to harmonize with her appearance... On the left side of her hair, she places a red rose, firmly attached, despite the spasms of her body, which moves gracefully in everything." Additionally: "The dancer appears to be absent from existence, her presence is elusive... but the effect of her body is strongly present, stealing the minds and hearts of the audience, while her spirit seems absent... Her distracted expression swings over her features, while her perfect dance appears natural to the point of being unsettling, as if she doesn't exert any effort to perform it this way, as she merges completely with the strong rhythms at times, and the soft, gentle ones at others." This delicate girl no doubt stirred the emotions and instincts of the readers, as well as their curiosity. Although the novelist paved the way for the reader to know where he wanted to go with his opening, he maintained ambiguity and mystery. The writer also succeeded in the conclusion, which gave the novel coherence and life. The ending, like the opening, influences the reader, offering a diverse vision and containing an aesthetic dimension resulting from the skill in shaping the language, along with balance in the use of dialogue and description, which provided the work with vitality and interaction with the reader.
The Plot
In his novel, Laghteiri presents detective stories, chases, and conspiracies carried out by the criminal and the hero. The abundance of events increases the vitality of the novel. The novelist worked on the dramatic structure, which is the core of detective fiction, so it came out well-crafted and precisely drawn, using a group of main characters. It can be said that there is more than one protagonist in the novel. The story tells of Sara, a beautiful and youthful girl working in a nightclub in France owned by a Turkish man, and she possesses an excellent dancing skill that makes the place crowded with customers every day. The plot threads begin to appear when Khalid and his wife Layla visit the nightclub, where Layla becomes acquainted with Sara’s character. Layla is characterized by curiosity, intelligence, and loyalty. Sara was her classmate, so Layla suspected something was wrong with the case because Sara was very rich and ambitious, yet Layla did not recognize her, which made her suspicion grow. Through the intertwining events, we learn that Sara suffers from memory loss and does not even recognize herself. Layla begins to search for and investigate the reasons for Sara’s presence in France and the events that happened to her. She enlists the help of her friend Rahma, an activist in women's rights, who shows interest because she was also Sara's classmate in college. Layla also asks her brother Yusuf, a director, for help to uncover the details. In the end, they agree to kidnap Sara and rescue her.
The Complexity of Events
The events begin to intertwine, revealing the criminal's traits, who exploits Sara for significant profit. Kamel, the Turkish villain, is characterized by arrogance, overconfidence, and the ability to do anything to achieve his goal. He gathers all his men and spends money to retrieve Sara. Yusuf falls in love with Sara and marries her, complicating Kamel’s task, especially when Yusuf and Sara return to Morocco.
The movement between countries and Moroccan cities plays its role in creating suspense and excitement in the chase. The novel is filled with carefully woven conspiracies, as each character wants to reach their goal. The villain Kamel uses illegal means to achieve his goal of retrieving Sara and taking her to France. He resorts to former criminals, exploiting his vast network to kidnap her. He even plans to kill Yusuf if necessary. Yusuf, after gathering the necessary information, crafts a well-planned trick to trap Kamel with the police’s help. Ultimately, the central plot is resolved when Kamel is arrested while attempting to escape to France at the airport.
Secondary Plots
Among the secondary plots in the novel is Kamel’s exploitation of Yusuf’s sister, Sanaa, and tricking her into marrying him to help him kidnap Sara. There is also the character of Sufyan, the opportunistic gambler, whom Kamel exploits to ensnare Sara. Sufyan tries to get close to Sara after falling in love with her, but in the end, his loyalty shifts to Yusuf, who offers him more money. The novel also tackles an important and serious issue: "exploitation," such as the exploitation of a woman's body, as Kamel exploited Sara in the nightclub, or the exploitation of children as workers, like the girl Zaynab, whom her parents abandoned for money. The novel also addresses domestic violence, which destroys families and the social fabric.
A Palestinian Critic and Writer
