Polyphony and narrative voice in Fuad Al-Takarli's 'Al-Raj Al-Baid' (Iraq, novel, themes)

When asked to comment on his novel al-Raj al-baid, Fuad al-Takarli said that it expressed traditional themes in an innovative form. This literary study of the novel, based on a close textual analysis, shows that al-Raj al-baid can be considered as one of the most successful Arabic examples of the so-called 'polyphonic novel'. Al-Takarli's skillful handling of sophisticated narrative techniques expands common themes (such as social changes and the position of women within a traditional male-dominated society) to generate interpretations and question straightforward conclusions.