Muna ImadyBesprekingen

This is a very good book, both touching and poignant. The author is, sadly, dead now and so the book has been completed by her mother.
It is a mixture of poetry and short essay type narratives. I found that it was a book you could dip in and out of, although I largely read it in one go. The poems are quite personal and gave me food for thought. I enjoyed them and will return to them again, I think, to gain different and deeper meaning. I was, in particular however, moved by the story of the author’s neighbour’s missing husband. He left for work one day and didn’t return. That story stayed with me and I really felt the terror and fear the neighbour must’ve felt. Muna Imady writes simply yet effectively, she clearly had much love for Damascus and this comes through in this book.
Well worth a read!

Part folklore, part recipe book - Muna Imady relays stories told to her by her family, as well as traditional Syrian recipes. I liked the stories - mostly similar to western fairy tales, but with different views on witches and imps/devils/dybbuks - but found the inclusion of recipes to be a bit strange and out of place in a book of folklore. There were also editorial problems with the text that could have been avoided by a little proofreading. All in all, a nice little book of tales.½

Nice collection will make fine addition to any library on folktales - sits right beside my other "country collections"

J'incite et j'invite ceux qui ont soif de culture et d'instructions, d'Histoire et d'histoires, de rêves et de réalité à se plonger au coeur de ce magnifique livre, au coeur de ce magnifique pays, afin de comprendre et d'affirmer par eux même le remarquable témoignage d'un éminent historien: «tout homme civilisé devrait avoir deux patries, la sienne et la Syrie ».

Un livre merveilleux et délicieux à la fois! Française d'origine algérienne, je m’intéresse à la culture syrienne sans avoir pu un jour mettre les pieds dans ce pays de jasmin mais ce livre m'a en quelques sortes transportée.. Une lecture fluide, accessible, et agréable qui permet à notre imagination de "voir" ce que Muna Imady tient tellement à nous décrire et détailler.. Avis aux amateurs d'humour et de cuisine, ce livre fera votre bonheur! Et je n'oublis pas de citer ces nombreux hadiths qui ponctuent souvent un chapitre, un paragraphe, une recette ou juste une idée: captivants et réjouissants..

A bit of an odd duck. The folktales themselves are short, and I enjoyed reading them, but when combined with the recipes and introductions they make it a book that seems a bit unsure of its goal. (Its theme is fine, but its organization and goal feels a bit scattershot.)

I just started reading this book two hours ago and did not let go until I finished it. It has this beautiful Syrian mixture of cuisine, folk tales and culture. I am Syrian, yet I found it very intriguing and learned a lot about my beautiful country. The stories are superb. I particularly liked the one from Lattakia! The recipes are great and a must try. Muna's book is an invitation to rich and beautiful Syria. Not many people heard about Syria before the crisis which did not give them a good idea about it. Muna's book tells them what the real Syria is like. I highly recommend this book and await some more from this great writer.

Recently more and more people have heard about Syria, because of the tragic events going on currently. But how many of the people who have heard of Syria lately truly know what Syria is all about? My guess, not many. And this is why I would recommend this book to everyone no matter what their reading preferences are and the fact that it is beautifully written and intelligently compiled is a bonus that makes this a true gem of a book.
It has to be the best book I have read this year, it is in a way a book that weaves together all my favorite genres into one beautiful tapestry. it is a historical account unlike anything out there, it is a political account as it helps gain more insight into the heritage of Syria, it is a cook book with recipes unlike any cook book I have ever seen, it made me laugh and smile and brightened my day, It entertained me with folktales that were both entertaining and wise. I Truly hope the writer will release more books soon.

I usually don't write book reviews, I find that a lot of times they robe the reader from the chance to dig into a book and find what they seek without the voice of the reviewer echoing in there subconscious, at least that's what happens to me. Which is why I’ll refrain from any pointed spoilers in this review.

I have, personally, read many fairytale/folktale collections, in fact most recently (before reading this gem) I had read a book on Irish folktales. I remember thinking while reading it “it is heartbreaking that this has never been done in my country”. Therefore my joy in reading this book was unparalleled for two reasons. On one hand I am overjoyed by reading a good book, and this is a good book, and on the other I feel as though this book is more than just a collection of stories, it is a historical document, that effectively imprints the folktales of the Syrian people into documentation. As the authoress notes our society has become computer game and TV obsessed, so what more important time than now to have these stories forever documented into the treasury of our world. This book saves a part of history that isn’t political or war obsessed, giving generations to come an idea that there is more to there history than a red page.
I really highly recommend this book to any reader, of an age and any background.
N.

Syrian Folktales is a fascinating book that clearly reflects both the creativity and talent of its author, Muna Imady. This non-fiction book displays a unique manner of bringing culture and folktale together to charm its reader. A new folktale from different parts of Syria highlights its rich heritage, culture and traditions. Not only that, the author’s idea of including a recipe from each region of Syria is clearly very original. It intrigued me and aroused my curiosity to try each and every one of the dishes, thus allowing me to live the experience in a more realistic way, and to indulge in each region’s distinctive culture. Adding a riddle from each region, moreover, adds a sense of amusement and makes it even more delightful to read. After all, what more can a reader ask for? Culture, food, and fun all in one!!!
The originality, style and language of the author are bound to cast a spell on its reader the way I, myself, was totally spellbound. Unable to let go of the book, I had to leave everything aside just to finish reading it all!! I lived an extremely beautiful experience that no words can ever express!!
I would definitely recommend this remarkable book to all readers, young and old, be they culture lovers or not. I advise them to add this exceptional work of art to their own library or collection of books, and to enrich their minds with the contents of this book. I will definitely await more publications and new books /stories from this extraordinary and gifted author.

Syrian Folktales is an amazing book which provides great insight into Syrian Culture. It contains interesting Syrian folktales, recipes, and riddles that are very intriguing and interesting to the reader. The recipes are great! I personally tried many of them and enjoyed the delicious Syrian foods. This book is interesting for all ages, all members of my family enjoyed it including my sons, mom, and myself. It shares a folktale from each province in Syria. That's what makes it so unique. For all readers out there who are interested in learning about rich cultures, I highly recommend you read this book. And I hope Ms. Imady continues writing and delighting us with her wonderful folktales.

I enjoyed reading Syrian Folktales. In fact the style was so light and enticing that I wasn't able to put the book down till I finished it!

I think the present situation in Syria made it more intriguing as it gave character and flavor to a people we see and hear of as mere statistics.
I found myself drawn to the Syrian culture and hoping for quick and lasting peace.

I have been collecting folk tales for decades, and when this turned up among the Early Reviewers offerings, I requested it. It took months to arrive, so this is a rather late review. The folk tales included are so short that a better description would be "synopses of folk tales," but they offer an insight into another culture. There are a number of recipes as well, most of which require ingredients unobtainable for many if not most readers.

I have been interested in folktales from other cultures since I was a small child. I loved hearing the stories of good and evil creatures, and the way the story unfolded never failed to captivate and inspire my imagination. Reading Muna Imady's stories in her book "Syrian Folktales" brought me back to a childhood filled with amazing stories. I was thrilled to discover that recipes, riddles and a small slice of Syrian culture was included with the folktales. I enjoyed this book greatly, and I hope that Ms. Imady continues to gather these tales and other pieces of culture before they are forgotten.

I received this book through a LibraryThing.com giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This slim book is obviously a work of love. The tales themselves are well worth reading. It is interesting to see how the themes common to many folk tales around the world are interpreted. I also enjoyed the riddles. The introductions to each chapter seemed pedestrian. I do not feel strongly one way or the other about including recipes in a book like this; however, if they are included they should have complete instructions.

Just finished this great book! I'm amazed that I've been born and raised in Damascus but never heard any of these fun stories before! Unlike the stories I heard as a kid these had a whole new taste … a taste of home. I enjoyed reading them immensely and really wish there were more and more!! For one who is distanced from her country and feeling sooo homesick it was the perfect remedy. As I finished reading the last page I promised myself to learn these stories by heart and tell them to my baby girl when she grows up.

I love learning about new cultures and places through their folklore - the stories told, the traditional foods and clothing, what kind of buildings they live in, and so on. It's immensely fascinating to me to see how different people live and how much diversity there is in the world. Strangely, despite my step-family being half-Syrian, I wasn't terribly familiar with much of the folklore from my great-grandparents' home, though of course I knew many favorite foods (mmm, kibbeh!) and certain set phrases and vaguely recognize some nursery songs that my Sito sings to the new babies. I guess that's how it is when the traditions are a few generations back and connected to me only by a parent's re-marriage.

At any rate, I was of course interested in Syrian Folktales when I saw it on the Early Reviewer list and requested it immediately. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the title is a bit of a misnomer. It's not just folktales that Imady presents, but several different kinds of folklore: cooking, riddles, and proverbs are also present. If anything, I was a bit disappointed that the illustrations of traditional clothing on the cover weren't carried through the insides, too. But it's balanced by each set of stories, recipes, &c. being grouped by region with a simple map of Syria to show the location and a brief lesson on why each region is noteworthy.

This is by no means a thorough, scholarly look at folklore in Syria, but it is a very nice introduction, with one or two stories per region. I rather liked that many recipes were very similar, showing how the country as a whole might have something like kibbeh, but each region has its own traditional take. One thing that caught me by surprise, though it shouldn't have, is the overwhelmingly Muslim filter of the stories and the hadiths (proverbs attributed to the prophet Mohammed). I think I forgot that Syria is a Muslim nation because my own family are from the Catholic minority. This might also explain why some of the words I know are different from those used by Imady (also, different dialects!).

Recently I have been growing more interested in Middle Eastern folklore, but haven't really been certain about which aspect I wanted to study more. I liked this little glimpse into the Syrian traditions, and I think it would make a fine book for anyone with a similar interest or curiosity. It's definitely something I'm going to give to my cousins, if they'd also like to learn a little more about their cultural heritage.

While I feel that this book could do with a bit more polish (especially in regards to formatting), I quite enjoyed it. I think it undersells itself with its title, as it contains more than folktales. It's more like a regional tour of Sryia, and some photos would have been a wonderful addition as well.

If you enjoy the original Grimm's fairy tales I highly recommend this book.

I think the idea for this book is fantastic. It looks at all of the different provinces in Syria and offers a recipe, a folk story and a riddle from each place, sometime more. The recipes are a little inconsistent, some of them don't have units of measurement, but the one I tried was really delicious, and I intend to try some more.

In her introduction to Syrian Folktales, Muna Imady says that she hopes to preserve for her children the stories she was told by her grandmother when she was young. The result of this is a slim volume of folk knowledge, divided into fourteen sections to represent each province of Syria. Represented here are an overview of the province and its history, regional folktales, recipes, riddles, and sayings from the Prophet.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the war in Syria that is taking place as I'm writing this review and at the time the book was published. The diversity and richness of the Syrian culture shown in this book contrast greatly to the horrors that are being reported. I hope Imady and her family are safe and far away from any violence. I also hope that her efforts to collect her country's folklore will be preserved for newer generations, and we can pray that once the war is over, they can enthrall the people of a free Syria.

This interesting litle book took a very long time to make it over the pond but was worth the wait. An interesting collection of snippits of Syrian geography, well told folk stories, riddles, recipes and Hadith. The riddles went over my head , wrong cultural background I think, the folk tales were elegantly and sparsely wriiten and I enjoyed them greatly. The recipes, though interesting are the weakest part of the book and need some work. Apart from the Br Eng/ Am Eng differences which sent me to Google to remind myself what Fava beans are, I really should remember these as I have a garden full of Broad Beans growing quietly, there are other issues. They are mainly in cups and pounds (although one has kgs and pounds.. oops) and I am not sure what size cups are used as some seem very wet , although as I am not comfortable using cups this may well be a misunderstanding. There are a number of basic errors in recipe construction, items switching from sliced to diced and back, items appearing in mid method that are not in the ingredients etc. It would help to have identification of unfamiliar ingredients and familiar ingredients with a different name early on in the book, it was not until nearly the last recipe that I realized that 'Arabic Butter' was simply ghee. There are a number of odd turns of phrase, she uses 'solid substance' in several recipes which I think is probably 'smooth even paste' or 'dough' , this is probably due to a lack of familiarity with recipespeak. Writing recipes is a specialized skill and I think this book would greatly benefit from a professional recipe copyeditor to tidy up the cooking sections. The recipes are interesting, if perhaps light on spices and well worth a try.
An interesting, informatve little book, although I would urge ms Imady to engage a recipe professional before the book is reprinted.

Imady has successfully accomplished what we all say we should do: get a hold of the story-tellers and write this stuff down. Riddles, songs, and recipes from the various governorates of Syria flesh out the folklore collection, making this volume more of an introduction to a culture than simply a book of stories. The tales themselves are presented in a sparse form, perfect for the scholar.

A Wonderful book to read...
I loved the songs and the riddles the most for they reminded me of my grandmother.
The rich oral tradition in "Syrian Folktales" makes me proud to be a Syrian!½

I witnessed the birth of "Syrian Folktales" written by my wife Muna Imady from the very beginning. Every where we went and every governorate we travelled to, Muna would interview women from all walks of life and carefully collect their folktales and special dishes.
This book was assembled together with love and care which will hopefully be felt by all the readers. Therefore, I salute her great effort in helping to save our oral tradition from getting lost.

This is a very small book, that can be read in a single sitting. However, it packs alot into it's slim, 114 page size. You get a small geography lesson (for example, Syria is divided into 14 governorates or districts), There is a chapter for each governorate, which includes one or two folktales, a riddle, between 1 and 3 recipes, and a proverb.

I found Syrian folktales to be different in format than the European style that most people are used to. Not all stories have a moral or lesson to them, many are simply a story. There are a couple that bear a resemblance to their European equivalent, I'll leave it up to other readers to find those on their own.

For me, as a collector of folktales, the most interesting part of the book was the inclusion of recipes, some of which I plan to try at some future date. Between the folktales, riddles and recipes, this book is a nice little introduction to Syrian culture.