Travels of Saud Al-Sanousi

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I read dozens of novels by Kuwaiti novelists and writers, and most of them were good, and a few of them were distinguished, but the novels “Bamboo Stalk” and “Travels of the City of Mud,” by the creative storyteller, the young Saud Al-Sanousi, occupied a special place in my heart, especially the second one, perhaps because of the connection between many from its events in my childhood and my relationship with the sea and Furjan, the markets, Seif Palace, the American Hospital, and other places and events I experienced, they sometimes made me happy, often tired me, and sometimes made me cry.

“Travels of the City of Mud,” spanning two parts and nearly nine hundred pages, with an eagerly anticipated third part, stands as a universal novel. Its storytelling, events, and most notably, the imagination of the author, who despite being just over forty, takes you on a journey as if you had lived through a century of the novel’s events.

As I turned the pages of the novel, I experienced peculiar sensations. The scent of the sea seemed to fill my nostrils, and I could almost hear the rustling of water grasses or the crunching of frost under my feet. It was as if the beach sand was slipping between my toes or as if I walked alongside the writer through the old markets of Kuwait. Memories flooded back as I imagined crossing the short street separating the two Madouh cemeteries, a route I took daily to school, recalling the curiosity and embarrassment I felt passing the four ruined houses known for their dubious reputation.

In the words of the central character, “Sa’adoun,” Saud captures the essence of the sea: “…if I die, I may not be buried among the houses of Al-Mataba in the ‘Bin Haqqan’ cemetery. It is the sea that inhales the scents of its phases.”

Saud vividly describes the various scents associated with the sea, from the salty mud in the afternoon hours to the calciferous wind exhaled by the bones of dead squid. The sea becomes a repository of voices and memories, drowning out the sound of its breathing with the rhythmic sounds of tambourines, sea drums, and the chants of men and women.

Saud’s prose paints a vivid picture of life by the sea, capturing the multifaceted essence of its scents, sounds, and the cultural tapestry woven by the people living in its proximity. His words evoke a sensory experience that transports the reader to the shores of Kuwait, creating a profound connection to the novel’s rich narrative.

The novel “Travels of the City of Mud” is beautiful and worth reading and purchasing.

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By Ahmad alsarraf

This news has been read 819 times!