Talk:Youssef Ziedan

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explanation of edits

I discovered Ziedan through his winning the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, so I am not at all competent to edit the content of this article. My edits are aimed at creating a more encyclopedic tone. Since I sense that this article was written with care and commitment, I want to explain some of these edits. Please don't think I'm pouncing on trivial matters of style; I make these comments because I'm interested in the subject and would like to see it fleshed out more.

Alexandria is indisputably "unique," but what we need instead of the easy adjective is an explanation of how this particular environment influenced the formation of Ziedan as a scholar and writer.
I don't quite know what to do with "A proof of that is his continual emphasis on studying Ibn Arabi and Abdul Karim al-Jili – the two figures represent an acme of philosophical Sufism in the history of Islam." Does this mean: "He has placed consistent emphasis on the study of Ibn Arabi and Abdul Karim al-Jili, regarded as two of the most important figures of philosophical Sufism in the history of Islam"? That's what I've come up with. Please change if I've erred.
"Seen by many" -- unlike some editors, I don't object to this phrase in an article if it's followed by a footnote giving examples of the "many," one of whom preferably can be referenced for also giving extensive citations to support the claim that this is a predominant view.
"That explains his re-editing of the complete philosophical parable of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan in his Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: the Four Texts and their Authors." This is an intriguing statement that needs amplification. Was this re-editing controversial or radical somehow?
He is, as evidenced in his studies, very much preoccupied with ..." No doubt a true statement, but again more specificity would be useful to the reader. Which of Ziedan's works demonstrate this? Are they available in English (since this is the English Wikipedia?) This is somewhat unclear; under Bibliography, there should be a note about availability of his works in English. The list, with its English titles, implies that all these works are, but I know Azazil has not been published in translation yet (or I would be buying it).
"The novel has been criticized for its abnormal structure" -- what does "abnormal" mean here? What is the norm to which it fails to conform, and what does it do instead? It doesn't sound that wacky to me.

There are many ways to improve the article; these are small points dashed off. The article also needs additional links that I'll try to help with. But this is all I've time for at the moment. Cynwolfe (talk) 17:54, 27 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Dead link

According to the article the site www.ziedan.com "arguably contains one of the largest original manuscript collections in digital form on the Web." Unfortunately, the English links on that site do not appear to work and I cannot get to any digitized manuscripts. 67.11.17.214 (talk) 16:50, 12 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]