Alternative Histories in Youssef Ziedan's Azazeel : Historiographic Metafiction in the Contemporary Arabic Historical Novel)

Alternative Histories in Youssef Ziedan's Azazeel: Historiographic Metafiction the Contemporary Arabic Historical Novel Drawing on Linda Hutcheon's theory, this article reads Azazeel as a historiographic metafiction. It argues that novel not only denounces so-called religious, or religiously-motivated, violence but also has an additional epistemological import, articulated novel's metafictional narrative which, accordance with provides alternative history foregrounds 'narrativity' of historical narratives and represents past from 'marginal' perspective to question absolute authority metanarratives, undermine monolithic notions knowledge, develop balanced production dissemination knowledge. The examines use techniques which reflect its thematic content espousal postmodern ideology diversity plurality. demonstrates that, without denying heritage, engages global condition, locates within wider context world fiction, opens up new avenues for research