Gate of the Sun, by Elias Khoury - part I

Join us as we continue our journey into MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) literature by discussing the first half of Khoury's epic novel about the Palestinian experience! For this meeting, we will discuss Part I of the novel, entitled "The Galilee Hospital". Publisher's description: "New York Times Notable Book of the Year 'An imposingly rich and realistic novel, a genuine masterwork' that vividly captures the Palestinian experience following the creation of the Israeli state (New York Times Book Review) After Palestine is torn apart in 1948, two men remain alone in a deserted makeshift hospital in the Shatila camp on the outskirts of Beirut—entering a vast world of displacement, fear, and tenuous hope. Khalil holds vigil at the bedside of his patient and spiritual father, a storied leader of the Palestinian resistance who has slipped into a coma. As Khalil attempts to revive Yunes, he begins a story, which branches into many: stories of the people expelled from their villages in Galilee; of the massacres that followed; of the extraordinary inner strength of those who survived; and of love. Khalil—like Elias Khoury—is a truth collector, trying to make sense of the fragments and various versions of stories that have been told to him. His voice is intimate and direct, his memories are vivid, his humanity radiates from every page. Khalil lets his mind wander through time, from village to village, from one astonishing soul to another, and takes us with him. Gate of the Sun is a Palestinian Odyssey and the first magnum opus of the Palestinian saga. Beautifully weaving together haunting stories of survival and loss, love and devastation, memory and dream, Khoury humanizes the complex Palestinian struggle as he brings to life the story of an entire people." If you don't have a physical copy of the book, you can find a copy of it here: https://tinyurl.com/5n77tmvr Our plan is to meet at Dokdabang Cafe (독수리 다방) in Sinchon, which is on the 8th floor of the building indicated on the map linked to on this page. The address of Dokdabang is 36, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03776. Below are Kakao Maps and Naver Maps links to the cafe: https://kko.kakao.com/-U2GDIbg1b https://naver.me/G7KDxJuu If you plan to attend this meeting and would like updates you can join our ‘Reading Modern Lit active’ OpenChat on KakaoTalk. Feel free to leave and return to this chat based on your activity. The purpose of this chat is to better gauge who plans to attend our meetings as there are often no-shows. Reading Modern Lit (active) https://open.kakao.com/o/gaqP0Hre