The Reader in al-Jahiz: The Epistolary Rhetoric of an Arabic Prose Master

Explores The Intricately Crafted Rhetorical Strategies Used By Al-jahiz In His Letters The 9th-century Essayist, Theologian And Encyclopedist 'amr B. Bahr Al-jahiz Has Long Been Acknowledged As A Master Of Early Arabic Prose Writing. Many Of His Most Engaging Writings Were Clearly Intended For A Broad Readership But Were Presented As Letters To Individuals. Despite The Importance And Quantity Of These Letters, Surprisingly Little Academic Notice Has Been Paid To Them. Now, Thomas Hefter Takes A New Approach In Interpreting Some Of Al-jahiz's 'epistolary Monographs'. By Focusing On The Varying Ways In Which He Wrote To The Addressee, Hefter Shows How Al-jahiz Shaped His Conversations On The Page In Order To Guide (or Manipulate) His Actual Readers And Encourage Them To Engage With His Complex Materials.