In Praise of Hatred was the third novel published by the late Syrian author and screenwriter Khaled Khalifa. Originally published in Arabic in Lebanon in 2006, In Praise of Hatred was republished in 2012 after being translated into English by Leri Price in the latter half of 2011 when events in Syria mirrored those upon which the story was based.
Like Khalifa’s other novels, In Praise of Hatred is a work of historical fiction. This particular story is a written narration from the perspective of a fictional young woman coming of age in the city of Aleppo in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although the fictional protagonist remains anonymous throughout the novel, the major events occurring in Syria during the period it covers are real even though no specific identifiers were used. But, despite the genericity used by Khalifa, one only needs to have a basic knowledge of the last 50 years of Syrian history to know which entities Khalifa is referring to.
Take for example a quote taken from award-winning literary translator of contemporary Arabic fiction, Leri Price, when writing about what she experienced when translating the novel in 2011:
“Towards the middle of In Praise of Hatred, you will read a description of the ruling regime’s systematic cleansing of Aleppo’s university and the arrest, interrogation, and exile of those professors who were deemed to be insufficiently loyal. On the day I translated that particular passage, I turned on the news to hear the headlines — the second story of the day was about Bashar al Assad’s methodical purge of Aleppo University, complete with enforced resignations and the arrest and subsequent “disappearance” of several members of staff. It was a grim reminder that, although the players may have changed, little else about Syria’s rulers has.”
Khalifa insisted that his novels were not intended to be political, rather they were written to be enjoyed by the reader simply for their literary content
Although Khalifa’s writing consistently contained thinly veiled criticism of the authoritative regime in Syria, his criticism doesn’t stop there. In Praise of Hatred also addresses the toxic role that sexual repression and religious fanaticism have played in contributing to violence under an oppressive regime, resulting in a societal powder keg that is just waiting to be lit. Nevertheless, Khalifa insisted that his novels were not intended to be political, rather they were written to be enjoyed by the reader simply for their literary content.
Although Arabic literature is typically poetic and can be difficult to translate literally into English, Price does an excellent job of conveying the alternating angst, anguish, despair, and rage of the protagonist as she transitions from childhood into the harsh realities of life in one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities.
the English translation of In Praise of Hatred contains a significant difference from Khalifa’s Arabic novel in that the publisher chose to omit the original final chapter, thus transforming it into a work of Orientalist ethnographicism
However, the English translation of In Praise of Hatred contains a significant difference from Khalifa’s Arabic novel in that the publisher chose to omit the original final chapter, thus transforming it into a work of Orientalist ethnographicism according to critics who expressed their dismay at the altering of what they consider to be a work of great literary merit in its original form.
Consequently, readers of the English version of In Praise of Hatred are left hanging at the end due to the publisher’s omission of the original’s concluding chapter. Fortunately for those who find themselves dissatisfied with the abrupt ending a summary of its contents is available in an article published by Arablit in July 2016.
The hardcover edition of In Praise of Hatred is available in English from Amazon and in paperback from eBay. The novel has also been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, and Danish.
