---
product_id: 21970909
title: "The Hostage (Emerging Voices Series)"
brand: "zayd mutee' dammaj"
price: "9.47 OMR"
currency: OMR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.com.om/products/21970909-the-hostage-emerging-voices-series
store_origin: OM
region: Oman
---

# The Hostage (Emerging Voices Series)

**Brand:** zayd mutee' dammaj
**Price:** 9.47 OMR
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Hostage (Emerging Voices Series) by zayd mutee' dammaj
- **How much does it cost?** 9.47 OMR with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.om](https://www.desertcart.com.om/products/21970909-the-hostage-emerging-voices-series)

## Best For

- zayd mutee' dammaj enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted zayd mutee' dammaj brand quality
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## Description

The Hostage (Emerging Voices Series)

## Images

![The Hostage (Emerging Voices Series) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/618S4rH7w7L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Great book
  

*by S***S on Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2020*

Great read

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    It is one of the best Arabic novels in this century.
  

*by S***K on Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 1999*

It is rich in creativity and deep in its simplicity. It is about a real historical period in the Yemen's mid 20th century. Zayd Dammaj, the foremost Yemeni writer had made it more enjoyable to discover and to live a  different world that it seems to be an imaginary one while it was indeed  real. The greatness of the work is not only because of fulfilling the  condition of a creative novel, but also because the author undertook the  difficult task of amazingly writing a very important period of the  temporary history of his people with a very creative, simple and  interesting way.  The locality of the novel had made it clear that it is  the best way to reach the universality

### ⭐⭐ 2.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Of limited interest, indeed
  

*by E***Y on Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2013*

I read this book as part of my quest to read a book set in every country in the world, choosing The Hostage because it was the only Yemeni novel available. While it's not awful, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're working on a similar challenge or have a strong interest in Yemen.The Hostage is a novella weighing in at a little under 130 pages. The translation comes with two introductory essays, both of which are useful, perhaps essential, in understanding the text: the first discusses the historical background, and the second the author's life and the lack of Yemeni literature upon which to build. While I can't say much for the story itself, I really appreciate these editorial features: the publishers clearly put in the effort to present the book well, from providing us with background information to the inclusion of minimal but quite helpful footnotes.As for the story itself, it's narrated by an unnamed boy, who is taken hostage to ensure his family's loyalty, a practice that in the 1940s was still common in the isolated and traditional Yemen, although outdated in most of the world. The adolescent boys in this position were treated as high-ranking servants, but were also much in demand from the palace women, who were isolated from adult men. The novel basically follows its narrator as he deals with the various people he encounters.The Hostage lives up to most of the stereotypes English-speakers have about novels in translation: it's a fairly odd story without much momentum; the characters are a bit distant, despite the first-person narration; the pacing feels off, although there is a lot of dialogue; it's sometimes difficult to understand characters' reactions to events and the limitations of the setting (the narrator gets away with much more than one would expect, given his position). Scene-setting and exposition are minimal.Whether this is a good book in the original language, I can't say, but in translation I found little to appreciate or enjoy. Only about two weeks after finishing, I'm having a hard time remembering much about it. Fortunately, it's short, and the historical background is interesting. Those with more of an academic or historical interest in Yemen or Arabic literature will likely appreciate it more.

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*Product available on Desertcart Oman*
*Store origin: OM*
*Last updated: 2026-03-18*