Amin Maalouf; trans. Russell Harris
Samarkand by Amin Maalouf, translated from the French by Russell Harris, is a historical fiction novel in two main parts. The first part opens with the narrator, Benjamin Omar Lesage, revealing the loss of the original Rubaiyat manuscript of Omar Khayyam when it sank with the Titanic in 1912. Lesage then takes us back to 11th century Persia where he recreates the life, love, poetry, and work in science, mathematics, and astronomy of Omar Khayyam. The second half of the novel skips to the early 20th century where the narrator reveals his determination to locate the original manuscript of the Rubaiyat. His quest takes him to Persia where he becomes embroiled in its fight for the establishment of democratic institutions and freedom from the yoke of foreign imperialism.
Maalouf skillfully blends historical fact with fiction. He populates his novel with historical characters and events. The first part of the novel is the more interesting of the two with its sultans; viziers; emperors; caliphs; the court at Samarkand; exotic locations; political intrigue; assassinations; Khayyam’s contributions to science and astronomy; his friendship with Hassan Sabbah, the founder of the Assassins; and his love affair with Jahan, the court poet.
The second part of the novel unfolds in the first-person point of view of Lesage. He reveals his growing obsession with the Rubaiyat and with locating the original manuscript. He develops a certain amount of notoriety on his return to America because of his knowledge of Persia, writing articles for local papers. This section is also replete with political intrigue and rivalry. But its primary focus is on the western powers jockeying for lucrative deals and political control in Persia.
The structure of the novel is interesting. Maalouf links both halves of the novel in several ways. Lesage’s love interest is a Persian princess. It echoes Khayyam’s love for a poet in the court at Samarkand. Both men must initially maintain their love in secret for fear of reprisals. Both men are wrongly accused of being accomplices in a murder and must flee for their lives. The conflict between traditionalists and modernists of Khayyam’s era is repeated in the early 20th century with a slightly different twist since western imperialism has been added to the mix. The tension is between religious fundamentalists with their literal interpretation and application of religious principles and those who wish to apply the principles of Islam in a manner more suited to the 20th century. And, of course, the overriding connection between the two halves is the Rubaiyat itself—the individual who composed it and the individual who is on a quest to locate the original manuscript.
Parts of the novel lapse into expository writing generating the feel of a history lecture. Maalouf goes to great pains to provide historical context, the extensive details of which may be unnecessary in a work of fiction. The characters are not well-developed, especially Lesage. His obsession with locating a lost manuscript is not fully convincing. He seems to be adrift—more acted upon than acting. With little volition, he becomes embroiled in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906, wandering from one location to the next in between bouts of love-making with his Persian princess. But despite these shortcomings, the novel is entertaining, exciting, and educational, immersing the reader in the political upheavals of Persia during the last several centuries.