Throughout the novel The Bleeding of the Stone, I wondered what exactly a moufflon, looks like. Well, I found out. I'm not a hunter, so venturing out into the harsh, inhospitable wilderness in order to shoot one doesn't appeal to me. Particularly in the Libyan Desert, where the novel takes place, one of the most arid places on earth.
The stark simplicity of the novel appeals to me, especially when contrasted with the complexity of the conflicts involved. Asouf not only must resolve the conflicts that he experiences with the simple-minded hunters, but the conflicts between him and nature, and within himself. Of the classic narrative conflicts, that's man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. self in one short novel (with elements of man vs. society thrown in for good measure)!
2 comments:
moufflon? where was that mentioned? but i know what you mean about going into the desert to hunt,,, not me!
The back of the book referred to a waddan as a moufflon, as well. I liked it better.
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