Cities in the Works of Naim Kattan or the World is a Global Village

Abstract

Nairn Kattan, Iraqi Jew, recipient of a French government scholarship with a doctorate from the Sorbonee, has become one of the most celebrated Canadian writers who writes in French and one of the most important Francophone authors who has written over thirty books. Essayist, literary critic, novelist, playwright, journalist and university professor, Kattan is a man who was destined to know all the continents, many countries and cities of the world. That is why he is called a citizen of the world. His gift as an observer and psychologist permits him to understand human nature well, with its vices and qualities, that are reflected in the variety of characters. In his novels, Adieu Babylon and Farida, the novelist familiarizes us with Baghdad, his native city. In Le Passager, he paints for us a hero travelling to Europe, South and North America, including Canada, in order to enter Israel, the countiy of his ancesters. The book, Legardien de mon frere, the title of which recalls the biblical conflict of two brothers, presents us Gabriel, who from Montreal, rules the world, business and women. Conscious of the importance of love in human life, Kattan depicts strong colors of the passions of any man, inspired by his own experiences acquired from cities of the whole world.