Four characters clash in this novel, titled "'Aww.. The General Does Not Forget His Dogs," by the renowned Palestinian author and poet Ibrahim Nasrallah: a general, a writer, a reader, and a dog. This is a rare novel in contemporary Arabic writing, presenting the sharp and fierce conflict between dictatorship and the simple dreams of humanity. It reveals the attempt to turn individuals into cogs in the wheel of power, making them part of its game.

As much as "'Aww" observes the growth of authoritarian consciousness, it also monitors the phenomenon of the intellectual falling into the trap of advocating for coexistence between the creator and the authority, or what is called "bridging the gap between intellectuals and power"! What is remarkable about this novel—considered the first of its kind to address this topic in Arabic—is that while it presents its discourse clearly, it relies on a complex, modern artistic structure. The possibility of reading it on multiple levels gives it a special ability to transcend its geography.

Because visual arts have become a competitor to literature, Nasrallah leaned towards having the novel benefit from visual media techniques, allowing the reader to see a moving scene with the use of cuts and short scenes. This work is a significant contribution to the development of the Arabic novel and to supporting its new realism in content, form, structure, and language. It is a reality loaded with many imaginative, symbolic, and suggestive elements, giving the reader the chance to capture what lies beyond the tangible and to understand its complexities.

• Author: Ibrahim Nasrallah
• Publisher: Arab Scientific Publishers – Beirut
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Pages: 190
• Binding: Paperback
• ISBN: 9786140105324