A satire on miserliness with a clear social purpose. It should appeal to the modern reader for its comical power which remains undiminished after more than 1100 years.
Al-Jahiz (776-869) was one of the greatest exponents of Arabic prose of all time. His scholarship, the breadth of his interests, and his ability to express his ideas and arguments with vigour and humour were outstanding; "The Book of Misers" is his comical masterpiece.
