The Book of Strangers, written by the English author Ian Dallas (Abdulkadir es-Sufi), was first published in English in England in 1971 under the title The Book of Strangers. The novel centers on the intellectual and geographical journey of an unnamed character, who serves as the narrator, as they explore the experience of individual and cultural alienation in modern Western society. The work addresses both a personal search for identity and the contrast between Western thought and the traditional structures of the East within the novel form. Over time, it has been translated into various languages and has notably become one of the texts that garnered attention, especially in the Islamic world, with its transformative story.

Plot

The novel centers on the identity crisis experienced by an unnamed young intellectual living in Western Europe, and the intellectual and physical journey that develops in its wake. The main character begins to question their current way of life due to issues such as cultural disintegration, moral aimlessness, and personal alienation encountered in the society they belong to. This questioning is not only on a personal level but also concerns the values of the civilization they are a part of.

The character's inability to form meaningful connections in their surroundings leads them to leave the city and move towards places where simpler, more direct relationships are possible. Through various social structures, traditional ways of life, and different thinkers encountered during this process, the character's worldview gradually changes. Especially in the later parts of the work, during their journey to Eastern societies, they come into direct contact with Islamic culture. This contact is not a sudden conversion but a gradual inclination. The character's transformation is depicted as a multi-layered process directed towards both the external and internal worlds.

In terms of the novel's structure, this journey represents both a geographical movement and a mental transition. Every experience the main character undergoes, every person they meet, and every community they observe pushes them to reshape their current worldview. In this context, The Book of Strangers connects a story of individual transformation with a broader search for cultural and civilizational change.

Themes Addressed

Alienation:

The central character of the novel positions themselves as detached from their surroundings within the mechanised and meaningless structure of modern Western society that isolates the individual. The routines of daily life, societal expectations, and the superficiality in relationships prevent the character from forming a healthy sense of belonging with their environment. In this context, the work highlights a form of existential alienation by focusing on the weakening of the individual's connection with their self and their surroundings in contemporary society.

Search for Identity:

The identity crisis experienced by the character is not merely a personal turmoil but also an expression of the profound disorientation of a person detached from historical and cultural references. Throughout the novel, the character reflects on their familial past, cultural identity, and the values of the society they belong to. It is emphasised that identity is not merely a sociological construct but also a multi-layered structure shaped by beliefs and worldview. The character's process in this regard is not static but a constantly changing form of questioning and searching.

Spiritual Orientation:

The character's intellectual journey gradually moves away from secular and rationalist frameworks towards spiritual and metaphysical quests. This orientation is not only an attempt to fill the character's individual void but also a search for an answer to the meaning crisis of the world they inhabit. Throughout the novel, this quest becomes prominent, especially in the sections where it connects with Islamic thought and Sufi concepts. Spiritual orientation plays a structural role in the character's transformation process.

Social Critique:

In the background of the work lies a distinct but indirect cultural critique of modern Western society. Issues such as consumer culture, exaggerated individualism, the disintegration of social structure, and the weakening of traditional bonds are indirectly addressed. These critiques are conveyed through the observations of the novel's character and the alternative social structures they encounter. The work constructs a narrative that implies that not only the individual but also the civilization they belong to must enter a process of self-examination.