The Well of Exile: An Autobiographical Novel

Introduction, Critical Reading,
and Analysis
By the esteemed writer and critic,
Ibrahim Joher

Khalil Hamad, in The Well of Exile, portrays the struggles of an ambitious young man yearning for a better life, striving to break free from the cycles of poverty, occupation, and discrimination. This is the story of a writer who refused to succumb to the obstacles of orphanhood, poverty, and deprivation. Instead, he persevered with determination, armed with a culture of self-reliance. He had no doting mother to comfort him, nor a father who could spare time as he toiled to feed the mouths of his children, who found themselves in an environment of scarcity.
Khalil Hamad completes his university education with a bachelor’s degree, believing that the doors of opportunity will swing open for him in the dreamlike desert lands of Kuwait. Yet, he soon realizes that he must rely on his patience as he steps into the grinding world of work. What unfolds is a tale of trials and tribulations, meticulously recounted by the experienced writer in the pages of his autobiography here.
Khalil writes his life story in a style that blends narrative storytelling, characterization, dialogue, and detailed depictions of situations. At times, the hurried reader might find these details excessive, but I believe that the events or moments he describes with such precision-sometimes resembling the meticulous details of a screenplay-reveal the depth of his emotional impact and the strength of his memory, which still retains those moments from over 45 years ago.
In this memoir, readers will find shocking revelations about the lands of youthful dreams-Kuwait and the United States, places rife with crime, gang wars, and murder. The author has done well to expose the hidden, grim realities of life in these countries, as if warning young people captivated by glossy, deceptive propaganda.
The author employs various artistic techniques while maintaining a direct, conversational tone with his reader, as though speaking to them face-to-face. He also engages in intertextuality, drawing from the Quran, world literature, the fantastical and imaginative tales of One Thousand and One Nights, and historical references.
Khalil Hamad, known to his Facebook followers as an adventurer who traverses mountains and plains, climbs peaks, and explores mountain caves, is the same person who began these adventures in the lands of exile. He is the same individual who armed himself with popular, religious, and social fortifications, ensuring he did not fall into the well of exile or succumb to the clutches of the social monster born from the cultural shock experienced by those who migrate from Eastern to Western culture, particularly in the United States. [...]