I recently read Mahfouz?s Palace Walk. The book is the first part of the three books that together form The CairoTrilogy.
The book interweaves an account of Egypt?s 1919 Nationalist Revolution with the story of Al-Sayyid Ahmad and his family. It begins enjoyably with detailed descriptions of the Ahmad household: the early morning kitchen sounds that serve as an alarm to wake the family, the thorough sketches of the characters. We are introduced to the lovely Aisha, the quick-tongued Khadija, the dreamy Kamal, the thoughtful and principled Fahmy, the unperturbed Yasin, the ever-so-patient, uncomplaining Amina, and to Al-Sayyid Ahmad himself ?austere and staunchly religious where his family is concerned.
Mahfouz scrutinizes ? and he scrutinizes well. I recognize my childhood self in Kamal ? one that wonders very seriously about where ...
Advantages: Beautifully written, vivid descriptions Disadvantages: Don't get to know the characters all that well
decides to replace his wife with a younger model. All have the same aim; to improve their lifestyles. But will they all be successful?
Having already read and loved The CairoTrilogy, a set of three books describing the lives of an Egyptian family over different generations, I had no hesitation is picking this book up, particularly as many claim it is Mahfouz' best book. I know very little about Middle Eastern literature in general, although I have recently made an effort to correct this. However, with an author with writing skills such as this one's, there is no need to be concerned about finding the story difficult to understand in any way. Although not a long book, the characters are described in such a way that they are universally recognisable. The precociousness of Hamida, for example, is so vivid that I really felt as if I knew her ...
Advantages: Compelling reading, beautifully written Disadvantages: Leaves you wanting more
can't be friends with the English soldiers who camp outside his house. The individuality of each of the boys is a joy to read, as is their differing attitudes to life.
Conclusion
NaguibMahfouz is a winner of the Nobel Prize for his literature. With this in mind, I expected the book to be long and quite tedious. Long it is; tedious, absolutely not. I was gripped from page one. Much of the book is relatively action-free; daily tasks like eating breakfast, coffee-time, the walk to school are described in great depth, yet it is described in such a way that makes it seem colourful and interesting - the skill that only a great author can achieve. I was disappointed to get to the end of the book; but tempered by relief that there are still two more volumes in the trilogy that I cannot wait to get my hands on.
The translation is superb. I ...
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