Taxi by Khaled Al Khamissi
Yellow, white and red taxis travel through Cairo, moving landmarks that punctuate daily existence. More than a practical means of transportation, they carry the soul, hopes and distress of Cairo itself. In his fictionalized 58 conversations with taxi drivers, Khaled Al Khamissi takes us through the real problems of an Egypt that has lost itself and continuously searches for its identity. He is a passive narrator, asking questions, rarely giving his own opinions yet conveying these conversations with humour. Popular themes include corruption, the struggle of everyday life and seatbelts. This is definitely a ride worth taking and thankfully an English version was available less than a year after the publication of the original Arabic text. Don’t forget to fasten your seatbelt.