|
Naguib Mahfouz is beyond being introduced. The only Arab to have been awarded a Nobel Prize for literature, he was once described by Taher Ben Jelloun in these words: “You can’t understand Egypt without Mahfouz—without his characters, with whom every reader, Arab or not, can identify.” During the course of his 70 year career he published more than 50 novels and 350 short stories, a great number of which have been adapted into film. It is interesting to note that Mahfouz himself attributed his success and being awarded the Nobel Prize to the translation of his works into English. “it was through the translation of the novels into English ... that other publishers became aware of them and requested their translation into other foreign languages, and I believe that these translations were among the foremost reasons for my being awarded the Nobel prize”. Below, you will find a selection of works by the founder of the Arab novel, as he was called by Alaa Al-aswany.
Mahfouz has been compared to Balzac, Zola or even Galsworthy for being a social realist yet his novels offer more than that, they are a blend of novel forms, from romance, to saga, to realism. They are deeply rooted in Egypt, an Egypt that is at once majestic and weary. Mahfouz is a man of his time. His writing revolves around themes of politics, faith and love, politics being the most essential, and although, unlike his fellow writers, he was never placed under arrest, he was always one to voice his opinions. "In all my writings, you will find politics. You may find a story which ignores love or any other subject, but not politics; it is the very axis of our thinking". Subsequently several of his books were banned in Egypt and other Arab countries and he became the target of extremist Muslims. In 1994 he was stabbed in the neck and sustained injuries which prevented him from writing for more than an hour and a half a day. Throughout his life Mahfouz only left Egypt three times. He died in Cairo on August 30, 2006 at the age of 94.
 |
Three Novels of Ancient Egypt: Khufu's Wisdom Rhadopis of Nubia Thebes at War by Naguib Mahfouz (1944)
Mahfouz may be known for his powerful renditions of modern day Egypt but his first three novels, Khufu's Wisdom, Rhadopis of Nubia and Thebes at War, were set in Ancient Egypt. Everyman's Library released an omnibus edition for the first time, a counter part to his more famous Cairo Trilogy. Together these three novels weave a rich and nuanced tapestry of Ancient Egypt. |
 |
ÎÇä ÇáÎáíáì by Naguib Mahfouz (1946)
Khan el Khalili was a turning point in the writings of Naguib Mahfouz. It was the first novel that departed from Egyptian antiquity and instead showed Mahfouz’s preoccupation with modern day Egypt. The story is set in 1941 at the height of 2nd Worl War. It tells of the Akifs, a middle class Egyptian family, who have taken refuge in Khan al-Khalili, in the hopes that the Germans will spare the historic neighbourhood. As the characters of the book interact a debate on the clash between old and new, history and progress emerges, echoed by the German bombs that menace Khan el Khalili. |
 |
The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz (1957)
The Cairo Trilogy is a 3-generation saga of a family spanning over several decades, from 1917 to the 1940s, when Egypt was an English Protectorate. Palace Walk, Palace Desire and Sugar Street, are named after actual streets in old Cairo. Each of the volumes covers around a decade of al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad and his family’s lives, marriages and adulteries. In effect, these novels are a chronicle of life in Egypt during the first half of the 20th century and Mahfouz’s often humorous and witty writing makes this an effortless read, despite the 1500 pages. Mahfouz was qualified for the Nobel Prize on account of having written this trilogy. |
 |
The Beggar, The Thief And The Dogs, Autumn Quail by Naguib Mahfouz (1961)
This is collection of short stories by Nobel Prize winner Mahfouz. All three stories are set in the 50s and together they form a complete and rich account of the nature of Egyptian society at the time and hide an open criticism of the actions of the government and its failure to live up to the promises it made in 1952 by overturning the monarchy and instating a republic. |
 |
Children Of The Alley by Naguib Mahfouz (1967)
Children Of The Alley was amongst the four works that qualified Mahfouz for a Nobel in 1988. It was first published in Arabic in the Cairo daily, Al-ahram, in serialised form (1959), then printed in Lebanon in 1967. Attempts to import the Lebanese edition resulted in having the book banned in 1968. Children Of The Alley is an allegory of the spiritual journey of mankind. Gabalawi's mansion sits in the desert walled in. After his sons argue over the domain, he banishes them from his paradise like estate. They settle outside the walls, miserable and poor, praying for Gabalawi’s salvation. Adam (Adham ÃÏåã), Satan/Iblis (Idris ÅÏÑíÓ), Moses (Gabal ÌÈá), Jesus (Rifa'a ÑÝÇÚÉ), and Muhammad (Qasim ÞÇÓã) are all portrayed as Gabalawi’s descendants making this a strong metaphor of the history of Monotheism. |
 |
ãíÑÇãÇÑ by Naguib Mahfouz (1967)
Miramar was the first of Naguib Mahfouz’s books to be translated to English (1978). It follows the interactions of the residents of the pension of the same name, formerly a grand hosterly. Their lives revolve around Zohra, a striking peasant girl who has abandoned her village life, as they fight for her affection and allegiance. Zohra is seen as a metaphor of modern Egypt, hardworking, honest, uneducated and constantly being pulled apart. |
 |
The Harafish by Naguib Mahfouz (1977)
In The Harafish Mahfouz chronicles the history of the Al Nagi family with each generation taking the once prominent and wealthy family further down into the depth of decay. The story begins with that of Ashur Al Nagi, who despite his modest roots is a great leader. It is through him that the family acquires its prestige, but his descendants stray farther and farther away from the example he has set, until another Nagi brings the family back to its former glory. The Harafish is a tale of human greed, dishonesty and desire. A sweeping narrative. |
 |
íæã ÞÊá ÇáÒÚíã by Naguib Mahfouz (1983)
The novel is set in 1980 at the time where Anwar Sadat introduced open door free-market economic policies which then lead to general unrest. Elwan Fawwaz Muhtashimi is in love with his coworker, Randa, and wishes to marry her, but his income is not nearly high enough to afford the house and furniture that her parents expect. Their engagement is called off and Randa becomes engaged to their boss. Elwan decides to murder his boss on the same day that Sadat is killed. The two stories intertwine to in a story that deals with the notions of relationships and economics, death and human emotion. |
|
