I always had this weird habit since I was young. If I read a novel by a certain author and I liked it then I'll read everything written by this author. I remember when I was 9 years and I discovered R.L Stine's goosebumps, I was obsessed with the guy that I nearly bought all of his books. This might not be a bad thing but on the other hand this caused me missing the opportunity to read other books. The same could be said about Stephen King, I'm so obsessed with the guy that I spent a lot of time reading and collecting his books.
But today I won't be talking about King or Stine, today is a different type of article. I won't talk about John Green or why did Veronica Roth botch the divergent series, nop, today I will introduce to you the world of THE most IMPORTANT Egyptian Author in the history of Egyptian literature, Nagiub Mahfouz. Yes, I've been obsessed with the guy and his work since my dad introduced me to ''Children of the alley'' 4 years ago.
Since then, I started reading everything written by him and I created this small Mahfouz library because such books and novels should be reserved for the future. Mahfouz's words and novels are immortal and even though he is dead, it is his work and words that is keeping him alive among his readers and the world of literature. So what made Mahfouz so interesting and famous??
1- The way he described the Egyptian alleys and the changes that happened in these areas is so real that will make you feel as if you are there. Plus such novels play a role in giving you an idea about the Egyptian society in the past and the way people were thinking and acting.
2- His themes, most of the times Mahfouz used his novels and heroes as a way to express his ideas. In his novel ''Adrift on the Nile'', Mahfouz expressed for example his dissatisfaction with Naser and his regime. Or when he talked about the youth and their problems in his short story ''Love above the Pyramid Plateau''.
3- Mahfouz didn't only talk about the society and politics, he also talked about deep ideas like God, religion and Existentialism. In other words, Mahfouz broke a lot of taboos in the Egyptian society especially in the 60s when he published one of his most controversial novels ''Children of the Alley''. And from my point of view the main theme of this novel is why did God leave us like that?? Did God really abandon us?? And the idea of going to the promised land aka heaven. Some suggested that this novel also attacked Naser's regime but in a thematic way. Anyways, if you read this you'll understand why it was banned. Fun fact: Someone tried to assassinate Mahfouz because of this novel even though he didn't even read the novel.
4- His ability to write really great short stories. Mahfouz is like Stephen king, both of them have A LOT of ideas on their minds that they want to express. Mahfouz has written a lot of short stories and a lot of collections and like his novels, his short stories are interesting and full of great themes. for example in his collection ''Echoes of an autobiography'', Mahfouz managed to express a lot of thoughts and ideas through micro stories, every story is about a half or a quarter of a page with different themes like life and death and the meaning of our existence and other things. The most interesting part is when you get introduced to Abdullah Al- Taih and his interesting words of wisdom.
5- Mahfouz isn't a one trick pony, his novels don't only take part in old Cairo and it's allies, but he also talked about ancient Egypt. Like in his novel ''Dweller in Truth'' which was released in the 80s, he talked about Akhenaten and his search for the one true god. Fact is, his old novels were about ancient Egypt and its rich history.
6- Like King, a lot of Mahfouz's novels and short stories were turned into movies and TV shows. Like the Cairo Trilogy, One hour remains and Miramar.
7- The fact that he has won the Nobel prize in literature (the only Egyptian author to do so) made him a god in the world of literature.
8- Some small facts about Mahfouz:
- He was born in 1911 and died in 2006.
- He studied philosophy in Cairo University.
- He wrote small columns and short stories for Al- Ahram, for example the book ''Dreams of a rehabilitation period'' is a collection of short stories he had written for Al- Ahram.
- He didn't get married until he turned 43.
9- What to read?? Okay guys, here are some books that I suggest you should check out:
- Miramar.
- The Cairo Trilogy.
- Echoes of an autobiography.
- Love above the Pyramid Plateau.
- Children of the Alley.
10- Some quotes:
There are no heroes in most of my stories. I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see.
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If the urge to write should ever leave me, I want that day to be my last.
History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself.
"افة حارتنا النسيان"
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