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July 03, 2006
"Palace Walk" by Naguib Mahfouz
"Palace Walk," published in 1956, was written by Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz. It is the first part of his Cairo trilogy. This is the story the family of a well off merchants during 1917-1919, the time of British domination and Egypt’s move for independence. During the first half of the book the political situation is mentioned subtly in passing with the main thrust of the story being the daily life of Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad and his family. The father is a strict and domineering influence at home. Outside the home, though, Mr. Ahmad is known by his friends as a boisterous, fun-loving man, the life of the nightly parties he attends. As the story progresses, the two daughters marry and leave home and the older two sons start living lives surreptitiously beyond the control of their father. The eldest son, Yasin starts living the same sort of secret, wild night life as his father -- full of women, wine, and music and middle son Fahmy joins the student resistance movement protesting English rule. The family’s story continues in the other two books, "Palace of Desire" and "Sugar Street."
ISBN: 0-385-26466-6
Pam, Reserves
Posted by jnardine at July 3, 2006 09:35 AM