The Harafish

Informationen zum Autor Naguib Mahfouz was born in Cairo in 1911 and began writing when he was seventeen. His nearly forty novels and hundreds of short stories range from re-imaginings of ancient myths to subtle commentaries on contemporary Egyptian politics and culture. Of his many works, most famous is The Cairo Trilogy, consisting of Palace Walk (1956), Palace of Desire (1957), and Sugar Street (1957), which focuses on a Cairo family through three generations, from 1917 until 1952. In 1988, he was the first writer in Arabic to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died in August 2006. Klappentext Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, Naguib Mahfouz is perhaps the best-known living Arab writer. His books have had great success in this country, particularly The Cairo Trilogy. Fans of the famed trilogy will be delighted with The Harafish, an epic novel that chronicles the dramatic history of the al-Nagi family -- a family that moves, over many generations, from the height of power and glory to the depths of decadence and decay. The Harafish begins with the tale of Ashur al-Nagi, a man who grows from humble beginnings to become a great leader, a legend among his people. Generation after generation, however, Ashur's descendants grow further from his legendary example. They lose touch with their origins as they amass and then squander large fortunes, marry prostitutes when they marry at all, and develop rivalries that end in death. The community's upper class keeps a watchful eye on the descendants of al-Nagi for fear of losing their privileges, but they find no threat of another such as Ashur. Not, that is, until the al-Nagi who, like his noble ancestor, finds his power once again from among The Harafish, or the common people. Through the strength of their numbers and their passion, the glory of the name of al-Nagi is restored. "Of all [Mahfouz's] experiments in recent decades, this is the one which owes least to western inspiration and is probably the most successful. The Harafish, fluently translated by Catherine Cobham, makes accessible and engrossing reading." -- The Washington Post Book World. Zusammenfassung Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988!  Naguib Mahfouz is perhaps the best-known living  Arab writer. His books have had great success in  this country! particularly The Cairo  Trilogy . Fans of the famed trilogy will be  delighted with The Harafish ! an epic  novel that chronicles the dramatic history of the  al-Nagi family -- a family that  moves! over many generations! from the height of power  and glory to the depths of decadence and decay.   The Harafish begins with the tale  of Ashur al-Nagi! a man who  grows from humble beginnings to become a great leader!  a legend among his people. Generation after  generation! however! Ashur's descendants grow further  from his legendary example. They lose touch with  their origins as they amass and then squander large  fortunes! marry prostitutes when they marry at all!  and develop rivalries that end in death. The  community's upper class keeps a watchful eye on the  descendants of al-Nagi for fear  of losing their privileges! but they find no threat  of another such as Ashur. Not! that is! until the  al-Nagi who! like his noble  ancestor! finds his power once again from among   The Harafish ! or the common people.  Through the strength of their numbers and their  passion! the glory of the name of  al-Nagi is restored. "Of all  [Mahfouz's] experiments in recent decades! this  is the one which owes least to western inspiration  and is probably the most successful. The  Harafish ! fluently translated by  Catherine Cobham! makes accessible and engrossing reading."  -- The Washington Post Book  World . ...

Product details

• Authors: Naguib Mahfouz, Najoib Mahfouz, Najib Mahfuz
• Assisted by: Catherine Cobham (Translation)
• Publisher: Anchor Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.09.1997
• EAN: 9780385423359
• ISBN: 978-0-385-42335-9
• No. of pages: 406
• Dimensions: 154 mm x 234 mm x 24 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Narrative literature