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Palace Walk

From the Nobel Prizewinning author
By Naguib Mahfouz
Series: Cairo Trilogy
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz is the first book in the Cairo Trilogy, exploring the dynamics of the al-Sayyid family in post-World War I Egypt. The story delves into the contrasting personalities within the family and their struggles with tradition and change amidst the backdrop of political and social upheaval. The narrative provides a rich portrayal of Cairo life during a transformative period in Egyptian history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate rich, multi-generational family sagas set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Egypt. The narrative delves into the complexities of family relationships, societal changes, and the cultural history of Cairo, offering both historical context and intriguing character development.

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Palace Walk

Ahmad, a middle-class shopkeeper runs his household strictly according to the Qur'an while at night he explores the pleasures of Cairo. A tyrant at home, Ahmad forces his gentle, oppressed wife and two daughters to live cloistered lives behind the house's latticed windows, while his three very different sons live in fear of his harsh will.

The first volume in the celebrated Cairo Trilogy.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Palace Walk is the first volume in the celebrated Cairo Trilogy.

This sweeping and evocative portrait captures both a family and a country struggling to move toward independence in a society that has resisted change for centuries. Set against the backdrop of Britain's occupation of Egypt immediately after World War I, Palace Walk introduces us to the Al Jawad family.

Ahmad, a middle-class shopkeeper, runs his household strictly according to the Qur'an while at night he explores the pleasures of Cairo. A tyrant at home, Ahmad forces his gentle, oppressed wife and two daughters to live cloistered lives behind the house's latticed windows, while his three very different sons live in fear of his harsh will.

Series: Cairo Trilogy

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk is highly regarded for its vivid portrayal of human characters and its universal appeal, with The Times calling it a masterpiece. The Guardian highlights the author's skill in depicting human nature through detailed appearances, while The Independent praises it as a unique work in world literature, equating it with the craftsmanship of Tolstoy, Flaubert, or Proust. Simon Sebag Montefiore describes the Cairo Trilogy as overshadowing contemporary writers, referring to Mahfouz as the Arab Tolstoy. The New York Times Book Review commends the book for encapsulating the enchantment, mystery, and hardships of 1920s Egypt on a human scale.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780552995801

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 1994

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Black Swan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 352g

Pages: 512

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Naguib Mahfouz Penguin Books Series: Cairo Trilogy

About the Author

"Naguib Mahfouz was most prominent literary figure in the Arab world of the Twentieth Century, best known for his Cairo Trilogy (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Walk), which became an international bestseller. He was born in Cairo in 1911 and lived in the suburb of Agouza with his wife and two daughters for the rest of his life. He published more than thirty novels as well as many collections of short stories, plays and screenplays. In 1988, Mr Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first Arab writer to win it. In 1994, after the publication of a novel that led him into trouble with Egypt's religious authorities, an attempt was made on his life, but he died peacefully in 2006, aged 94."

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