About this title: In this many-layered novel by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, the actions of men and women in Cairo echo--unbeknownst to them--the actions of their holy ancestors. This book was first published in Arabic in 1959.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Good in Good jacket. 130-Z Ex-library. Books rated "Good" may have some notes, underlining, or highlighting. These books also may contain the previous owner's name, stamp, sticker, or gift inscription, or may be library discards. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Martinez, John (Cover illustration by). Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Minor cover wear. Clean. Tight. 464 p. The 1988 Nobel Prize author, b. 1911, first published this work in 1959 in Arabic. A Cairo native, he writes here of a delightful Egyptian family, also telling the story of humankind in contemporary society. read more
Description: First Edition. Second Printing. 8vo., 448pp., quarter beige cloth over black paper covered boards. Translated by Peter Theroux. Ex-library copy with excised front free endpaper and creased upper corner at p.275. ISBN: 0385420943. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday., New York.
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Fine jacket. First English language edition. First printing. Octavo (9.5in x 6.5in) oatmeal cloth spine and dark blue boards with gilt titling to spine. [xii], 448pp. A tight, bright and crisp copy in Fine condition in a Fine dustwrapper. Naguib Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Anchor
Date Published: 1996-10-18
ISBN-13:9780385264730ISBN:0385264739
Description: Good. All books in Acceptable-Good condition. Books may NOT include Online Access Codes (InfoTrac, MyEconLab). Books MAY contain highliting/bent pages. We ship M-F. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Acceptable. Has a clear dust jacket over the paper jacket. Has an index card pocket inside the cover from the library that used to own it. The book is in very good condition. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Good in Good jacket. DUST JACKET WORN AS IT HAS SERVED IT'S PURPOSE AND PROTECTED THE BOOK, Clean, nice condition, good reading copy. read more
Description: Good. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group
Date Published: 01/06/1996
ISBN-13:9780385420945ISBN:0385420943
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780385264730ISBN:0385264739
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Just a light bit of wear. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 464 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
"A somewhat interesting read. The story describes the history of a people from an alley in Egypt, their struggles to find freedom, equality, riches, etc. Each generation struggles to find these qualities, but then soon looses them, leaving the nex generation to persue the struggle all over again. This cycle five times with the setting changing only slightly each time - not enough to really peak my interest. If I were inclined to focus more on the nuances of each struggle, analyze why they were each unique, then maybe there is then more to gain from the book. However, I was not so inclined."
"The descendants of Gabalawi live over generations trying to rid themselves of gang oppression, poverty, and ignorance. They succeed temporarily, but always relapse into the old ways. At the end of the stories of the generations, there is still hope that things will change."
"I found this interesting at first, but it quickly grew wearisome. The novel is broken up to five sections, each retelling essentially the same story, just with a subsequent generation of the people live in this alley. Each of the five sections features a male lead, each relegates women to background roles, each features the same violent and heirarchical setting, each features warring clans with bruised egos and inconsequential slights, each features the tyranny of a powerful few over the peasant majority, each features people's insatiable lust for wealth and power, each features a battle between the protagonist who disapproves of the situation, and each not only features but glorifies beatings and murders. (Hmm.... sounds like much of religious history.) Perhaps if I were more well versed in the Bible and the Quran I would have enjoyed this more, but as a narrative, it fell flat... and flat and flat and flat and flat."
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