About this title: Written by a Nobel Prize-winner, this is a mythic tale with a modern, soap-opera-like plot, featuring the dramatic history of the al-Nagi family. It displays the weaknesses of the human character - pride, dishonesty, lust, greed - and of the greatness we are capable of when we overcome them.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780385403627ISBN:0385403623
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover., In like new dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 416 p. read more
Description: Very good. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 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: 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: Good. 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
Description: Good. 1997-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780385423359ISBN:0385423357
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Crummy paper but as good as can be expected w/three lines of text that we almost didn't even find @ the very last pg. Solid Fine+ copy. Our picture of our actually owned book! ! Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 416 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Anchor Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780385423359ISBN:0385423357
Description: New. Softcover with 406 pages. Pages are clean, crisp and unmarked. Slightly bent from storage with crease on bottom of front cover. A tale on the verge of melodrama. read more
Edition: First edition.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780385423243ISBN:0385423241
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 406 p. Audience: General/trade. Book and jacket in great shape, near mint, NOT lby has no writings or markings at all read more
Edition: Uncorrected Proof
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Doubleday, New York
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780385423243ISBN:0385423241
Description: Fine Minus. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall 0385423241 Uncorrected Proofs THE NEW COLLECTIBLE! This is the limited (advance) Uncorrected Proof state-not quite the same as, but often referred to as an Advance Reading Copy, or ARC-fast becoming an attractive "collectible", as it precedes the First Edition. This large trade paperback appears to have the same size page-block as the subsequent hardcover First Edition, and it includes a publisher's promotional letter (tipped-in). This novel-the history of the ... read more
"Of course it gets points for multi-generational and being set in a different culture...those are two of my favorite categories. However, this was depressing! It reminded me of Judges where every other leader of Isreal is misguided and calamity reigns. The virtuous were so few and far between - I guess that's real life, but I wish there was less corruption and craziness."
"Very similar to Children of the Alley. These magical histories are both captivating and culturally interesting. As I suggested before, read them along side Marquez .. Macondo on the Nile."
"The Harafish begins with the story of Ashur al-Nagi, an abandoned baby who grows up to bring justice to his Cairo alley as clan chief. Rather than use his position to enrich himself as other chiefs do, Ashur raises up the harafish--or the common people--of the alley while continuing his simple life as a cart driver.
It's also the story of many of his decendants, who aspire to live up to his legendary greatness (greatness through modesty, that is) but mostly fail due to greed, ambition and sometimes madness. It's about so many decendents, in fact, that I wish I'd drawn a diagram to keep track of all the generations and characters. Several of them have the same names,too.
This is truly an epic story, even for Mahfouz. These are good to great short stories individually. Together they chronicle hundreds of years of events in this one community. Though I can't be sure how many hundred without that diagram. Being able to cover this much time in a single book has an interesting effect, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the Cairo Trilogy because the characters don't have as much depth. It's hard to get to know somebody when he goes from fetus to old man in the course of a couple chapters.
But I suspect the book is really more about the harafish as a group and their relationship to their leaders. The story really seems to be about legends, heros, tyrants and whether ordinarly people wait for great leaders to bring them justice or decide to seize it for themselves."
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