Present Books Conducive To نادي السيارات
| Original Title: | نادي السيارات |
| Edition Language: | Arabic |
| Literary Awards: | Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize Nominee for Russell Harris (2016) |
Alaa Al Aswany
Paperback | Pages: 644 pages Rating: 3.45 | 12791 Users | 1915 Reviews
Be Specific About Based On Books نادي السيارات
| Title | : | نادي السيارات |
| Author | : | Alaa Al Aswany |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | 1st Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 644 pages |
| Published | : | April 2013 by دار الشروق |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Novels. Northern Africa. Egypt. Historical. Historical Fiction. Cultural. Africa. Literature. African Literature. Egyptian Literature |
Representaion In Pursuance Of Books نادي السيارات
The story opens in present time, with a harried author organizing his first computer printout of his newest novel; suddenly, before him stand two apparitions dressed in 1940’s apparel, Kamel and Saleha Gaafar, living breathing people from his book. They have come to add more, because, "You might have written it, but we are the ones who lived it."This charming bit of magic realism introducing the novel (which we now know will be told from an unabridged, "warts and all" perspective),is reminiscent of much Arabian storytelling: the wise man, the sage, the mystic recounts that which he was told to be true. The device is a useful one in a myriad of ways; the teller may weave lessons for his audience or, avoid responsibility for the inherent "truths" in an unstable political situation, or simply bemuse the reader and ready them for many adventures, villains, heroes, lovers and a great tale.
The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany fits the bill. It is an English translation of the original Arabic, written for an Egyptian public. British phrases of the era are used throughout, appropriate as the somewhat "old-fashioned" English spoken at that time. The setting is Cairo, post WWII, prior to Egypt becoming fully independent and after years of frustration with the British imposing themselves upon the country as masters and protectors. The foreign elite maintains its rigid rituals and racial bigotry, however, seeing Egyptians as useful for providing them with service - as do local royalty, especially its indulgent and frivolous King. The setting, history, culture and social attitudes seen through the eyes of this Egyptian novelist made it quite fascinating.
The Gaafar family have made the move after their finances have taken a turn for the worse, and Abd El-Aziz, father and husband, gets a job working at the prestigious Automobile Club. His wife, three sons and daughter start new lives. They make new friends, experience poverty, grief. Life goes on.
James Wright, a pompous Englishman who is contemptuous of Egyptians, "They're dirty, stupid, filthy, liars and thieves", is the club manager but Alku who is the palace head chamberlain has appointed himself as staff manager.
While obsequious to the foreign patrons and Egyptian royalty members, Alku is a tyrant with the staff, taking their tips and meting out physical punishment for any transgression.
Indirectly or directly, The Automobile Club is the wheel around which the characters and their overlapping stories turn, as the hierarchy seeks to maintain itself, the king spends and lives ostentatiously and the workers are kept submissive. Outside, nationalism is quietly growing as resentment increases while the country remains a British protectorate.
Because I am not Egyptian, I don't know whether the untarnished history described and ideas generated in the novel are meant to be food for thought indirectly and slyly offered up especially to youth of Egypt, who have no memory of the novel's timeline, as they live in a radicalized political regime. After reading a number of reviews which picked this book to death (I was trying to remember why I wanted to read it!), I decided there must have been some positive ones and settled back to read.
I let myself flow with the stories, the people, the foibles, their triumphs and hopes, their struggles for dignity in the most humbling conditions and their sheer stupidity, because everyone is human. I am sorry the book came to an end.
Recommended for those who have a broad range of historical knowledge, an appreciation of social differences in culture, recognition of any country's vision of government as unique and an enjoyment of irony. Unless so equipped, you may miss the best of the novel otherwise.
Rating Based On Books نادي السيارات
Ratings: 3.45 From 12791 Users | 1915 ReviewsWrite-Up Based On Books نادي السيارات
BABThttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06wcttqDescription: Once a respected landowner, Abd el-Aziz Gaafar has fallen into penury and has moved his family to Cairo. He is forced into menial work at the Automobile Club, a refuge of colonial luxury and privilege for its European members.A vibrant and moving story of a family swept up by social unrest in post-War Cairo, written by Alaa Al Aswany, the internationally best-selling author of The Yacoubian Building and Chicago.1/10 Once a wealthy man, AbdThis is the first book I've read by Aswany, but it won't be the last. He brings history to life through his characters, but I was somewhat reminded of V. J. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas, not in content but in style and universality. Admittedly a little slow in the setup, but worth the effort in the end.
A once-respected landowner is forced to take a job at the Automobile Club in Cairo, a position that brings him and his family shame. When he dies, leaving behind his wife and four children, their lives are sent in different trajectories, including one brother's involvement in Egypt's dangerous politics, and the family's fight for justice. The Automobile Club of Egypt is an excellent novel, about family honor and resilience of spirit. This was my first time reading Alaa Al Swany, and I look
The story opens in present time, with a harried author organizing his first computer printout of his newest novel; suddenly, before him stand two apparitions dressed in 1940s apparel, Kamel and Saleha Gaafar, living breathing people from his book. They have come to add more, because, "You might have written it, but we are the ones who lived it."This charming bit of magic realism introducing the novel (which we now know will be told from an unabridged, "warts and all" perspective),is reminiscent
In all honesty, I have mixed feelings about this book. To begin with, I got easily sucked into the storyline. It was easy to empathize with the main characters Those are always good things. I considered Al Aswany a good storyteller ever since reading The Yacoubian. There are a few weak spots in my perception though, mainly the beginning and the ending of the book. The story starts off with the writer (Al Aswany himself, I suppose), who is about to finish his work and then starts doubting. In my
Al Aswany's use of suspense is what holds this book together, with the end of every chapter creating a hanging beam to keep the reader hanging on. Right from the beginning where the characters come to life for the author and there is the whisper of what should have been....This loose end however did not tie back once again? After the real characters ( only two of them at that) run us through the book as they would have wished their emotions expressed, then what? Did the author at the end of the
This is one of the books that I found most entertaining this year. Even though I was hooked in the first chapter I found the first few chapters were a bit of a distraction and even though I am not a fan of the alternating type of leaving you hanging chapters style of writing once I had been introduced to all of the characters and saw where they fitted together I started to enjoy the story and looked forward to each character's episodes. It is set in post war Egypt during the British occupation.
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