|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Trials of Faith
| Article
# : |
17672 |
|
|
Section : |
BOOK WORLD
|
| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1990 |
5,138 Words |
| Author
: |
Trevor Le Gassick
Trevor Le Gassick is professor of Arabic literature in the
Department of Near East Studies at the University of Michigan.
He is the author of Major Themes in Modern Arabic Thought as
well as several translations of Arabic literature. |
This long-awaited translation of the first volume from the famous trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz, the 1988 Nobel laureate for literature, provides fascinating insight into the constant tension between the theory and practice of faith and personal conduct in the Islamic community of modern Egypt. Centering on the life a middle-class family, it also presents an intimate and authentic picture of the stresses and strains on Egyptian society as it underwent rapid change, impelled both by the encroachment of Western civilization and the nationalist reactions this provoked. Though the action centers in one small area of old Cairo and takes place in a era now many decades past, the impressions we receive help us understand the values and motivations, still active today throughout Arab and Muslim society.
Apparently completed before the Egyptian army revolution of July 1952, this fifteen hundred-page trilogy drew immediate acclaim throughout the Arab world following its publication, in part in serial form, between 1954 and 1957. Though Mahfouz had already written many articles, scores of short stories, and seven novels, none had earned him particular fame within his own nation. The trilogy, however, was recognized as proof of a new level of sophistication in Arabic fiction and as a work of true genius. It earned him acceptance as the master author of Arabic letters, a reputation he has continued to develop over the following decades.
An author of constant inspiration, indefatigable energy, and absolute faith in the importance of his role in his country's intellectual life, Mahfouz has written more than two score book-length publications. His reputation as the greatest author of Arabic fiction in the twentieth century would have been secure in
... (1997 of 31448 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
