Declare Books Conducive To Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1)
| ISBN: | 9774166434 (ISBN13: 9789774166433) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Jewish Muslim #1 |
Kamal Ruhayyim
Paperback | Pages: 248 pages Rating: 4.03 | 36 Users | 4 Reviews
List Appertaining To Books Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1)
| Title | : | Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1) |
| Author | : | Kamal Ruhayyim |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 248 pages |
| Published | : | September 15th 2014 by American University in Cairo Press (first published May 15th 2014) |
| Categories | : | Novels. Fiction. Northern Africa. Egypt. Religion. Islam. Historical. Historical Fiction. Literature |
Representaion To Books Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1)
Egyptian Muslims and Jews were not always at odds. Before the Arab-Israeli wars, before the mass exodus of Jews from Egypt after the pogroms and anti-Semitism of '30s and '40s, threats of death to '100,000 children", and the bombings and riots aganst the Jews in 1948, there had been harmony.Offering an intimate yet panoramic view of the easy coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in an old neighborhood of Cairo, this sweeping yet personal novel, spanning the 1930s to the 1960s, accompanies Galal, a young boy with a Jewish mother and a Muslim father, through his childhood and boyhood in the vibrant popular quarter of Daher. With his schoolboy crushes and teen rebellions, Galal is deeply Egyptian, knit tightly with his mother, father, and grandfather in old Cairo-a middle-class social fabric of manners and morals, values and traditions that cheerfully incorporates and as cheerfully transcends religion, but a fabric that is about to be torn apart by a bigger world of politics that will also put Galal's very identity to the test.
Rating Appertaining To Books Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1)
Ratings: 4.03 From 36 Users | 4 ReviewsArticle Appertaining To Books Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (Jewish Muslim #1)
I picked up this book at the 'Faith after the Pharaohs' exhibition at the British Museum last December and was intrigued by the title. The narrator is the son of a Jewish Egyptian woman in Cairo and her Muslim husband, dead as the story starts. Growing up with the Jewish family on his mother's side, amongst Muslim neighbours, and eventually encountering his paternal family, it offers a picture of a much less divided community, though not without its sectarian prejudices. The Jewish migration(Very mild spoiler alert: my last sentence gives away the mood of the books ending.) I wanted to love this book, honestly I did. And I really was fascinated by the descriptions of the life of Cairos Muslims and Jews. The main character, Galal, just isnt the deepest thinker, and for most of the book hes an adolescent boy - so the tone of the book is infected by his (very believable) grumpiness and rebellious idiocy. I came away wishing that the perspective had varied - perhaps giving us a view of
Kamal Ruhayyim, born in Egypt in 1947, has a PhD in law from Cairo University. He is the author of a collection of short stories and four novels, as well as several books on law. Through his career in the Egyptian police force and as a head of Interpol he has lived in Cairo and Paris.The best thing a new story has going for it is an unusual character, circumstance, or setting. Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (AUC Press, 2014), written by Kamal Ruhayyim and translated by Sarah Enany, had all three, making it treat to read. I doubt there are many fictional books about Jews in Arab countries, and even fewer readily available in English. Add in an inter-religious marriage, and this is definitely not your typical coming-of-age novel.Ill say right off: Dont believe the
The best thing a new story has going for it is an unusual character, circumstance, or setting. Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (AUC Press, 2014), written by Kamal Ruhayyim and translated by Sarah Enany, had all three, making it treat to read. I doubt there are many fictional books about Jews in Arab countries, and even fewer readily available in English. Add in an inter-religious marriage, and this is definitely not your typical coming-of-age novel.Ill say right off: Dont believe the
***3,5*** Stars
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