Egypt - Palace Walk - Great Story

Dear Friend,
Hope you’re enjoying reading today. I am deeply engrossed this week in a book. Sometimes I'm reading blogs on the internet or articles on something I'm interested in. This week I'm reading a story about another time and another place.
The novel Palace Walk is a slice of middle class, family life in Egypt almost a hundred years ago, near the end of World War I. The author tells us about this family’s daily activities, but also tells us of their hopes, fears, manipulations in their relationships and of their religious life. It is written from the view points of each of the family members – the father and mother and those of the three sons and two daughters. We see the way they chose to live with the feelings they have for one another, the way they cope with life's disappointments and happinesses. Being closer to the Mom’s age and female I relate to Amina the Mom most closely. What would appear to be a very harsh reality, in that this woman stays home night and day for 25 years, is softened by the fact that she appears content and even happy on a daily basis. I am only half way through the book, but can tell you that I will read the second one as soon as I finish this one. Amina experiences a huge sadness in the middle of the book. The author has done such a splendid job of describing that sadness that I have felt absolutely horrified for her. Despite the differences in their culture and ours, I see that we all share some very fundamental feelings and I can see my own family members in each of them. The youngest son’s emotions remind me so much of those of our own middle class children in America. And the daughters’ desire for marriage are no different that those of our own daughters.

The novel was written in Arabic by Naguib Mahfouz, an Egyptian man, who was born in 1911. Naguib Mahfouz began writing when he was seventeen years old. He continued to live in Cairo, Egypt where he married and raised two children. He wrote this novel and it was published in the 1950’s. He has written many other novels that were widely acclaimed in the Middle East. An English translation didn’t come about, until I think sometime around 1975. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1988. The Cairo Trilogy which is what this book is the first book of, is considered to be his most important work. He is considered by some western book critics to be the best Middle Eastern author of the last century.

I’ve had fun with this book . Yes, it’s my book club selection – and my group is going to have our discussion Tuesday night, with a light supper of what we plan to pass off as (sort of, kind of)Egyptian (Middle Eastern) food. An original member from 1991 who no longer lives here is coming in to teach us about the modern social history of Egypt which she will do in a most entertaining manner. Today I went to the King Tut website and printed out the words sandwiches, chips, dip etc. in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. I'll put them on the table and let people figure them out. I’ve put the link to The King Tut website at the bottom of this page for you to use.

I am so grateful for Honeysuckle. While walking this morning I passed two yards with honeysuckle close enough to the street that the sweet smell was quite evident. Loved it ! I am grateful too for women’s freedoms in this country. I can’t imagine missing all the things I’ve experienced because I wasn’t allowed to leave the house.

Take care,
Maggiegladyoucame

The following link is to a weekly newspaper from Cairo Egypt called “Al-ahram.”

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/797/pe1.htm

The following link is to the King Tut website where you can print out the Egyptian Alphabet and even type in your name and the website will show you your name in Egyptian hieroglphics.

www.kingtut-treasures.com/ hiero.htm