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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
An enjoyable read, although the history and politics, while interesting, became a bit much and I glossed over them. Also puzzled by what Anna and Sharief's 'secret' was that was supposed to be revealed by the contents of the trunk (according to the blurb on the back) and perplexed by the ending - the mysterious third panel of the tapestry. Was there a link to Omar? Does something happen to Omar? If so, I missed it.
I loved the idea for this story, but I found it to be poorly told. A shame, because it had such great potential.
At times I felt that the book was excellent, but most of the time I was thoroughly bored. Soueif uses an interesting style, essentially weaving 3 stories into one with one story strictly told (or imagined, which got annoying) through letters and journal entries. Normally this is a style that I would be very attracted to, but most of the time it was a major weakness of this book.
At times I felt that the book was excellent, but most of the time I was thoroughly bored. Soueif uses an interesting style, essentially weaving 3 stories into one with one story strictly told (or imagined, which got annoying) through letters and journal entries. Normally this is a style that I would be very attracted to, but most of the time it was a major weakness of this book.
medium-paced
Really struggled to get into this one and almost dnf'd it multiple times
A love story between an English woman and an Egyptian man in the early 1900's was interesting. Competing story lines and political history not so much.
Even more moving this time around as the tensions mount yesterday again in Palestine as a consequence of the history so vividly explored in this novel
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Oddly, I think I might have read it years ago, but only the beginning of the story seemed familiar. I had no recollection at all of the later parts. In part it is a very romantic, very appealing love story from the early years of the 20th century, discovered in a collection of letters and journals in the late 1990s by an Egyptian woman (long a resident of London but now back in Cairo). In part it is the story of modern Egypt, which in the years before World War I chafed under the British occupation that held back its local industries, its education system, and women's rights. In part it is the story of Amal, the Egyptian woman reading the letters and journals and rediscovering her roots, in a sense, after so long away. Her much older brother. The younger American woman who has fallen madly in love with him. West vs. East. The long lead-up to Israeli statehood. All these pieces are woven together in an almost enchanting way that I took to, completely.
I think that if I did read it before (maybe 20 years ago when it was published?), I might have been bored by the history and politics. Twenty years ago I knew nothing about Egypt and very little about the Arab World. I think I was especially well primed for this book by having read Palace Walk (still fresh in memory after a year and a half). The whole tangled mess of European meddling in Africa and West Asia is so interesting to me now. In particular I liked how the story, with its Egyptian viewpoint, showed the complexity of Egyptian society during a time when nationalists could be extreme, moderate, lukewarm, supporting a continued relationship with the Ottoman Empire or not, and somewhat free from religious factionalism. That is, as the Egyptians contended with the British, the Turks, the rest of Europe, and the Zionists buying up huge tracts of land, they were focused on the future of Egypt. The fundamentalists urged a Muslim state, but they were clearly a minority, and it seems everyone wanted to get the British out.
I think that if I did read it before (maybe 20 years ago when it was published?), I might have been bored by the history and politics. Twenty years ago I knew nothing about Egypt and very little about the Arab World. I think I was especially well primed for this book by having read Palace Walk (still fresh in memory after a year and a half). The whole tangled mess of European meddling in Africa and West Asia is so interesting to me now. In particular I liked how the story, with its Egyptian viewpoint, showed the complexity of Egyptian society during a time when nationalists could be extreme, moderate, lukewarm, supporting a continued relationship with the Ottoman Empire or not, and somewhat free from religious factionalism. That is, as the Egyptians contended with the British, the Turks, the rest of Europe, and the Zionists buying up huge tracts of land, they were focused on the future of Egypt. The fundamentalists urged a Muslim state, but they were clearly a minority, and it seems everyone wanted to get the British out.
Last fall my wife read about the BBC/Fox production of Taboo starring Tom Hardy and an amazing supporting cast. What could possibly fail? Well, we waited for all the episodes to air and having recorded them sat to binge. Along the way I noticed Guardian headlines bemoaning the show. My best friend who doesn't believe in dvr dismissed the show as macho mumblecore. Still, I harbored hope. What an utter waste Taboo proved.
So I went to Cincinnati the other day to buy books. I found a nice copy and looked forward to settling down with what had been described by a GR friend as (A.S. Byatt's) Possession in Egypt. The weather turned really cold yesterday and I thought why not? Well, 516 pages later, I do not understand the parallel. There are two story lines, almost a century apart. There are journals and letters. The troubled travails of Egypt are explored through the casual racism of the British Occupation and the contemporary (circa 1999) fears of US/Israeli hegemony in the region. Most of this is approached obliquely, though the resistance to Mubarak is balanced with fears of the jihadi. There are mirrored situations where love conquers all and I felt my chest ache from repetitive sighing. This wasn't for me.
So I went to Cincinnati the other day to buy books. I found a nice copy and looked forward to settling down with what had been described by a GR friend as (A.S. Byatt's) Possession in Egypt. The weather turned really cold yesterday and I thought why not? Well, 516 pages later, I do not understand the parallel. There are two story lines, almost a century apart. There are journals and letters. The troubled travails of Egypt are explored through the casual racism of the British Occupation and the contemporary (circa 1999) fears of US/Israeli hegemony in the region. Most of this is approached obliquely, though the resistance to Mubarak is balanced with fears of the jihadi. There are mirrored situations where love conquers all and I felt my chest ache from repetitive sighing. This wasn't for me.
I recall enjoying this greatly - some very romantic themes mixed with family heritage.
Really enjoying this beautifully written book. Can't wait to read more of her work.