Nobel laureate Nafuib Mahfouz, is an artist who put his life at risk by publishing this great work. Despite his position as the greatest living Arabic author, or perhaps because of it, fundamentalists have made several attempts on his life, almost succeeding in 1994.

Children of Gebelaawi, also published as Children of the Alley, tells biblical and Islamic history as a parable painting the Divine as the overlord and humanity as the generations who live in the alley just beyond the walls. The stories of characters representing Adam, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad are each told in turn, offering a fascinating portrait of each and their influence on humanity. The writing is lyrical and poetic and the story is extremely moving.

Not since, Nikos Kazantzakis's Last Temptation has anyone offered such a beautiful and thought provoking image of religion. In short, a must read.

Children of Gebelaawi is one of the greatest books of all time. Naguib Mahfouz is a writer with a profound understanding of the human condition. This book is a history of the world, an analogy of the lives of great religious figures from Moses on up, a moral history of immense proportions describing the strengths and weaknesses and foibles of humankind. Recent events in the Middle East render his balanced voice even more poignant. It is so sad, so ironic that he was attacked by fundamentalists a few years ago.

This book is wonderful, it draws you into a racing plot and almost forces you to become emotinally attached to the characters. It is, on the surface, a history of an Alley in Cairo and its inhabitants as they relate to heroic figures that cropped up in their history. However, just under the surface it is clearly a treatise on progressive revelation, with each hero representing a Manifestation of God. As the plot unwinds the lives of the Prophets become very real to the reader, and the truth that Their Missions are best demonstrated by the lives they lead is perfectly and succinctly put across. Reference is made to the Manifestations recognised by Islam, Adam, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and "another," corresponding to Adham, Gebel, Rifaa, Qaasim and Arafa in the book. The individual qualities of the Prophets are very clearly put across, as is their underlying similarity, and the book wisely leaves the story unconcluded but with a glimmer of hope that the cause of the Manifestation of Arafa still continues. Although I have some idea as to the true identity of Arafa, I feel it would be unwise to put my views across here because of the controversy they may cause. However, I am willing to give my views on request, and I must stress that these are my views only, and not those of the author or the Baha'i Community, of which I am a member. I can only express my gratitude to the author by demonstrating the depth to which he has touched the purpose of my existence:- "Oppression must end as night yields to day. We shall se in our Alley the death of tyranny and the dawn of miracles" - Children of Gebelaawi. "These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the Most Great Peace shall come." - Baha'i Faith

Here is a work with the omniscience of genius, but none of the arrogance. A great writer's puppet show, with invisible strings. Naguib Mahfouz, who is undeniably a great writer, has written a novel that feels like a documentary so rich and detailed, it could never be documented by a person without having his/her personality color the facts to suit their particular agenda. So Mahfouz's Mirrors is a sprawling story told by an anonymous narrator who never bothers to introduce himself and never volunteers his religious or political beliefs. It is not told in chronological chapters, but seemingly random accounts of characters the narrator has met in his lifetime. At first glance, Mahfouz seems to have accomplished what is physically impossible; a mosaic of parallel lines. But what I think is the ultimate message of Mirrors is that, within a given society, no life ever progresses in parallel to the next. But its not that simple.

The first character, Dr.Ibrahim Aqul casts a long shadow over the others. As a post graduate student he had submitted a thesis that was perceived to be anti-Religion, and was attacked by the country's right wing as an atheist. Rather then stand up to public outrage and defend his beliefs, he recoils and denies the accusations. The narrator's first encounter with him was as his Literature student in the 1930s where Dr.Aqul, who had survived the controversy and taken a comfortable job, was the most despised member of the university's faculty. The hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, who understood and/or questioned the government and religion, yet conformed for the sake of their financial security, would seem to be Mahfouz's target here. But Dr.Aqul reappears as a supporting player in the lives of other people, the reader's impression of him changes as other characters weigh in with their opinion of him. Maybe the message here, is that one person's impression of a man could never encompass who that man really was. There are many ways to interpret a man's actions, more still to guess his motives. But I'm afraid it was never going to be that simple.

The narrator never marries, but he does share two heartwarming tales of childish love of neighborhood girls he had never met face to face, and two heartbreaking, sordid affairs he had with two emotionally scarred and married women. His romantic idealism as a youngster mirrored that of a nation that fought tooth and nail against British colonialism. His loveless affairs and his surrender of idealism mirrored a broken nation, whose new rulers, the revolutionary forces that overthrew the corrupt monarchy and forced the British out, followed the example of Pigs in Orwell's Animal Farm and became more autocratic, brutal and unforgiving then their predecessors ever were.

Another buried theme in Mirrors is the emancipation of Egyptian women in the face of an often restrictive culture. There is the Madam who controlled many of old Cairo's bordellos, the illiterate housewife who accepts an acting job, the student who turned heads in a 1930s Egyptian university with her provocative clothes and her strong will and many many more. Yet Mirrors could never be pinned down to just that. The narrator is so subjective, so non-judgmental that he often appears bland, and therefore trustworthy.

The structure of Mirrors has a message all its own. As the narrator chooses to summarise his entire experience with a character in just a few pages, we are introduced to a character only to learn of their ultimate fate a few fleeting moments later. Because Time in its "Heaviness, majesty, betrayal, perpetuity and its effect" is mindlessly unjust. Its treats the good and the bad with equal disdain. From those, often shattering, short accounts of a life, there are stark images that once imagined will stay with a reader for a long time. There is the clueless and shocked eight year old narrator standing outside an Alexanderian bordello between to chattering whores, there is the love struck schoolboy who steels a gun and shoots the object of his desire once she rejects him and the beautiful girl standing at the window while an awe struck narrator watches from the street. What finally emerges from the Mirror is a kaleidoscope of sixty years of Egyptian history. It is a country that has often found itself out of the frying pan and into the fire. One that often retains a certain mystery even to people who have lived there their entire lives.

The last character in Mirrors is completely unrelated to all the others, the account, or in this case the memory of her is only two pages long. But its so perfect, so symbolic that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

She's a girl from the narrator's childhood. As a seven-year-old, he would watch her from his window, and this sixteen-year-old girl would jokingly smile back at him. Everytime he tried to get to her house, the maid would catch him and would carry him kicking and screaming back to his house. So one day, when it had rained so heavily that their alleyway was completely flooded. In the pouring rain, he gets into his mother's plastic laundry box, rows past the made with a broomstick and runs upstairs to meet the ethereal beauty that had so moved him. Dripping wet he enters her room. She ruffles his hair, takes his hand and says:"I will read your fortune". And as she held his hand and revealed his destiny, the narrator remembers: "She followed the lines of my hand and read my future, but I had used up all my consciousness staring at her beautiful face". Mirrors is a masterwork. It's as simple as that.

I don't wont to be qualified as an "extremist fan" of Mahfouz, but I repeat myself: this is one of the most interesting and human book I ever read. The style chosen by Mahfouz is absolutely fascinating: a series of most appealing or repulsing people - both men and women - pass before our very eyes led by the voice of an anonimous character. Of course, one firstly suppose that the latter is none other than Mahfouz himself and that the other people are actual persons whom he met along his life, since the narrative is presented as flowing evocative occurrences, some having a sort of continuation along the play, others not. Some critics have denied that this work should be defined as a "novel", but an attentive reading and evaluation certainly dispels such a pretension. It is not only a "novel", but an extraordinary one, through which one can get closer to the mind, ways and heart of the Egyptian modern people. The Arabic original was published in 1972 and this was Mahfouz's first work after the "disaster" of 1967. Therefore, even the title is evocative of the psychological conditions of the Egyptian society at the time: like a mirror reflecting a succession of images, as a lot of fragments after a shock. The life of all those around the teller is simply sketched out, but one becomes familiar with each one of them, perhaps because, as it is usual in Mahfouz, he has touched upon the chords of the human heart.

I was mesmerized by this family living under British rule. It is evident that Mahfouz was much influenced by 19th century British writers, but he applies this influence with a delicate touch. I was a member of this family by the middle of the first volume, and would happily still be following them from then until the present day.
The people in these volumes are solid,very much for real.
The author grabs his readers and holds them facinated by a great story of a time and culture few of us know much about.

Este libro de Mafuz es una clara muestra de la Humanidad del autor, donde muestra el ojo suspicaz por el cual es conocido a nivel mundial.

"Sons of our Neighborhood" is, to my mind, one the most important works of Mahfouz and the one still forbidden in Egypt herself. This novel, which appeared as a series in the famous Al-Ahram cairote newspaper between August and December, 1959, can be defined as that marking the passage of the author from his "realistic" to his "symbolist" period. The contents describes in an allegorical way the History of Mankind, and, in a more profound level, the evolution of human belief in God upto the human disbelief in Him thanks to Science (which is presented as a completely amoral belief). This writing is unique in several ways: introduces allegory in Arab modern novel, while at the same time, it shows us the "anatomy" of Mahfouz's universe, which re-appears in many of his following works. The text is srong and subtle simultaneously, and this exerts a great appeal on the reader's mind. A last word: the most you know about History, the most you enjoy the tale! Most recommendable!

Al comenzar a leer este libro, me di cuenta que estaba entrando a un grandioso mundo, el mundo árabe, con sus grandes palacios, exóticos lugares e increíble mitología. Todas las aventuras narradas en Las mil y una noches nos transportan a lugares totalmente nuevos para nosotros (que somos ajenos a esta cultura ancestral), llevándonos desde las aventuras de Simbad hasta viajes increíbles como el de los tres hermanos en su búsqueda fantástica y llena de peligros. Recomiendo enormemente este libro, ya que nos muestra una mitología ajena a nuestro ser y que nos cautivará desde el inicio.

This book gave excellent insight into both Mahfouzs' writing style as well as Egyptian culture in many of its peculiarities. Though at occasionally the author takes some conclusions to extreme ends, the book rings true for arab culture and islamic culture in egypt as it is portrayed through Mahfouz's writings.

Mahfouz is one of the greatest contemporary writers we have overlooked. An anecdote I want to share. I was diligently browsing through the literature/fiction section at a local bookstore and looking for Mahfouz. Disappointed. Looked in the world literature section and again disappointed. No luck in the translated literature section either. Why would a representative Egyptian writer be such inadvertently left out? I spoke to the info desk about Mahfouz and magically, a whole section that featured Mahfouz and his works were set up a few days later!

Respected Sir/Wedding Song/The Search came out just before the winter break. The new edition consists of three novels by Mahfouz that demonstrate unique writing style. I was quickly drawn into the book after flipping over ten pages or so. Mahfouz writes very succinctly and elegantly. His plots usually begin with a very usual setting. But there is also an element of suspense. You will keep on reading not because you know something is going to happen, but becuase things combine to hold you fast.

Respected Sir talks about how a government clerk sacrifices all comfort and breaks all family ties to ascend in rank. His eternal goal is that he will become the Director of Administration (Level 1) in the government. The narrative authenticates how we desire for power and attain such power against all odds.

Wedding Song involves a whole different writing style. The story features a montage, re-telling of the same story in the persepctives of 4 characters. Psychologucal suspense dominates the mood of the piece as, the main characters, twist back and forth between virtuality and reality. You will unveil the "true story" that was masked and concealed by what the characters perceive the story to be.

The Search tells of the story of a criminal searching for his long-lost father. The sexual desire, the filler of loneliness, and fear interweaves with his longing for his father. Mahfouz has wriiten three brilliant pieces that delineates human emotions. Hidden jewel in modern/contemporary literature.

Ibn Fattouna flees around the world, living in all sorts of political systems, but all systems fail because of war.
Magnificent political parable, exemplified by the tragic destiny of one man and his household.
A masterpiece.

It is a wonderful masterpiece as 1984. Great comparison of cultures! You get more than what you pay for it.

A counter epic, the story centers around the "there" but not the "back again". As I read it, when Ibn Fattouma goes from place to place in search of Gebel, he learns all sorts of things - mostly tolerance. Sure all the places seem like a what would could be modern day places, it boils down to Ibn Fattouma trying to find that all illusive "Heaven" or "Nirvana" or "Shangri-La" - What is the true illusion? That it does not exist? maybe. Anyway, his experiences with Arousa is a wonderful metaphor as the everyman. Places like Mashriq, Haira, Halba, Aman and Ghuroub we get a chance to see outrselves and the ridiculous ways that we organize ourselves. In short, it is a story of discovery. It makes me think of the futility of a search for that perfect place. Where does he center his perfect place? Guess you will just have to reaqd the book. it is the only piece of Mahfouz that I have read and I am not surprised to learn that he was awarded a Nobel Prize.

Miguel Llora

This is the tale of an extended clan, and the extended clans around them, in an Egyptian "alley." The book completely draws the reader into the desert setting, which somehow transforms everything by way of prickly heat... families, rulers, poets, princes, and the main characters themselves, all rise and fall, coming and going, eternally shape-shifting, like the sands. This is a family story, and an epic, set among the village poor. The Harafish is an excellent introduction to the literary tradition of Egypt and the Arab world; for another example of excellent fiction from an Arabic culture, though a bit less traditional and more political, try reading something by Saudi expatriate Abdelrahman Munif.

Mahfouz is not well knowin America, but should be. The Harafish is the epic novel of the al-Nagi family who rules a particular alley in Egypt over multiple generations. (The "harafish" refers to the common people of that same alley). The book's chapters each encompass a generation of leadership by some descendant of the original Ashur as-Nagi, a gentle and pure physical giant, filled with pious and spirit-filled humility. His off-spring, and theirs as well, vary widely in their emulation of this great man and their stories are fascinating and quite unique. Each story's characters are vividly painted for the reader and all of the generations their good guys and bad guys. The entire book will captivate the reader and the simplicity of the read will remind you of books you read in childhood. However, the story themes are not to be thought of as childish- but rather as timeless and transcultural. Greed, piety, fidelity, cunning, love, lust, faith, and compassion all rolled together in an easily read documentary of one family's influence on many. An absolute joy to read. Mahfouz is one of my favorites!

The rise and fall of generations in an Egyptian alley is the focus of Mahfouz's great parable. The story covers many themes, and evokes much thought while remaining extremely interesting. Arabic writing is great fun to read, and Mahfouz's story telling skills generate curiosity and a need to check out his other works.