Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Harper Perennial (2006), Edition: First Harper Perennial Edition, 255 pages
Description
The Yacoubian Building holds all that Egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built on one of downtown Cairo's main boulevards. From the pious son of the building's doorkeeper and the raucous, impoverished squatters on its roof, via the tattered aristocrat and the gay intellectual in its apartments, to the ruthless businessman whose stores occupy its ground floor, each sharply etched character embodies a facet of modern Egypt--one where political corruption, ill-gotten wealth, and religious hypocrisy are natural allies, where the arrogance and defensiveness of the powerful find expression in the exploitation of the weak, where youthful idealism can turn quickly to extremism, and where an older, less violent vision of society may yet prevail. Alaa Al Aswany's novel caused an unprecedented stir when it was first published in 2002 and has remained the world's best selling novel in the Arabic language since.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member GlebtheDancer
I'm going to be a slightly dissenting voice in the middle of a lot of very positive reviews. I didn't hate this book by any means, but I did find it deeply unsatisfying and a little bit shallow.
The book uses non-overlapping narrativs to tell the stories of the inhabitants of the Yacoubian building
So why didn't I like it? Well, firstly because al Aswany's attempts to deal with the above issue are shallow and frivolous. He populates the Yacoubian building with a series of unsubtle stereotyped characters (the corrupt politician, the radicalised fundamentalist, the dodgy businessman, the repressed homosexual, etc.) and proceeds to give them narratives as unsubtle and cliched as their protagonists. There was a frivoility to the whole thing that made me feel like I was watching a cartoon, or reading a kid's book.
Secondly, al Aswany tells each narrative in short bursts (around 5 pages mostly) before switching to another story. I think he was trying to build up a sort of mosaic picture. The narratives didn't overlap (or only rarely, and not in particularly meaningful ways), so it felt like he had written a bunch of short stories then shuffled them together, in an attempt to create a single novel from the disparate strands. It just didn't work for me, and I felt like the structure was trying to cheat me into believing I had read something more interesting and complex than I actually had.
The book uses non-overlapping narrativs to tell the stories of the inhabitants of the Yacoubian building
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in downtown Cairo. The setting is supposed to represent one of decay, as downtown Cairo (and its people) was once fashionable and trendy (and European) , but it has fallen into disrepair and squalor. The once grand Yacoubian building is a relic of former riches. The book therefore attempts to engage in some weighty political ideas, such as the relative merits of European and colonial society versus the increased Islamic influence on Egypt's society. So why didn't I like it? Well, firstly because al Aswany's attempts to deal with the above issue are shallow and frivolous. He populates the Yacoubian building with a series of unsubtle stereotyped characters (the corrupt politician, the radicalised fundamentalist, the dodgy businessman, the repressed homosexual, etc.) and proceeds to give them narratives as unsubtle and cliched as their protagonists. There was a frivoility to the whole thing that made me feel like I was watching a cartoon, or reading a kid's book.
Secondly, al Aswany tells each narrative in short bursts (around 5 pages mostly) before switching to another story. I think he was trying to build up a sort of mosaic picture. The narratives didn't overlap (or only rarely, and not in particularly meaningful ways), so it felt like he had written a bunch of short stories then shuffled them together, in an attempt to create a single novel from the disparate strands. It just didn't work for me, and I felt like the structure was trying to cheat me into believing I had read something more interesting and complex than I actually had.
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LibraryThing member pgmcc
I enjoyed The Yacoubian Building by Alaa al-Aswani. It is an interesting collection of stories about the occupants of an apartment block in central Cairo. The inhabitants range from the lowly door keeper to a high-flying businessman with political ambitions, and an old bachelor of style who hankers
The tales of the people whose lives centre on this buidling, which is a relic of former days of granduer, give glimpses into the lives of many different parts of Egyptian society. It highlights the hyporcacy of many and the corruption of state bodies and politicians. it does it in an easy to read style and gives the reader an understanding of the thoughts and motivations of the characters, some motivations not being the most honourable.
I have seen this book described as a great book about homosexuality in Egypt. Some of the commentaries I read left me thinking that homosexuality was the only theme in the book. One of the story lines is about a homosexual relationship, but it is only one story line and I think the author did a great job with all the story lines.
Would I read another book by thie author?
Yes.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes.
Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone interested in learning something about Egyptian society in the years before the Arab Spring.
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back to the good-old-days before the 1952 revolution ousted the Egyptian monarchy.The tales of the people whose lives centre on this buidling, which is a relic of former days of granduer, give glimpses into the lives of many different parts of Egyptian society. It highlights the hyporcacy of many and the corruption of state bodies and politicians. it does it in an easy to read style and gives the reader an understanding of the thoughts and motivations of the characters, some motivations not being the most honourable.
I have seen this book described as a great book about homosexuality in Egypt. Some of the commentaries I read left me thinking that homosexuality was the only theme in the book. One of the story lines is about a homosexual relationship, but it is only one story line and I think the author did a great job with all the story lines.
Would I read another book by thie author?
Yes.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes.
Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone interested in learning something about Egyptian society in the years before the Arab Spring.
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LibraryThing member otterley
I saw the film of the Yacoubian Building some years ago and had always promised myself that I would read the book. Using the Yacoubian Building (in itself a rich legacy of colonial Cairo) as a unifying theme, Alaa Al Aswany show us vignettes of Egyptian life, from the fading remnants of the
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colonial era to the Islamist terrorist; the shop girl trying to deal with constant low level sexual harassment and the realities of how political power and influence is bought and sold. It is difficult for a 'liberal' western reader to deal with some of the cultural assumptions in the book - particularly about homosexuality - 'the active homosexual who is just starting out...is usually possessed by a terrible sense of sin that soon develops into bitterness and black hatred' - but this is offset by a fascinating portrayal of a society where Islam lives alongside routine corruption and brutality. An important read for westerners seeking to understand Egypt a bit more than can be achieved by a trip to the pyramides.. Show Less
LibraryThing member pokarekareana
Hmm, well, where to begin? At least I made it to the end of this one, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. None of the characters were particularly likable; almost all of them are motivated wholly by sex (especially the women) money or religious fundamentalism. By the end of the book, I found I just
Two of the male characters were engaged in a homosexual relationship which didn't work out well; without spoiling the plot, I felt this was quite a negative depiction and wonder why Al Aswany chose to do this when it might have been more powerful to just leave it as it was earlier in the book.
The premise of the book - to describe the interlinked lives of people living and working in a particular building - was a really great idea but I don't think it was executed very well. It took a long time for the story to get going, the characters' lives remained quite insular, and when I turned the page and discovered it was the end of the book, it all felt very anti-climatic and as if the story had just fizzled out to nothing.
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didn't care what they did, or what happened to them. Two of the male characters were engaged in a homosexual relationship which didn't work out well; without spoiling the plot, I felt this was quite a negative depiction and wonder why Al Aswany chose to do this when it might have been more powerful to just leave it as it was earlier in the book.
The premise of the book - to describe the interlinked lives of people living and working in a particular building - was a really great idea but I don't think it was executed very well. It took a long time for the story to get going, the characters' lives remained quite insular, and when I turned the page and discovered it was the end of the book, it all felt very anti-climatic and as if the story had just fizzled out to nothing.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
Zaki Bey is an aging, wealthy playboy living in Cairo, and just one of the many colorful and interesting characters who have some association with the building that gives the book its name. Some, like Zaki, have offices in the building. Others live in luxury apartments. And there is an entire
The strength of this book is its characterizations. Zaki Bey is flamboyant and wealthy, and goes through elaborate rituals to prepare himself to entertain women in his apartment / office. His servant, Abaskharon, lives on the roof with his brother. Also living on the roof are Busayna, a beautiful young woman, and Taha, a devout Muslim man in love with Busayna. Hagg Muhammad Azzam is a rather slimy businessman and politician who manipulates everyone around him for personal gain, and Hatim Rasheed is a gay newspaper editor struggling to find happiness. For the most part, the characters' lives are not linked in any way, but each person's story progresses a few pages at a time, sometimes stopping at logical points and at other times with a bit of a cliffhanger.
The people portrayed in The Yacoubian Buildilng are all ordinary people, living ordinary lives within their social class, and striving for self-actualization. This is important reading for Americans, to counteract the media's typical portrayal of all middle eastern people as evil.
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community living on the roof, in low-rent apartments that once served as storage. This diversity makes for an interesting account of contemporary Egyptian culture. The strength of this book is its characterizations. Zaki Bey is flamboyant and wealthy, and goes through elaborate rituals to prepare himself to entertain women in his apartment / office. His servant, Abaskharon, lives on the roof with his brother. Also living on the roof are Busayna, a beautiful young woman, and Taha, a devout Muslim man in love with Busayna. Hagg Muhammad Azzam is a rather slimy businessman and politician who manipulates everyone around him for personal gain, and Hatim Rasheed is a gay newspaper editor struggling to find happiness. For the most part, the characters' lives are not linked in any way, but each person's story progresses a few pages at a time, sometimes stopping at logical points and at other times with a bit of a cliffhanger.
The people portrayed in The Yacoubian Buildilng are all ordinary people, living ordinary lives within their social class, and striving for self-actualization. This is important reading for Americans, to counteract the media's typical portrayal of all middle eastern people as evil.
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LibraryThing member kambrogi
This story presents the daily lives of a group of Egyptians living or working in a high rise building in Cairo – either in its sumptuous apartments and offices, or in the poor shacks on top of the building. It paints a clear and accurate picture of what I know of contemporary Egyptian city life
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on different socio/economic levels. We get a peek into government, business, the police force, domestic workers, working people of many types, educational and religious institutions and the struggles of women in various walks of life. Its many and varied characters are sharply drawn and believable, and they evolve in not-always predictable ways. Most of the characters begin with dreams and hopes with which we can sympathize, but each is corrupted or disappointed, and Al Aswan lays the blame for his characters’ frustrations and failures clearly at the feet of a fraudulent government and a rickety social structure. People are not always what they seem; everybody has a back story, everybody has a dream, and people don’t always behave as you expect them to. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pummzie
A quick read but frustratingly unsatisfying. I think I had a problem with the bitty style. The novel weaves in and out of a a host of lives tenuously linked by occupancy in the Yacoubian building. Via these various characters, we're given a picture of the disparate characters that inhabit the city,
While each of these characters are interestingly drawn, I felt that ultimately, if the cast had been less numerate, i may have learnt more from each of them. The conglomerate made the novel feel episodic and short storyesque.
I think, at base, my main issue is - and this could be as a result of reading in translation - that I didn't find it particularly well written. At base, despite the seriousness of some of the subject matter, it read like a trashy read.
One of those books where I think I would probably prefer the film, and that's really not something that I say very often.
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from the aging playboys, the reluctant terrorist, the corrupt politicians, the social-climbers, the destitute, the homosexual, the young women who shed their romantic ideals for gritty realism of the monetary value of acquiescence....While each of these characters are interestingly drawn, I felt that ultimately, if the cast had been less numerate, i may have learnt more from each of them. The conglomerate made the novel feel episodic and short storyesque.
I think, at base, my main issue is - and this could be as a result of reading in translation - that I didn't find it particularly well written. At base, despite the seriousness of some of the subject matter, it read like a trashy read.
One of those books where I think I would probably prefer the film, and that's really not something that I say very often.
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LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
I could neither like nor care about any of the characters in this book. For me, that is a fatal flaw, preventing me from engaging with the story, and more importantly, preventing me from seeing any of the characters as representative of a given segment of Egyptian society. The author gave us all
(Review written in 2007.)
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these people corrupted by power, or greed, or fanaticism, or lust--but he never showed us a worthy alternative. Everyone seemed to give in to "the way it is" without a struggle, and became victims of the toxic society almost willingly. It makes me wonder about the author's purpose in writing the novel (which, after all, must have been something of a risk for him). If he hasn't any hope of improvement, why write? And if he DOES have hope for the future, why don't we see any of it reflected in his work? If the author's intention was to convey that living in Egypt is a matter of survival, no matter what your social status, and that there is no real opportunity for fulfillment or happiness under current conditions, he succeeded, but not in a particularly artful way, in my opinion. Part of the reason I wanted to read this book was to get a "feel" for another culture. But when I was finished, I didn't even have the impression that the characters themselves had a feel for their culture. Perhaps that was part of the author's intent, and of course, a book shouldn't be judged by the reader's pre-conceived notions. I wish just one of the characters could have been admirable, or even likable despite his/her faults. As it was, I was happy to be quit of the lot of 'em. (Review written in 2007.)
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LibraryThing member debnance
I’ve been reading on this book for months and months. Did I drag the read out too long? Is that why the book did not captivate me as I’d anticipated? The book follows the lives of several people who all have in common one thing: they all live in the same building in Cairo. Though the story
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intertwines a bit of politics of the time, the book never felt distinctively Egyptian; the lives of the people could just as easily have been the lives of people in New York City or London. Maybe that is why the book disappointed me. Show Less
LibraryThing member oldbookswine
Well written and true to life story of a building in downtowm Cairo. Many family stories intertwined. Movie made in 2003.
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
Reading literature about a particular city gives you insight into the mores and character of that community. This is true of Alaa Al Aswany's novel from 2002, The Yacoubian Building (Imarat Ya'qubyan). I found the novel both well written and structured. Using the title building as his center Aswany
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portrays a diverse group of contemporary Cairenes to demonstrate the experience of living in the world of Egypt today. The author presents the issues of political corruption, class conflict and the "science" of love in a believable narrative; however, I found his portrayal of homosexuality less effective: sensitive at times but ultimately concluding with a stereotypically brutal end for the spurned lover. The difficulties of living in this society are highlighted as the novel moves smoothly from episode to episode building toward a climax that, while somewhat melodramatic, brings the story to an effective conclusion. Overall the complex narrative and view of the city of Cairo made this an engaging and satisfying read. Show Less
LibraryThing member tracyfox
The Yacoubian Building is a melange of stories revolving around a commercial building in Cairo. I selected the book just to read something contemporary translated from Arabic. For me, this ended up being the most enjoyable aspect of the read overall. I liked getting a feel for how Egyptians use
The cast of characters seemed to run the gamut of Egyptian stereotypes … from the aging debonair playboy and his sister the shrew-like crone to the poor student-turned-fundamentalist and his too-practical less-conservative girlfriend. Thrown in were a few scheming servants, greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians and semi-closeted homosexuals. The predictable dramas ensued as the characters scratched out a living, confronted bigotries of various kinds, and searched for love. The novel was fast-paced, laying out the circumstances for a particular character, and then moving to another. To me this organization made it easy to stay interested in the various people moving in and out of the Yacoubian building even if they were a bit two-dimensional.
This book may not be what people typically think of as an "African" read, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable introduction (albeit with a very Western-leaning worldview) to a vibrant African culture.
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names -- from formal full names to first names to endearments. I liked going to a map and puzzling out the geographies of the various Cairo neighborhoods and surrounding communities. I liked the way the Koran was quoted, giving me a sense of how it might be interjected into everyday life.The cast of characters seemed to run the gamut of Egyptian stereotypes … from the aging debonair playboy and his sister the shrew-like crone to the poor student-turned-fundamentalist and his too-practical less-conservative girlfriend. Thrown in were a few scheming servants, greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians and semi-closeted homosexuals. The predictable dramas ensued as the characters scratched out a living, confronted bigotries of various kinds, and searched for love. The novel was fast-paced, laying out the circumstances for a particular character, and then moving to another. To me this organization made it easy to stay interested in the various people moving in and out of the Yacoubian building even if they were a bit two-dimensional.
This book may not be what people typically think of as an "African" read, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable introduction (albeit with a very Western-leaning worldview) to a vibrant African culture.
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LibraryThing member Tinwara
Perhaps a little disrespectful, but this novel made me think of a soap opera. It has a soaplike structure: quite a handful of characters, that are loosely connected to each other, and short chapters/scenes that focus alternately one of these characters. As in a soap, the characters go about their
The binding factor in the novel is the Yacoubian building, a once stylish, but now rather decayed building in the centre of Cairo. All of the characters either live or work in this building. Otherwise, their stories couldn't differ more. There is the serious student becoming a religious fundamentalist, the girl trying to survive in a sexist world, the old womanizer, the homosexual, the wannabe politician paying his bribes. Through these stories al Aswaani touches on the questionable sides of Egyptian society: corruption, unqualified politicians, torture, sexism, double standard of morals, the rise of fundamentalism, inequality and abuse of power.
I don't think it was intended to be a literary novel. The characters remain somewhat superficial, and the language is functional, not poetic, at least not in the translation. For these reasons I wouldn't give the book a top rating. However, I would still recommend this book to my friends, because it was an interesting and pleasant read, giving insight in Egyptian society.
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daily lives, but in the course of the story they are confronted with trouble, serious trouble. It's a human approach, that makes it possible for readers from all over the world to identify with these characters, even if the troubles are rather typically Egyptian troubles.The binding factor in the novel is the Yacoubian building, a once stylish, but now rather decayed building in the centre of Cairo. All of the characters either live or work in this building. Otherwise, their stories couldn't differ more. There is the serious student becoming a religious fundamentalist, the girl trying to survive in a sexist world, the old womanizer, the homosexual, the wannabe politician paying his bribes. Through these stories al Aswaani touches on the questionable sides of Egyptian society: corruption, unqualified politicians, torture, sexism, double standard of morals, the rise of fundamentalism, inequality and abuse of power.
I don't think it was intended to be a literary novel. The characters remain somewhat superficial, and the language is functional, not poetic, at least not in the translation. For these reasons I wouldn't give the book a top rating. However, I would still recommend this book to my friends, because it was an interesting and pleasant read, giving insight in Egyptian society.
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LibraryThing member JadeBeecroft
Reading the cast of characters listed at the front of this book I was initially crestfallen. How on earth was I going to remember all those details for all those people? Especially with such foreign-sounding names that I couldn’t commit easily to memory.
I needed have worried. Despite the fast
Another thing that I really liked about this book was there were no “good guys” and “bad guys”, and in this way I found it very true to life. In so many books you are presented with flat, uninspiring characters that are clearly intended to be either loved or hated by the reader. But in The Yacoubian Building every one of the main characters was flawed, and yet at the same time I found that they were each likable in their own way.
This was a romping read, fascinating from the first chapter and brutally honest in its portrayal of sex, religion, relationships, politics and cruelty. A ‘warts and all’ look at human nature that as well as being an insight into Egyptian life was surely relevant to every culture. I would recommend it to anyone.
Finally, I found the references to scent intriguing. The smell of death, the scent of an old man, the perfume of a woman preparing for the arrival of her lover. An interesting thread that ran through the book and helped give the narrative an evocative extra layer.
Great stuff!
I needed have worried. Despite the fast
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pace and short snappy nature of this book, with each mini chapter jumping to a different scene with a different character much like a soap opera, one of its strengths for me was how vivid the personalities were and how easy it was to follow the web of stories that were woven around them.Another thing that I really liked about this book was there were no “good guys” and “bad guys”, and in this way I found it very true to life. In so many books you are presented with flat, uninspiring characters that are clearly intended to be either loved or hated by the reader. But in The Yacoubian Building every one of the main characters was flawed, and yet at the same time I found that they were each likable in their own way.
This was a romping read, fascinating from the first chapter and brutally honest in its portrayal of sex, religion, relationships, politics and cruelty. A ‘warts and all’ look at human nature that as well as being an insight into Egyptian life was surely relevant to every culture. I would recommend it to anyone.
Finally, I found the references to scent intriguing. The smell of death, the scent of an old man, the perfume of a woman preparing for the arrival of her lover. An interesting thread that ran through the book and helped give the narrative an evocative extra layer.
Great stuff!
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LibraryThing member mojacobs
A very interesting contemporary Egyptian novel about the lives of the inhabitants of one of Cairo's old appartement buildings. Aswany paints some lovely characters - and some disgusting ones. A very readable book, but also very informative and rather disturbing. It treats blatant corruption,
I think it very encouraging that this book has won the Best Arabic Book of the Year award: our media would have us believe this kind of writing to be impossible in a Muslim country. ”
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injustice, hypocrisy, and fundamentalism without any reservations, and in a very matter of fact way. The style reminded me of Mahfouz a lot. I think it very encouraging that this book has won the Best Arabic Book of the Year award: our media would have us believe this kind of writing to be impossible in a Muslim country. ”
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LibraryThing member presto
Set in Cairo around the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, The Yacoubian Building covers the lives of the varied assortment of residents of the decaying Art Deco apartment block of the title. The residents range from the wealthy who live in the apartment building proper to the poor who inhabit
One or another of this varied collection of humanity engage in or suffer deceit, corruption, illegal dealings, domestic strife, rejection, fundamentalism, torture, and sexual desire, harassment and fulfilment. For some the outcome is frustration or even tragedy, for others unexpected joy and satisfaction. Altogether this provides a very colourful picture of life in Egypt during a difficult period. An engaging read.
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the cabins on the roof. The wealthy include a self made business man who courts political success, a gay editor in chief of a French language newspaper passionately in love with a policeman, and an aging yet virile playboy. The residents on the roof include young devout Muslim who as a very able student who aspires to join the police, his attractive and initially naïve girlfriend who lives with her mother, and a shirt maker who eventually sets up business on the roof.One or another of this varied collection of humanity engage in or suffer deceit, corruption, illegal dealings, domestic strife, rejection, fundamentalism, torture, and sexual desire, harassment and fulfilment. For some the outcome is frustration or even tragedy, for others unexpected joy and satisfaction. Altogether this provides a very colourful picture of life in Egypt during a difficult period. An engaging read.
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LibraryThing member teunduynstee
Was recommended to me by several people when I travelled in Egypt. And rightly so: this is a magistral novel. It combines many narratives sketching the complex social structure of Africa's largest city. I really liked my stay in Cairo, dusty and noisy as it may be, and this book made me understand
Escaped from the Egyptian censor, this book deserves to be read by the world.
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the city at a deeper level (or so I think).Escaped from the Egyptian censor, this book deserves to be read by the world.
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LibraryThing member Smiler69
Absolutely loved this book with it's cast of characters all centred around the Yacoubian Building, once a distinguished address and since housing a vast array of less fortunate inhabitants. Having read the Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz a couple of years ago enabled me to fully appreciate this
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book with a better understanding of Egyptian politics, ethics, mores, religion and history from the beginning of the 20th century onward. The Yacoubian Building, beautifully written and completely engrossing, tells the story of Cairo faced with tremendous changes from the breakdown of family traditions to the pull of fundamentalism through these various characters, all of which are broken down in their own ways. Arabic drama at it's finest, told with a fine balance of sensitivity and dispassionate observation. Show Less
LibraryThing member JimElkins
This would be just another well written kaleidoscope of life in an unfamiliar place (“Cairo in a microcosm,” as Maria Golia says on the back cover -- quoted from the TLS) except that al Aswany has a characteristic of a genuinely good novelist: real, unexpected psychological insight.
I hope his
I hope his
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next novel to be translated ("Chicago") spends more time on individual characters instead of flitting from one to the next (this novel sometimes seems right in is frantic pacing and fuilletons, but other times it seems that the author becomes nervous when he spends too long on one character); and I hope it gives up politics, which is inadequately represented; and I hope it doesn't try to describe the place (the social-mapping impulse is never enough, unless the author is truly encyclopedic--and why do that, after Perec?); and I hope it lingers, as he doesn't allow himself to do here, on the strange perceptions and slowly developing inner thoughts of its characters. If I were his teacher, I would recommend a novel with just one or two characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member fieldnotes
Al Aswany prefaces his novel by explaining that it is a novel about place, about the Yacoubian Building and what it reveals about Cairo over time. I am pleased to report that this claim is misleading: "The Yacoubian Building" may contain brief forays into the past and various asides about certain
Three affluent and independent men (all at least fifty years old and all, conveniently, apartment holders in the Yacoubian Buildnig) create drama by exercising their power to initiate relationships with much younger Egyptians, whether male or female. The novel is pleasantly villain-free; though there are plenty of misled, meddling and ill-intentioned characters.
"The Yacoubian Building" is interspersed with Al Aswany's contribution to the "What makes them do it?" sub-genre of humanizing jihadists. This sub-plot, while slightly predictable and a little grim, is balanced, detailed and not particularly manipulative. The only other young man in the novel (who doesn't want to shoot the infidels) is a poor Nubian with wife and child who serves to illustrate the vaguely tragic plight of sensitive and cultured Cairo homosexuals. Al Aswany deals with gayness in Egypt in an unabashed and almost affectionate way, going out of his way to explain how the larger community adapts to the presence of homosexuals in their midst.
The whole composition works quiet well and is propelled by a series of creative and comical power grabs and sexual stratagems set against the struggle between secularists and fundamentalists, wealthy power holders and aspirants. Al Aswany's careful attention to the psychology of his characters sustains the novel and prevents it from becoming an overblown parade of stereotypes. His ability to slow down and pinpoint, often with a pleasantly dark humor, the precise motivations and tactics of his characters is what elevates this from story-telling to literature.
For instance, "Right now, in bed with Hagg Azzam, she is playing out a scene--that of the woman who, taken unawares by her husband's virility, surrenders to him so that he may do with her body whatever his extraordinary strength may demand, her eyes closed, panting, and sighing--while in reality she feels nothing except rubbing, just the rubbing of two naked bodies, cold and annoying."
And, "There lay between the two old people all the irritability, impatience and obstinance that go with old age, plus that certain tension that develops when two individuals live in too close a proximity to one another--from using the bathroom for a long time when the other wants it, from one seeing the sullen face the other wears when he wakes from sleeping, from one wanting silence while the other insists on talking, from the mere presence of another person who never leaves you day and night, who stares at you, who interrupts you, who picks on everything you say, and the grating of whose molars when he chews sets you on edge and the ringing noise of whose spoon striking the dishes disturbs your quiet every time he sits down to eat with you."
I find it easier to be patient with an author who is constantly introducing new characters if he will at least take the time to put them forward in such a clear light. I will read Al Aswany's subsequent novel. (And this is definitely one of the two best Arabic language novels that I have ever read.)
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establishments and customs; but it is primarily concerned with the nuances of infatuation, courtship and transactional sex in age disparate Cairo relationships.Three affluent and independent men (all at least fifty years old and all, conveniently, apartment holders in the Yacoubian Buildnig) create drama by exercising their power to initiate relationships with much younger Egyptians, whether male or female. The novel is pleasantly villain-free; though there are plenty of misled, meddling and ill-intentioned characters.
"The Yacoubian Building" is interspersed with Al Aswany's contribution to the "What makes them do it?" sub-genre of humanizing jihadists. This sub-plot, while slightly predictable and a little grim, is balanced, detailed and not particularly manipulative. The only other young man in the novel (who doesn't want to shoot the infidels) is a poor Nubian with wife and child who serves to illustrate the vaguely tragic plight of sensitive and cultured Cairo homosexuals. Al Aswany deals with gayness in Egypt in an unabashed and almost affectionate way, going out of his way to explain how the larger community adapts to the presence of homosexuals in their midst.
The whole composition works quiet well and is propelled by a series of creative and comical power grabs and sexual stratagems set against the struggle between secularists and fundamentalists, wealthy power holders and aspirants. Al Aswany's careful attention to the psychology of his characters sustains the novel and prevents it from becoming an overblown parade of stereotypes. His ability to slow down and pinpoint, often with a pleasantly dark humor, the precise motivations and tactics of his characters is what elevates this from story-telling to literature.
For instance, "Right now, in bed with Hagg Azzam, she is playing out a scene--that of the woman who, taken unawares by her husband's virility, surrenders to him so that he may do with her body whatever his extraordinary strength may demand, her eyes closed, panting, and sighing--while in reality she feels nothing except rubbing, just the rubbing of two naked bodies, cold and annoying."
And, "There lay between the two old people all the irritability, impatience and obstinance that go with old age, plus that certain tension that develops when two individuals live in too close a proximity to one another--from using the bathroom for a long time when the other wants it, from one seeing the sullen face the other wears when he wakes from sleeping, from one wanting silence while the other insists on talking, from the mere presence of another person who never leaves you day and night, who stares at you, who interrupts you, who picks on everything you say, and the grating of whose molars when he chews sets you on edge and the ringing noise of whose spoon striking the dishes disturbs your quiet every time he sits down to eat with you."
I find it easier to be patient with an author who is constantly introducing new characters if he will at least take the time to put them forward in such a clear light. I will read Al Aswany's subsequent novel. (And this is definitely one of the two best Arabic language novels that I have ever read.)
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LibraryThing member Litfan
With characters from various backgrounds peppering the novel, this was a great "slice of life" of modern Egypt. It was fascinating to see the characters, linked by this one place, how they interconnected and how culture and religion impacted their lives. The reader is instantly transported into
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another world in reading the novel, and it is truly a memorable journey. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheBookJunky
what a story! the plot lines of a soap opera, action, sex, violence, good pace, and all brushed with the exotic flavor of the different world of Egyptian life.
LibraryThing member p_linehan
Most Americans don’t know much about life in Arab countries today. All we see in the news are the screaming crowds of angry fundamentalist Muslims. As the Yacoubian Building reveals in this thoroughly modern story, they lead lives as complicated as any of ours. They dream, love, suffer betrayal,
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and endure a corrupt government and leadership class. For me the corruption and how it destroys the lives of Egyptians is the main theme of the book. One of the saddest characters is the young man, Taha, whose dreams of entering the police academy are destroyed because of his poor background. The story shows how the best of Egypt’s youth are being led to fundamentalism and terror. The Muslim power structure doesn’t come off well in this book. The author must be an exceptionally brave man, since not many people like being told the truth about themselves. Almost no one has a happy ending in this story. The story does end on a happy note as two of the most unlikely people find love and marriage, and the Yacoubian building, itself a character in the story, continues to shelter its inhabitants. Show Less
LibraryThing member steller0707
The Yacoubian Building in Cairo, has seen better days. It's a sort of reverse "upstairs, downstairs" building, with the more wealthy living in multi room apartments on one of the ten floors, while the poor live in small tin huts on the roof. The novel is about the fictional people in the building
Aswany is both a dentist and a writer. His political views are well-known from his column in the Cairo newspaper and his political activism. The novel was wildly popular in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world when it was published in the early 2000s. He doesn't preach a particular side but instead shows the view points rampant in society. Particularly vivid are the depiction of political corruption and the training of jihadists.
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who experience life in Egypt with corrupt politicians, shady businessmen, and fundamental Islamists. There are only two chapters: the first serves as introduction to the colorful characters, with vivid indications of their station in life; the second provides the stories of their survival.Aswany is both a dentist and a writer. His political views are well-known from his column in the Cairo newspaper and his political activism. The novel was wildly popular in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world when it was published in the early 2000s. He doesn't preach a particular side but instead shows the view points rampant in society. Particularly vivid are the depiction of political corruption and the training of jihadists.
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LibraryThing member dmarsh451
Al Aswany uses a building as the organizing principle of this well populated book. Each character inhabits a different part of the building and lives a different thread of the story. The pacing takes some delightful cues from that of Egyptian soap operas with a small cliffhanger at the end of each
This does not become disjointed because the stories are woven from good strong skeins, twisty and brightly dyed. Some get snapped.
Like all the best Egyptian stories, this one ends with a wedding, which in Egypt end with dancing; that unbelievable dancing that subdues sorrow until joy comes in the morning.
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part. This does not become disjointed because the stories are woven from good strong skeins, twisty and brightly dyed. Some get snapped.
Like all the best Egyptian stories, this one ends with a wedding, which in Egypt end with dancing; that unbelievable dancing that subdues sorrow until joy comes in the morning.
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Awards
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (Longlist — 2008)
World Library by The Guardian (Egypt)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2002 (Arabic)
ISBN
9780060878139