Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Anchor Books (Random House)
Pages
286
Description
Never has Nobel Prize-winner Naguib Mahfouz's talent for rich and luxurious storytelling been more evident than in this outstanding novel, first published in Arabic in 1947. One of his most popular books (and considered by many to be one of his best), Midaq Alley centers around the residents of one of the teeming back alleys of Cairo.
Collection
Language
Original language
Arabic
Original publication date
1947
Physical description
286 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0385264763 / 9780385264761
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaCurcio
Many of us in the west, when thinking of Egypt, think of pyramids, the Sphinx, and King Tut—especially those of us in the U.S. Bibliophiles might think of the lost Library of Alexandria. If we have had the opportunity to travel, we might add the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, Abu Simbel, Luxor
Midaq Alley is a microcosm. The residents are few. It is very small--two houses with three floors, a café, a bakery, a sweet shop, a barber shop and the offices and warehouse of a merchant. It is the end of World War II. The buildings of the Alley still do not have electricity.
We meet three young people: Hussain Kirsha, Abbas and Hamida. Hussain’s father owns the café. Hussain is the only son. He works for the British Army. Hussain wants to get out of Midaq Alley, and is sure that he will be able to do so through his work because the “Hitler will fight for twenty years!”. Hamida is Hussain’s “sister” because Hussain’s mother was wet nurse to Hamida. She lives with her foster mother, a marriage broker, known as Umm Hamida. Hamida is an angry young woman who desperately wants to leave Midaq Alley, no matter what the cost to do it. Abbas is the young barber, good friend of Hussain and ardent admirer of Hamida. Abbas opened his shop five years before the story begins, and is happy in Midaq Alley. He will leave for only one thing: to make his fortune if it will help him win Hamida as his wife.
Kirsha, the café owner, is a hashish addict and likes boys. He brings scandal to his family. Radwan Hussainy owns one of the houses and rents to Kirsha. Hussainy has endured a life of endless sorrow, including the loss of all of his children, but “his faith rescued him" and he is a happy and holy man. He is also the person to whom the others go with their problems. Mrs. Saniya Afify, a wealthy widow owns the other house. She rents to Umm Hamida, and, at the tender age of 50, has decided she would like to marry again, and wants a younger man. There is also Dr. Booshy, the dentist; Sheikh Darwish, a former English language teacher who lost everything when he was fired from his job but is respected, taken care of and beloved by all; Uncle Kamil, owner of the sweet shop; Zaita, the cripple-maker; Husniya, the bakeress; and the merchant, Salim Alwan, who should be happy with his wealth and his successful family, but is not.
With spare yet expressive language and dialogue, Mahfouz interweaves the stories of the lives of these characters. We spend just a short time in the alley, but are completely entwined as events completely change the future for some yet leave the Alley the same. I was quickly caught up, and the story did not let me go, even at the last page.
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and Karnak to our mental pictures. All wonderful things, but if you are interested in exploring the life of citizens of mid-twentieth century Cairo, spend some time with Naguib Mahfouz in his very accessible Midaq Alley. As always, Mahfouz masterfully conveys the essence of life in the Cairo not visible to the casual viewer.Midaq Alley is a microcosm. The residents are few. It is very small--two houses with three floors, a café, a bakery, a sweet shop, a barber shop and the offices and warehouse of a merchant. It is the end of World War II. The buildings of the Alley still do not have electricity.
We meet three young people: Hussain Kirsha, Abbas and Hamida. Hussain’s father owns the café. Hussain is the only son. He works for the British Army. Hussain wants to get out of Midaq Alley, and is sure that he will be able to do so through his work because the “Hitler will fight for twenty years!”. Hamida is Hussain’s “sister” because Hussain’s mother was wet nurse to Hamida. She lives with her foster mother, a marriage broker, known as Umm Hamida. Hamida is an angry young woman who desperately wants to leave Midaq Alley, no matter what the cost to do it. Abbas is the young barber, good friend of Hussain and ardent admirer of Hamida. Abbas opened his shop five years before the story begins, and is happy in Midaq Alley. He will leave for only one thing: to make his fortune if it will help him win Hamida as his wife.
Kirsha, the café owner, is a hashish addict and likes boys. He brings scandal to his family. Radwan Hussainy owns one of the houses and rents to Kirsha. Hussainy has endured a life of endless sorrow, including the loss of all of his children, but “his faith rescued him" and he is a happy and holy man. He is also the person to whom the others go with their problems. Mrs. Saniya Afify, a wealthy widow owns the other house. She rents to Umm Hamida, and, at the tender age of 50, has decided she would like to marry again, and wants a younger man. There is also Dr. Booshy, the dentist; Sheikh Darwish, a former English language teacher who lost everything when he was fired from his job but is respected, taken care of and beloved by all; Uncle Kamil, owner of the sweet shop; Zaita, the cripple-maker; Husniya, the bakeress; and the merchant, Salim Alwan, who should be happy with his wealth and his successful family, but is not.
With spare yet expressive language and dialogue, Mahfouz interweaves the stories of the lives of these characters. We spend just a short time in the alley, but are completely entwined as events completely change the future for some yet leave the Alley the same. I was quickly caught up, and the story did not let me go, even at the last page.
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LibraryThing member TadAD
This book was my introduction to Egyptian writers in general, and Nobel Prize winner Mahfouz in specific. In this book, I found him a gifted story-teller to whom I will definitely return.
This novel is told as a series of interlocking stories that portray the lives of a small group of individuals
There is a vibrance to the human characters who populate this story. Each individual, major or minor, is drawn with a keen eye for detail, with affection for their strengths, humor for their foibles and a lack of judgment for their flaws. I felt I knew each of these characters intimately: the inconstant Hamida, ruthless in her desire for wealth and luxury; responsible and kind Abbas, content with his life in the alley but willing to give it up for love; Kirsha, owner of the café, married but with a predilection for young men; Saniya, the miserly landlord obsessed with finding a younger husband; Zaita, the cripple maker who feels nothing but contempt for all but Husniya, the baker who beats her husband.
The social changes as Egypt struggles with a modern era, the side-effects with Western cultural imperialism, the role of religious faith in life, all of these provide an unobtrusive background as Mahfouz circulates among his creations, advancing each of their stories bit by bit as the novel progresses. The inherent inter-connectedness of their lives causes their stories to brush against each other until he draws them together in an ending that, though containing sadness, was never bleak or unsatisfying.
Highly recommended.
This novel is told as a series of interlocking stories that portray the lives of a small group of individuals
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over a short period of time during the waning days of World War II. The stories are set in Midaq Alley, a poor backstreet in Cairo. As the book unfolds, you realize that the alley is a small village within the city; its inhabitants live, socialize, work and marry largely within its confines. Some embrace this sense of community; some feel confined and struggle to escape. The alley, itself, might almost be considered the major character of the book. Mahfouz fills it with a character of its own: shabby, cynical, vibrant, faintly corpulent. It seems to sit there, observing the individuals that run about within it, loving them in its own distant way. This sense of intimacy made me feel that I was watching the events through the alley's eyes in an odd sort of first person narrative.There is a vibrance to the human characters who populate this story. Each individual, major or minor, is drawn with a keen eye for detail, with affection for their strengths, humor for their foibles and a lack of judgment for their flaws. I felt I knew each of these characters intimately: the inconstant Hamida, ruthless in her desire for wealth and luxury; responsible and kind Abbas, content with his life in the alley but willing to give it up for love; Kirsha, owner of the café, married but with a predilection for young men; Saniya, the miserly landlord obsessed with finding a younger husband; Zaita, the cripple maker who feels nothing but contempt for all but Husniya, the baker who beats her husband.
The social changes as Egypt struggles with a modern era, the side-effects with Western cultural imperialism, the role of religious faith in life, all of these provide an unobtrusive background as Mahfouz circulates among his creations, advancing each of their stories bit by bit as the novel progresses. The inherent inter-connectedness of their lives causes their stories to brush against each other until he draws them together in an ending that, though containing sadness, was never bleak or unsatisfying.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member TomChicago
This is not about Mayberry. It is about village life, but it doesn't hide the passion and darkness that bubbles up from the depths of the villagers. That said, it delivers a great warmth and humor toward the very recognizable denizens of the alley. It is a simple story, but resounds with real pain
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and joy. Show Less
LibraryThing member janetaileen
This book was my introduction to Naguib Mafouz. He was described to me as the Dickens of Egypt. After reading this, I understood how he earned this honor. A wonderfully written book...a joy to read.
LibraryThing member Luli81
Tale about the lives of the different neighbours who live in Midaq Alley.
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I am trying to read 10 books a year from the 1001 Books to read Before you Die list. With this book I have now read 226 from the combined list and 5 this year. I know that will leave me far short of reading all 1001 unless I live to some incredibly advanced age. That's okay because I really just
Midaq Alley is a short street in Cairo with some businesses and some residential housing. Most of the people who live there are just struggling to get by. The barber, Abbas, is young and likes living in the alley plying his trade in the small shop at the entrance. He is persuaded to leave the alley to join the British army (the time period is the latter stages of World War II) so that he can earn enough money to wed Hamida. Hamida is a lovely young woman living in the alley with her adoptive mother who has attracted not just Abbas but also Salim Alwan, the well-off proprietor of a perfume business in the alley. Salim is already married but he wants to add Hamida as his second wife. There are other interesting characters in the alley. Kirsha owns a cafe and sells narcotics and is a homosexual although he is married with children. Zaita is a perpetually dirty man who lives in a small room off the bakery and makes his living by creating cripples who can then beg more effectively. Hamida's adoptive mother, Umm Hamida, is a marriage broker with fingers in all sorts of pies. As these people interact and life goes on some things stay the same and some things change.
I really felt immersed in the Egyptian culture while I was reading this book. Mahfouze won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. The jury said "who, through works rich in nuance--now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous---has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind." That says it much better than I ever could.
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want to read the books that are generally agreed to be excellent. This book was a LibraryThing group read for August 2015 and while not the best book from the list was still very interesting because it is a window into a society that I have never explored before.Midaq Alley is a short street in Cairo with some businesses and some residential housing. Most of the people who live there are just struggling to get by. The barber, Abbas, is young and likes living in the alley plying his trade in the small shop at the entrance. He is persuaded to leave the alley to join the British army (the time period is the latter stages of World War II) so that he can earn enough money to wed Hamida. Hamida is a lovely young woman living in the alley with her adoptive mother who has attracted not just Abbas but also Salim Alwan, the well-off proprietor of a perfume business in the alley. Salim is already married but he wants to add Hamida as his second wife. There are other interesting characters in the alley. Kirsha owns a cafe and sells narcotics and is a homosexual although he is married with children. Zaita is a perpetually dirty man who lives in a small room off the bakery and makes his living by creating cripples who can then beg more effectively. Hamida's adoptive mother, Umm Hamida, is a marriage broker with fingers in all sorts of pies. As these people interact and life goes on some things stay the same and some things change.
I really felt immersed in the Egyptian culture while I was reading this book. Mahfouze won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988. The jury said "who, through works rich in nuance--now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous---has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind." That says it much better than I ever could.
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LibraryThing member amerynth
Naguib Mahfouz's "Midaq Alley" is a wonderful book that showcases the trials and tribulations of residents in an Egyptian neighborhood during the early 1940's.
The novel evokes such a great feeling of being in the alley with a myriad of characters as they go about their lives. It's an easy but
The novel evokes such a great feeling of being in the alley with a myriad of characters as they go about their lives. It's an easy but
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really entertaining read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
A fine example of Middle Eastern storytelling. This story of life in Midaq Alley in Cairo, Egypt presents a microcosm of a small community of people who make up the community. Each person is described to us in a larger than life of soap opera style. This is the early forties, the world is engaged
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in the battles of WWII but other than that, the people of the alley really have little regard for the war except for how it can profit them, either as employees of the British or the black market. This book presents a people of Islamic faith but also as they are being influenced by Western ideas. This is a time before the rebellion against Western influence has progressed to where it is today. It was an easy read with humor but lots of truths that are timeless. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
Written in the 1940s, this novel by the Egyptian Nobel laureate Mahfouz deals with the plight of impoverished classes in an old quarter of Cairo. The lives and situations depicted create an atmosphere of sadness and tragic realism. Indeed, few of the characters are happy or successful. Protagonist
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Hamida, an orphan raised by a foster mother, is drawn into prostitution. Kirsha, the owner of a cafe in the alley, is a drug addict and a lustful homosexual. Zaita makes a living by disfiguring people so that they can become successful beggars. Transcending time and place, the social issues treated here are relevant to many Arab countries today. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
I love stories that feature an ensemble cast such as this. Midaq Alley is but one of many such small streets in Cairo. The residents form a microcosm of society – you have amoral profiteers and paragons of virtue, young and old, the beautiful and the deformed, hard workers and lazy
Over the course of the novel residents of the Alley fall in love, endure heartbreak, commit crimes, fall for promises, take chances at new adventures, become ill, and simply move on with their lives. The characters are frequently seduced by their hopes: If only I had … a husband, a title, nicer clothes, a better flat…etc.
The setting is 1940s Cairo, and the characters are definitely aware of Hitler and WW2. Still, the war is “out there” and what is most important to these characters is what is happening in Midaq Alley. Mahfouz’s writing is wonderfully atmospheric – I could smell the bread baking, or the hair oil used by the barber; hear the cacophony of sound in a busy public square; see the colors and movement of people gathering in a café.
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ne’er-do-wells. Over the course of the novel residents of the Alley fall in love, endure heartbreak, commit crimes, fall for promises, take chances at new adventures, become ill, and simply move on with their lives. The characters are frequently seduced by their hopes: If only I had … a husband, a title, nicer clothes, a better flat…etc.
The setting is 1940s Cairo, and the characters are definitely aware of Hitler and WW2. Still, the war is “out there” and what is most important to these characters is what is happening in Midaq Alley. Mahfouz’s writing is wonderfully atmospheric – I could smell the bread baking, or the hair oil used by the barber; hear the cacophony of sound in a busy public square; see the colors and movement of people gathering in a café.
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
A soap opera set in 1940s Cairo.
This book made for an interesting book group discussion but I can't say I particularly enjoyed reading it. It seemed to lack flow and was more of a diary of events than a novel, in my opinion.
It's a bit of a cast of thousands, nineteen according to Wikipedia, and
All the characters come from the same poverty stricken alley in Cairo in the 1940s. Everyone strives for something better but no-one really achieves their aim. Two characters go off to fight for the British Army and that brings them wealth initially, but it is curtailed by the end of WWII. The factory owner is doing well but his health lets him down...and so on...one tale of woe after another.
I was horrified by one character, Zaita, the cripple-maker. Who would choose to be blinded or crippled just to make them a more effective beggar? They were then obliged to pay Zaita a cut of their earnings in return for his services.
I think it was the extreme nature of the characters that resulted in my failure to connect with them. Each one was more of a cartoon character than someone from a book.
However, I'm sure I now have a better understanding of life in Cairo at that time and I don't regret the time spent reading the novel.
This book made for an interesting book group discussion but I can't say I particularly enjoyed reading it. It seemed to lack flow and was more of a diary of events than a novel, in my opinion.
It's a bit of a cast of thousands, nineteen according to Wikipedia, and
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they were confusing to grasp at first. Thank goodness for the Kindle's ability to search back for key-words.All the characters come from the same poverty stricken alley in Cairo in the 1940s. Everyone strives for something better but no-one really achieves their aim. Two characters go off to fight for the British Army and that brings them wealth initially, but it is curtailed by the end of WWII. The factory owner is doing well but his health lets him down...and so on...one tale of woe after another.
I was horrified by one character, Zaita, the cripple-maker. Who would choose to be blinded or crippled just to make them a more effective beggar? They were then obliged to pay Zaita a cut of their earnings in return for his services.
I think it was the extreme nature of the characters that resulted in my failure to connect with them. Each one was more of a cartoon character than someone from a book.
However, I'm sure I now have a better understanding of life in Cairo at that time and I don't regret the time spent reading the novel.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
Published in 1947, and set in Cairo in the 1940s, this is the story of a small community of neighbors. We are introduced to the residents of Midaq Alley and find out about their ways of life. We meet the barber, café owner, a baker and his wife, a “doctor,” a “dentist,” the landlady, a
The closest we get to a protagonist is Hamida, a young woman living with her foster mother, and her three suitors. We hear about her desire to escape a life of poverty, but one has to question her ultimate choice. The people in the book are rather unpleasant. There is no overall storyline. It is a book for those who enjoy character studies with a flurry of action toward the end. I liked it enough to read another book by this author.
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matchmaker, and a several others. These characters move in and out of the narrative. The neighborhood gossips are active so not much goes on without the entire alley finding out about it.The closest we get to a protagonist is Hamida, a young woman living with her foster mother, and her three suitors. We hear about her desire to escape a life of poverty, but one has to question her ultimate choice. The people in the book are rather unpleasant. There is no overall storyline. It is a book for those who enjoy character studies with a flurry of action toward the end. I liked it enough to read another book by this author.
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LibraryThing member Gypsy_Boy
The more I read of Mahfouz, the more confused I grow. I have read excellent works and I have read works that I considered a waste of time. I chose this work specifically as one I had somehow overlooked and which has a very good reputation. The plot revolves around a large cast of individuals who
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live or work in this tiny alley in Cairo during World War II. The book is no more or less than the story of these and a number of other lives. Mahfouz’s themes are numerous: religion, marriage, gender roles, and even Egyptian nationalism. But overriding them all, perhaps is the economics of wealth and poverty. Indeed, Mahfouz is said to have acknowledged that Hamida, whose desperation to leave the alley ends in tragedy, is a metaphor for Egypt itself. The characters are very well-drawn and complex but I found not one of them particularly sympathetic. Sadly, they often seemed more pitiful than unfortunate. Mahfouz doesn’t judge—a strength of his writing and his depictions—but ultimately I found this more depressing and disappointing than anything else. [Trivia: this was made into a Mexican film, El Callejón de los Milagros, starring Salma Hayek. It won a substantial number of awards in many Spanish-speaking countries.] Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Nobel Prize in Literature (1988)
Call number
FIC J Mah