THE DAYS (H) (Modern Arabic Writing) [Board book]

Taha Hussein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001 | Series: Modern Arabic Writing

For the first time ever, the three-part autobiography of one of modern Egypt's greatest writers and thinkers is available in a single volume. The collection includes An Egyptian Childhood (1929), The Stream of Days: A Student at the Azhar (1939) and A Passage to France (1973).

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Arabic

About the Author

Taha Hussein (1889-1973) was most influential through his voluminous, varied and controversial writings. He was unofficially known as the ''Dean of Arabic Letters.''

Product Details

• Board book: 406 pages
• Publisher: AUC Press; 2 edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9774244354
• ISBN-13: 978-9774244353
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,062,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Helen Keller of Egypt, June 3, 2002

By 

Isis S. Mikhail (Birmingham, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: THE DAYS (H) (Modern Arabic Writing) (Board book)

Like Helen Keller, Taha Hussain overcame the challenges of his blindness to be an inspiration to everyone who knew him. Born in 1889 in a small village in Egypt, the 7th of 13 children, and blinded in his early childhood by a mistake of the local barber (and village surgeon!), one would expect Taha Hussein to become just another statistic. Instead, his brilliant mind led him to receive the highest levels of education in Egypt, followed by a PhD from the Sorbonne University in France, and achieve wide recognition and honors as a writer, faculty member, dean, minister of education, and a Nobel prize nominee in literature. There are few human beings who overcome adversity of such magnitude. Taha Hussein's autobiography is unique and sometimes controversial, but certainly an inspiration to anyone who reads it. This edition, which includes all 3 parts of his biography now joined in one book, is well worth it and a must read.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, April 29, 2000

By 

AA "ashour001" (Newton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE DAYS (H) (Modern Arabic Writing) (Board book)

This is a must read for those interested in Egypt and Egyptian culture. It is an absolute classic, wonderfully written and well translated. The story of a poor blind boy with incomparable talent and motivation, It is also a beautiful love story, cross cultural marriage, conflict between civilizations and the push and pull between the sacred and the secular. Taha Hussien rose from very poor and humble origin to the heights of Egyptian society.

Each of the three parts of this book was translated by a different person, as a result it takes a bit of time to get adjusted to the new style as well as a new phase of the life of Taha Hussien.

The first part of the book, specially with the third person style can get a bit tedious but if you perceiver through that you will get the double reward of enjoying the book and learning more about this truly unique man.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, September 12, 2007

By 

NourHayati (GR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Days: His Autiobiography in Three Parts (Paperback)

A must for those who like arab literature. It is an autobiographical text of one of the most important Egyptian writers of the 20th century, who was blind and managed to succeed in his studies and his carreer. He was the first Egyptian to be granted a PhD from France and the founder of the Faculty of Greek and Latin Philosophy at the University of Cairo. The text itself is at some parts sad, at others funny, at others full of agony for the future... All these written with the unique style of Taha Hussein. I recommend it!