Midaq Alley [Paperback]

Naguib Mahfouz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 1, 1991

Considered by many to be Mahfouz's best novel,  Midaq Alley centers around the  residents of one of the hustling, teeming back alleys  of Cairo. No other novel so vividly evokes the  sights and sounds of the city. The universality and  timelessness of this book cannot be denied.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

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 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. With this satisfying tale, Mahfouz, often called the Charles Dickens of Arabic literature, achieves a high level of excellence as a novelist and storyteller. Highly recommended.
- Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: Arabic --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (December 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385264763
• ISBN-13: 978-0385264761
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Naguib Mahfouz was born in Cairo in 1911 and began writing when he was seventeen. A student of philosophy and an avid reader, he has been influenced by many Western writers, including Flaubert, Balzac, Zola, Camus, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and, above all, Proust. He has more than thirty novels to his credit, ranging from his earliest historical romances to his most recent experimental novels. In 1988, Mr Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He lives in the Cairo suburb of Agouza with his wife and two daughters.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A soap opera? Only on the surface... March 26, 2004

By D. Cloyce Smith TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Focusing on the lives of the inhabitants of a humble--but not wholly destitute--neighborhood, Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz's 1947 novel could be (unfairly) dismissed as "Melrose Place" in Cairo. Yet this is no Grace Metalious soap opera; Western readers will instead find that "Midaq Alley" calls to mind the style of Christopher Isherwood, the plotting of Armistead Maupin, and the characters of Rohinton Mistry. And Trevor La Gassick's superb translation make this a surprisingly fluent, elegant, and humorous yarn.

Although filmed in 1995 as "El Callejón de los milagros," a critically acclaimed Mexican film starring Selma Hayek, this novel has never quite reached the audience it deserves. Like "Tales of the City," "Midaq Alley" follows the interlinking stories of several characters who share little more than aspirations to affluence, romantic entanglements--and an address. The reader is introduced to more than a dozen characters, but the novel spotlights three: the cafe owner Kirsha, a married man who flirts with young men in front of discomfited patrons, neighbors, and friends (not to mention his incensed wife); the fickle, young, beautiful Hamida, who flits from man to man in search of wealth and comfort; and Abbas, who joins the British armed forces to earn enough money to win over Hamida.

Yet other eccentrics from the alley are just as memorable: the horrid Zaita, who serves as tyrant over the local beggars he has "fashioned" by unusual means (and whose demeanor and methods are astonishingly similar to Mr. Beggarmaster from Mistry's "A Fine Balance," written 50 years later); Mrs.... Saniya Afifi, a widow who undergoes cut-rate cosmetic dentistry to win over a new husband--and then is horrified by the hush-hush source of her new dentures; and the suave, slick, duplicitous Ibrahim Faraj, a stranger to the alley who spirits Hamida away from her home into a world of extravagance and debauchery she never imagined possible.

In the background is World War II, which ironically presents inhabitants of the alleys with the prospect of advancement in the "outside" world--an opportunity that proves both short-lived and elusive. Scratch below the surface, and you'll find a morality tale about the ultimate displeasure that materialism brings to those who worship it. Yet Mahfouz avoids didacticism when presenting his themes, opting instead for a light-hearted objectivity that brings the residents of Midaq Alley to life. Read more ›

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Midaq Alley, a must read. March 29, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

As a Senior in High School I have read my fair share of novels. The beginning of the novel was a little confusing, but after the first few chapters it became a captivating book based on many people's lives in an alley in Cairo. I have never before read a novel that was written like this one was. It jumps from story to story of the diffent characters, where at first they seem to have nothing to do with any other, but when you reach the end you understand how the stories intertwine. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I was fascinated by the streets of Cairo from Mahfouz's writing style and descriptions. It makes me want to read more of Mahfouz's works. Also I want to learn more about Cairo's "alleys". It is a great and fascinating book to read.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An intimate perspective October 15, 2002

By Luan Gaines HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This novel is the perfect distillation of Mafouz' brilliance as a writer. A slice-of-life in Midaq Alley, the characters are carefully wrought and distinct, complete with idiosyncrasies. From Uum Hamida, who brokers a marriage for the well-heeled Mrs. Saniya Afify, to Zaitas the cripple-maker, each has a role in the tapestry of life as lived in the alley.

Like the Cairo Trilogy, Mafouz creates his own rhythm and style while adapting the novel format, one not commonly found in Arabic literature when he began writing novels. His plot revolves around the denizens of Midaq Alley and their every day yearnings for happiness, love and prosperity. Whether you are familiar with this author, or this is your first Mafouz novel, it is an excellent example of the unique talent that allows the reader an intimate view of the characters common to this man's vast insight into humanity.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite books of all time! May 16, 2001

By indiestar VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I had to read this for a world literature class in college and loved it so much, I bought ALL of Mahfouz's books! He is amazing and this book is a great story. I grew up in the Middle East and this book read like some of the Arabic soap operas on TV! Mahfouz is a wonderful story teller and his books provide rich cultural insight into the lives of men and women in Egypt.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyday life made interesting April 13, 2000

By sheelpi

Format:Paperback

This book is among the best by Mahfouz, one of the world's best authors. There is too much lost in translation, but with just a basic understanding of the Middle East and of Mahfouz, I believe that can be overcome.

The main character of this book is really the alley itself. Mahfouz brings togther its inhabitants and weaves an involving tale of love, hope, faith and the effects of Western imperialism. But in the end, life in the alley just goes on, and in this Mahfouz affirms the beauty of life as we live it every day.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll become a resident of this little street June 8, 2004

By V. Wicker

Format:Paperback

This book was an excellent and not-too-difficult read. I say not too difficult because I read the entire thing on my morning and evening commute over two weeks. The narration really brings the reader into Midaq Alley, to a point where one feels like they too are peering at every character through window shades and evesdropping on conversations in the cafe. The plight of the main female character is reminiscent of Sister Carrie. Like Carrie, she is a character that one can neither like nor detest. I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more of Mahfouz's work.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Midaq Alley June 9, 2008

By Walid Irbed

Format:Paperback

Naguib Mahfouz's Midaq Alley is a fictional novel which focuses on the lives of the inhabitants of a neighborhood alley in the heart of Cairo during World War II. Told in a soap opera fashion, Mahfouz introduces the readers to nearly 12 main characters with 7 side characters. With so many characters present, it is easily noticeable that the main literary element Mahfouz employs in Midaq Alley is characterization; and thus all of the characters are crucial to the story's plot.

The main conflict within the story lies in between a struggle between those who dream of leaving the alley for a "more prosperous life" and those who are more than content with staying in the alley forever. This is highlighted between Hamida's desire to become rich and powerful and Abbas' desire to marry Hamida. Abbas, who is a poor barber in the alley, wishes to court Hamida; however, she is not interested until he decides to go work for the British Army just to please her, which was very lucrative during World War II. However, Hamida would not remain content for long as her desire for power was too great, this desire and greed would take Hamida down a path that would not only bare consequences for her, but also for those who loved and cared for her. A side struggle which followed along this same motif was between that of Kirsha, the pedophiliac café owner, and his son, Hussein Kirsha. Hussein Kirsha decides to leave his house because of his immense disgust towards the alley in which his father denounces him. Hussein Kirsha believes that the British Army will forever lucratively support him; however, World War II will soon come to an end and the alley beckons.

However, Midaq Alley does not just focus on this motif with many side stories constantly emerging throughout the novel.... From Salim Alwan, the rich business man who believes that his health will forever last him, to Zaita, the scum who controls the beggars of the Hussein district in Cairo and helps people become crippled, to Dr. Booshy, the dentist who has no real license and suspiciously attains gold dentures at low prices. In the end, Mahfouz ingeniously ties all the stories together for a heart-racing climax. A great work, one that should be in the library of all Mahfouz fans, and those who aren't. Read more ›