Specify Books As نادي السيارات
| Original Title: | نادي السيارات |
| Edition Language: | Arabic |
| Literary Awards: | Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize Nominee for Russell Harris (2016) |
Alaa Al Aswany
Paperback | Pages: 644 pages Rating: 3.45 | 12791 Users | 1915 Reviews
Ilustration Supposing Books نادي السيارات
The story opens in present time, with a harried author organizing his first computer printout of his newest novel; suddenly, before him stand two apparitions dressed in 1940’s apparel, Kamel and Saleha Gaafar, living breathing people from his book. They have come to add more, because, "You might have written it, but we are the ones who lived it." This charming bit of magic realism introducing the novel (which we now know will be told from an unabridged, "warts and all" perspective),is reminiscent of much Arabian storytelling: the wise man, the sage, the mystic recounts that which he was told to be true. The device is a useful one in a myriad of ways; the teller may weave lessons for his audience or, avoid responsibility for the inherent "truths" in an unstable political situation, or simply bemuse the reader and ready them for many adventures, villains, heroes, lovers and a great tale. The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany fits the bill. It is an English translation of the original Arabic, written for an Egyptian public. British phrases of the era are used throughout, appropriate as the somewhat "old-fashioned" English spoken at that time. The setting is Cairo, post WWII, prior to Egypt becoming fully independent and after years of frustration with the British imposing themselves upon the country as masters and protectors. The foreign elite maintains its rigid rituals and racial bigotry, however, seeing Egyptians as useful for providing them with service - as do local royalty, especially its indulgent and frivolous King. The setting, history, culture and social attitudes seen through the eyes of this Egyptian novelist made it quite fascinating. The Gaafar family have made the move after their finances have taken a turn for the worse, and Abd El-Aziz, father and husband, gets a job working at the prestigious Automobile Club. His wife, three sons and daughter start new lives. They make new friends, experience poverty, grief. Life goes on. James Wright, a pompous Englishman who is contemptuous of Egyptians, "They're dirty, stupid, filthy, liars and thieves", is the club manager but Alku who is the palace head chamberlain has appointed himself as staff manager. While obsequious to the foreign patrons and Egyptian royalty members, Alku is a tyrant with the staff, taking their tips and meting out physical punishment for any transgression. Indirectly or directly, The Automobile Club is the wheel around which the characters and their overlapping stories turn, as the hierarchy seeks to maintain itself, the king spends and lives ostentatiously and the workers are kept submissive. Outside, nationalism is quietly growing as resentment increases while the country remains a British protectorate. Because I am not Egyptian, I don't know whether the untarnished history described and ideas generated in the novel are meant to be food for thought indirectly and slyly offered up especially to youth of Egypt, who have no memory of the novel's timeline, as they live in a radicalized political regime. After reading a number of reviews which picked this book to death (I was trying to remember why I wanted to read it!), I decided there must have been some positive ones and settled back to read. I let myself flow with the stories, the people, the foibles, their triumphs and hopes, their struggles for dignity in the most humbling conditions and their sheer stupidity, because everyone is human. I am sorry the book came to an end. Recommended for those who have a broad range of historical knowledge, an appreciation of social differences in culture, recognition of any country's vision of government as unique and an enjoyment of irony. Unless so equipped, you may miss the best of the novel otherwise.
Describe Containing Books نادي السيارات
| Title | : | نادي السيارات |
| Author | : | Alaa Al Aswany |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | 1st Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 644 pages |
| Published | : | April 2013 by دار الشروق |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Novels. Northern Africa. Egypt. Historical. Historical Fiction. Cultural. Africa. Literature. African Literature. Egyptian Literature |
Rating Containing Books نادي السيارات
Ratings: 3.45 From 12791 Users | 1915 ReviewsJudge Containing Books نادي السيارات
I'm not sure this book is what I expected, but I read to the end. Behind the story it gently challenges us to think about the issues and effects of colonialism.As I was reading this book, I came to the stark realisation that I knew very little about Egypt. For instance, are Egyptians predominantly Arabs or Nubians? Was the country colonised and if so, who were the Imperial powers? Was it the Turks or the Brits or both? What were the race relations like in colonial Egypt? And what about colorism? All questions quite relevant for the book.I recently attended a book club discussion on this book and a majority of the attendees seemed just as clueless as I
I struggled with the rating for this book. I enjoyed the quirky characters and the plot overall kept my attention. But the telling of the tale seemed light-hearted for the subject matter. And the ending was far too neatly wrapped up and seemed inconsistently explored. Some characters have their happy ending. Some have endings that came out of nowhere. And we don't really have endings for others. Overall I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't pick it up again.
This is the first book I've read by Aswany, but it won't be the last. He brings history to life through his characters, but I was somewhat reminded of V. J. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas, not in content but in style and universality. Admittedly a little slow in the setup, but worth the effort in the end.
In all honesty, I have mixed feelings about this book. To begin with, I got easily sucked into the storyline. It was easy to empathize with the main characters Those are always good things. I considered Al Aswany a good storyteller ever since reading The Yacoubian. There are a few weak spots in my perception though, mainly the beginning and the ending of the book. The story starts off with the writer (Al Aswany himself, I suppose), who is about to finish his work and then starts doubting. In my
Another great insight into Egyptian society by Alaa El Aswany
Colliding cultures, comes to my mind as a leading motive of the novel The automobile club of Egypt by Alaa al Aswany (in Dutch De automobielclub van Caïro).Egypt, until 1952, was protected, no, was a protectorate, Great Brittain ruling, and king Faruk a puppet. Within some boundaries king Faruk had his playing ground, the automobile club serving as such. And Alku, manager of staff and all of the many servants, acts like a tyrant over the personal. In this socio-political structure the main
0 Comments