Yixinyuan The Cairo Trilogy, Part Three

Author: (Egypt) Naguib Mahfouz, translated by Chen Zhongyao and Lu Yingying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Naguib Mahfouz is a Nobel Prize-winning author, and Cairo Trilogy is one of his major works. The novel depicts the various changes in Egyptian social history from 1917 to 1944 through the different fates of three generations of a family. Each volume focuses on the life of one generation, with the title of the book reflecting the generation's place of residence. The work resembles a vivid tapestry of modern Egyptian customs. The third volume, A Land of Enchantment, primarily portrays the life paths of the third generation of the Ahmad family.
Yasin's son, Radwan, enters the government and ingratiates himself with many influential figures; Hadya's eldest son, Monaem, enters the law school and becomes an ardent religious extremist; the younger son works at a newspaper office, meets the socialist Susan, and decides to marry her, using his home as a venue for discussing Marxism; Monaem, meanwhile, turns his home into a club for the Muslim Brotherhood. Later, both brothers are sent to internment camps by the authorities. Kamal draws inspiration from his nephew's struggle spirit, breaks free from his indecisiveness, and embarks on a revolutionary path. Kamal represents the middle-class intellectual in Egypt during the low tide of the revolution and is also an embodiment of the author.