Children of the Alley: A Novel

Author

Naguib Mahfouz

Original Work

Children of Gebelawi

Translator

Peter Theroux

Language

English

Year

1996

Publisher

Random House

Country

United States

Pages

448

ISBN

978-0385264730

0000

The tumultuous alley of this rich and intricate novel (first published in Arabic in 1959) is inhabited by a delightful Egyptian family, but is also the setting for a second, hidden, and more daring narrative: the spiritual history of humankind. The men and women of a modern Cairo neighborood unwittingly reenact the lives of their holy ancestors: from the feudal lord who disowns one son for diabolical pride and puts another to the test, to the savior of a succeeding generation who frees his people from bondage. This powerful novel confirms again the richness and variety of Mahfouz's storytelling and his status as "the single most important writer in modern Arabic literature" (Newsweek).— Google Books