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Palace of Desire (Paperback)

by Naguib Mahfouz (Author) "Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad closed the door behind him and crossed the courtyard of his house by the pale light of the stars ..." (more)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
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Product Details

Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Anchor; Reprint edition (Dec 1 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385264682
ISBN-13: 978-0385264686
Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 545 g

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #191,135 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#22 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern > Arabic

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In this second volume of Nobel laureate Mahfouz's Cairo trilogy, a tyrannical father discovers that his mistress has secretly married his just-divorced son. "A masterpiece, albeit a wordy, very leisurely one, this family saga is well served by a scintillating translation that exposes English-language readers to an Egyptian Balzac," said PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Al-Sayyid Ahmad is mellowing as he leaves middle age. As this second novel of "The Cairo Trilogy" opens, he is ending his self-imposed abstention from liquor and women, begun five years earlier upon the death of his son, Fahmy. With shouts of joy, his friends welcome him back to their nightly revels, and al-Sayyid Ahmad promtly begins a new love affair. Meanwhile, his children are struggling with life beyond their father's domination. Yasin is twice divorced and incapable of resisting any woman. The two married daughters are split by an open feud. And Kamal, the intellectual center of this novel, enters college, where he suffers the three furies of religion, science, and romance. Through all these avenues, Mahfouz pursues his fascinating examination of Cairo's Islamic culture as it opens to modern influences. This novel continues the outstanding quality of this trilogy, leaving readers anxious for the final volume.
-Paul E. Hutchison, Pequea, Pa.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad closed the door behind him and crossed the courtyard of his house by the pale light of the stars. Read the first page

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	94% buy the item featured on this page: Palace of Desire 4.2 out of 5 stars (11) CDN$ 13.83
	6% buy The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) CDN$ 25.20

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Palace Walk, April 11 2004

By	J. Jacobs - See all my reviews

A continuation of Palace Walk, the story seemed to drag on. I found Kamal's intellectual transformations interesting, but quickly tired of Yasin's escapades and the focus on men and their indiscretions with women. Mahfouz also used analogies sometimes to excess.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Mahfouz a Master of Characterization, Jul 13 2003

By	Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

While this book could be read on it's own, I highly suggest reading Palace Walk first, as it is a sequel. The reader really needs the background from the first book to fully appreciate this one.

This book opens with the father, Al Sayyid Ahmad Abd al Jawad, in middle age. He,and his oldest son, Yasin continue their romantic escapades. Kamal is hurt terribly in love. This book absolutely deverves the Nobel Prize for Literature that it won, as you really feel with all of the characters. Naguib Mahfouz is a master of characterization, and of many different types of characters.

If you have read and enjoyed Palace Walk, by all means, continue with Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street (third and last of the series of three). You will NOT be disappointed.

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4.0 out of 5 stars The Saga Continues, Nov 30 2002

By	debra crosby (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this, the second novel of the Cairo Trilogy (although I hesitate to call it that, since I now see the "trilogy" more as a novel in its entirety, which is what Mahfouz apparently preferred it to be), the movement of the narrative is more toward introspection, as we enter the mind of the youngest member of the family, Kamal. Kamal is a philosophically and romantically minded young man, an idealist who wants to be a teacher in spite of his father's strong opposition and the fact that the profession he seeks to enter gets little respect from his friends and the society in which he lives. His openness to the new ideas (such as evolution) stands in direct opposition to his father's staunch defense of the old ways and the old religious beliefs.

While sometimes I found the narrative a bit slow (too much of Kamal's ruminations on the nature of love, for example), I still enjoyed this section of the saga. I got a feel for Mahfouz' world view and a further education on the Middle Eastern mind. Egypt continues in a turmoil which parallels that of the young Kamal. Europe beckons, taking his best friend from him. The Western Influence is a source of pain and curiosity at the same time. More and more the reader comes to see why the Middle East views the West with scepticism and scorn.

Kamal's father begins to slide into infirmity, losing physical strength but not inner passion, and the family will soon no doubt have to deal with the problems related to the possible loss of its patriarch.

As always, well written, compelling narrative, for the most part. I will continue to complete the trilogy by reading "Sugar Street." This family saga is one I want to complete.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An Egyptian Family, the story continues
The family saga continues in book 2 of the Cairo trilogy, this time with Kamal as a main focus, his earlier childhood devotion to religion has been rejected and he has become a... Read more

Published on Nov 19 2002 by Gail Moore

4.0 out of 5 stars Enter through the imagination
As a college teacher trying to help American students to understand why we are not universally popular in the Middle East, I have found that fiction works better than any number... Read more

Published on May 9 2002 by sally a mcnall

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique window into Arabic culture and Arabic weltanschauung.
I do consulting in the refining and petrochemical industries and have, as a result, struck up several friendships with Arabs and Arab-Americans working in those facilities. Read more

Published on Mar 18 2002 by David J. Gannon

3.0 out of 5 stars pretty lackluster read
Palace of Desire continues the Cairo Trilogy of Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz. Like it's excellent predecessor, Palace Walk, it follows the family saga of the patriarchal... Read more

Published on Nov 18 2000 by Orrin C. Judd