Resources
Thursday's Treasures: The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street
0 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 1/03/2008 09:22:00 PMI haven't read many pages this week to write about. I will get caught up by next week!
Thursday's Treasures: The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk
0 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 12/27/2007 09:30:00 PMThe characters in Palace Walk have been through some type of drama. Khadijah is afraid that she may never marry because she has an "ugly" nose. Yasin begins to learn about his father's other life, where he goes out at night, drinking, enjoying women and music, therefore Yasin doesn't feel as bad when he is out drinking and partying. Kamal tries to figure out life as he becomes more aware. He even starts speaking with the English soldiers who are camped outside their house. Fahmy is now a political activist, however his family does not know this until an incident occurs at mosque involving Yasin.
Someone accuses Yasin of being a traitor because he is seen speaking with the English soldiers and sometimes smoking. Many people surround Yasin until Fahmy and their father surround him. Although Yasin is largely built, he is deathly afraid of this confrontation. Another political activist recognizes Fahmy and tells the crowd that they have nothing to worry about because Yasin is a Fahmy's brother. The young political activist tells the crowd that Fahmy is a leader and on the committee. The crowd disperses. Ahmad, Fahmy and Yasin's father, is very upset and humiliated due to the confrontation. He is also upset at his sons for "causing" this confrontation. Later that night, their father talks to them one by one. He calls Yasin to discipline him for his behavior.
This is where I have stopped reading. I will let you know what happens next week!
Thursday's Treasures: Palace Walk of Cairo Trilogy *POSSIBLE SPOILER*
0 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 12/20/2007 11:40:00 PM*POSSIBLE SPOILER*
Taking place in Cairo, Egypt, in 1917, Al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad runs a tight and strict home, and he has some of the toughest rules for his family. His family is expected to be religious and obedient. They cannot question their father's behavior and actions even when Yasin had seen him with another woman, for example.
Main Characters include:
- Al Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad
- Amina, the wife
- Yasin, son from Abd al-Jawad's first marriage
- Fahmy, son from Abd al-Jawad and Amina's marriage
- Kamal, son
- Khadijah, daughter
- Aisha, daughter
Amina is a submissive role. She does not have any type of real conversation with her husband. She also acts as a personal servant to her husband. She pretends not to know about her husband's affairs with other women.
Yasin has more things in common with his father than he previously thought. They both love women and have unlawful relationships with them. They both like to drink, listen and play music. Yasin also looks like his father. Eventually, his father marries him off.
Fahmy is a serious law student. He is involved with the nationalist movement against Britain. He is more of an idealist. He becomes aware of his father's actions.
Kamal is the youngest child. He befriends British soldiers. He is also close to his mom and sisters. He becomes disappointed when his sisters marry.
Khadijah is the elder daughter. She is known to have a sharp tongue and be sarcastic on many things. She is also less beautiful than Aisha, her younger sister. Khadijah has this fear that her sister will marry before her.
Aisha does get married before Khadijah. She always tries to be on good terms with Khadijah.
Thursday's Treasures: The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk
0 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 12/13/2007 08:49:00 PMI have just begun reading The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk (Part One). I will post an update tomorrow in this section.
Labels: Thursday's Treasures
Thursday's Treasures: The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street
0 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 12/06/2007 09:20:00 PMI was never a reader until I was in third grade. I remember one day my parents met with my third grade teacher, and they both agreed that I had to read more otherwise I would struggle in school.
My teacher and parents came up with a plan where I had to read a couple of books everyday to my parents, then they would ask me questions and then sign a slip saying I read for the day. As we did that everyday, I soon loved reading and it began to show!
The years later, I would read more than 200 books in one year while I completed elementary school. As I went into middle and high school, I did not reach up to 200 books due to being more detailed, homework and other responsibilities.
Unfortunately, I don't read as often I like as an adult, so I when I do read I try to read classics or books my family or I will benefit from.
This is just a little history to know where I am coming from.
Today, I have chosen to read The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street by Naguib Mahfouz. These are three novellas into one book. This is about a family in colonial Egypt. Mahfouz focuses on the social ills and tribulations of society during Britain's occupation.
You have the option of purchasing each title separately, but I didn't because it is actually cheaper this way.
Naguib Mahfouz is an Egyptian author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988. Born in 1911, Mahfouz died in 2006.
Each Thursday, I will discuss where I am at in reading or will be discussing plays.
Art
