THE HARAFISH
The American University in Cairo Press, 1994. First Edition. Hardcover with Dust Jacket. SIGNED by Mahfouz on the title page, d. October 13, 1994. First English Edition, translated by Catherine Cobham from the 1977 Arabic Edition. 406 pp. + colophon. 8vo, sewn binding in tan paper over boards backed in gilt-stamped linen cloth. FINE copy--exceedingly clean and sharp with no signs of wear, some very light scuffing to the gilt-embossed lettering on the front cover--an 'inherent vice' flaw for any copy that was shelved without mylar. Mahfouz became the first Egyptian writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. In the half-decade following his award, a flurry of English translations of his work appeared. 'The Harafish' (Arabic for 'the common people) tells the story of a humble man who rises from poverty and obscurity to become a great leader and a legendary figure among his people. The family's wealth and status poisons subsequent generations who wallow in decadence and decay until a new 'Nagi' restores the family to its former glory. 'Mahfouz, one of the great masters of realist fiction, has here turned his prodigious storytelling abilities to a tale of mythic and epic proportions. The result is the transformation of one obscure Egyptian alley into a cosmos, teeming with contention, generational and sibling rivalries, and demigods. This work of considerable charm and verve helps round out our picture of the divine Mahfouz's virtuoso gifts.' (Philip Lopate). FINE / NEAR FINE. Item #515111
ISBN: 977424303X
Price: $750.00