Heart of the Night: A Novel (Modern Arabic Literature) - Softcover

Mahfouz, Naguib

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9774169980 ISBN 13: 9789774169984

Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press, 2020

Synopsis

Nobel winning author, Naguib Mahfouz's late-translated novella, Heart of the Night is now available for the first time in paperback

Jaafar Ibrahim Sayyed al-Rawi is guided by his motto, “let life be filled with holy madness to the last breath.” He narrates his life story to a friend during one long night in a café in old Cairo. Through a series of bad decisions, he has lost everything: his family, his position in society, and his fortune. A man driven by his passions, he married a beautiful Bedouin nomad for love, and as a consequence pays a punishingly high price. From a life of comfort with a promising future guaranteed by his wealthy grandfather, he descended to the spartan life of a pauper, after being disinherited. Jaafar faces his tribulations with surprising stoicism and hope, sustained by his strong convictions, his spirituality, his sense of mission, and his deep desire to bring social justice to his people.

Heart of the Night is a classic Mahfouz gem exploring marriage across class lines, spirituality, and the harsh realities of a precarious, life written by one of Egypt's most celebrated literary masters.

About this title

About the Author

Naguib Mahfouz was born in Cairo in 1911 and began writing when he was seventeen. His nearly forty novels and hundreds of short stories range from re-imaginings of ancient myths to subtle commentaries on contemporary Egyptian politics and culture. In 1988, he was the first writer in Arabic to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died in August 2006.

Aida Bamia is a literary translator and professor emeritus of Arabic language and literature at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she lives.

Edition details

• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9774169980
• ISBN 13: 9789774169984
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 90