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Book Review
Mar. 26th, 2025 09:04 pmPalace Walk
by Naguib Mahfouz
This novel is the first in a trilogy that follows the members of the middle class Al Jawad family. Palace Walk is set at the end of WWI. The plot is mostly taken up with everyday family life and the activities of each member of the family. Marriages, births, and deaths occur against the backdrop of the beginnings of Egypt's struggle for independence from the British. Ahmad, the family head, while interesting, was not very likeable or even sympathetic. He rules his home and his family with an iron fist, keeping his wife and two daughters strictly cloistered within the home and maintaining close control of his three sons, despite the fact that all but the youngest child are grown. Ahmad rules by fear and harsh treatment, rarely having a kind or affectionate word for any member of his family. He's a hypocrite of the highest order, however, conducting his life outside the home in an entirely different manner: partying with friends, being witty and convivial, drinking, and pursuing affairs. I sympathized very much with Amina, even as I wished she could have stood up to Ahmad at a couple of points. She was very submissive and obedient to him, but had a strong and loving heart when it came to her children. Ahmad may have ruled the home, but Amina was the true center of the family. Of the three sons, I liked Fahmy best. He was a kind, idealistic, and passionate young man whose principles led him to be the only one to directly defy his father. The oldest son, Yasin, became increasingly like his father over the course of the book. The youngest son, Kamal, seemed pretty immature for his age, and I occasionally found him annoying. I found the relationship between the two daughters, Khadija and Aisha, very compelling with its stew of love, jealousy, affection, and resentment.
The novel started slow, but once I got into it, I found it pretty absorbing and I became quite attached to the characters. Even Ahmad, albeit in a kind of love to hate him way. Mahfouz is really good at depicting people's inner monologues.
by Naguib Mahfouz
This novel is the first in a trilogy that follows the members of the middle class Al Jawad family. Palace Walk is set at the end of WWI. The plot is mostly taken up with everyday family life and the activities of each member of the family. Marriages, births, and deaths occur against the backdrop of the beginnings of Egypt's struggle for independence from the British. Ahmad, the family head, while interesting, was not very likeable or even sympathetic. He rules his home and his family with an iron fist, keeping his wife and two daughters strictly cloistered within the home and maintaining close control of his three sons, despite the fact that all but the youngest child are grown. Ahmad rules by fear and harsh treatment, rarely having a kind or affectionate word for any member of his family. He's a hypocrite of the highest order, however, conducting his life outside the home in an entirely different manner: partying with friends, being witty and convivial, drinking, and pursuing affairs. I sympathized very much with Amina, even as I wished she could have stood up to Ahmad at a couple of points. She was very submissive and obedient to him, but had a strong and loving heart when it came to her children. Ahmad may have ruled the home, but Amina was the true center of the family. Of the three sons, I liked Fahmy best. He was a kind, idealistic, and passionate young man whose principles led him to be the only one to directly defy his father. The oldest son, Yasin, became increasingly like his father over the course of the book. The youngest son, Kamal, seemed pretty immature for his age, and I occasionally found him annoying. I found the relationship between the two daughters, Khadija and Aisha, very compelling with its stew of love, jealousy, affection, and resentment.
The novel started slow, but once I got into it, I found it pretty absorbing and I became quite attached to the characters. Even Ahmad, albeit in a kind of love to hate him way. Mahfouz is really good at depicting people's inner monologues.
