This is a fine novel, filled with interesting characters, well developed and all connected through their living in the Yacoubian building, a large, multi-family building that has seen better days in Cairo. From the street level to the roof where many families make their home, we trace the daily struggles, small victories, and disappointments which we could fine in any large city today. That is part of the beauty of this novel, for we sometimes forget that it does not matter if we look at Cairo, Paris, Tokyo, that the human condition is in the end, the same. And, it has not changed that much throughout history.
We find an idealistic young man whose dreams of become a police officer are crushed due to the fact that his father is a common man; in response, he becomes radicalized. There is an aging playboy who is rolled by his latest “sweetheart,” demonized by his sister and faces an uncertain future. A Christian shirtmaker who dreams of making the finest shirts in Cairo and the wealthy businessman who reaches too high. The female characters work and dream of the same things as in the West and face the same hurdles with a bravery that equals that of any individual around the world who faces poverty and few opportunities.
If you have never been to Egypt (visit, it is a fantastic nation filled with wonderful people), this little novel will open the country to you and make you feel at home.
The author has published other successful books, but he makes his living as a dentist in Cairo. The stories are based on the location and characters that he has known through his life and perhaps that is why you will feel so close to them; he writes about them with a feeling of respect and love.
If you are looking for a bit of escape, invest some time in this little gem.
