Zanouba: A Novel (Middle East Literature In Translation) - Softcover

Out El Kouloub

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0815604084 ISBN 13: 9780815604082

Publisher: Syracuse University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Set in late 19th and 20th-century Egypt, this novel offers a window on the everyday lives of cloistered women and the way they interact with each other and with male relatives, spouses and other men.

About this title

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

From Library Journal:

This novel has some of the elements of a spy thriller: covert operations, mistaken identities, secrets, and betrayal. Yet it is tale of a young woman coming of age in early 20th-century Egypt. The arranged marriage of 16-year-old Zanouba to a cotton wholesaler named Ali Khalil crumbles on her wedding night. After being repaid her dowry and a three-month allowance and getting a divorce, she is able to marry again. Still a virgin, she marries gentle, pious Abdel Meguid, then joins in the harem. Mashalla, another wife who is afraid of losing her rank, especially if Zanouba bears a son, plans a vicious attack but is thwarted. In this mesmerizing story, written in simple, unpretentious prose, readers can almost taste the succulent fruits of the garden, feel the softness of the golden silk robes, and hear the cries of the professional mourners. The author, who has written several works in French (e.g., Ramza, LJ 6/15/94), was a member of the Egyptian aristocracy. Highly recommended for medium and larger fiction collections and where there is an interest in Middle Eastern culture.?Lisa S. Nussbaum, Euclid P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0815604084
• ISBN 13: 9780815604082
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 234