via CSA Reviving Community
Today, we are celebrating what would’ve been the 108th birthday of the late Noble prize-winning author, Naguib Mahfouz. The internationally acclaimed genius undeniably enriched Arab libraries for nearly seven decades, with hundreds of literary works that varied between novels, short stories, plays, and cinematic scripts.
In his unforgettable memory, we had to share with you the iconic novels that you must read by the great Naguib Mahfouz.
#1 Afrah El Obba
Afrah El Obba was published in 1981, and it revolves around the life of a group of workers in one of Emad El-Din theatres in 1952. The novel was turned into a TV series in 2016 and achieved massive success, adding more fame to the story. The series starred Mona Zaki, Eyad Nassar, Gamal Soliman, Sabreen, Mohamed El Sharnouby, Sabry Fawaz, Saba Mubarak, Rania Youssef, Sawsan Badr, and Dina El Sherbiny.
Afrah El Obba got a rating of 3.94 out of 5 on the popular website Good Reads.
#2 Tharthara Fawk El Nile
This 1966 book is one of the most important literary works presented by Naguib Mahfouz. In this novel, he portrayed the indifference, refraction, and surrender to defeat after the 1967 setback.
This one was also turned into a film with the same title, and it was released in 1971. Tharthara Fawk El Nile, which was directed by Hussein Kamal, starred Adel Adham, Majda Al-Khatib, and Emad Hamdi.
Tharthara Fawk El Nile got a rating of 3.82 out of 5 on Good Reads.
#3 Awlad Haretna
Awlad Haretna is one of the most controversial novels in contemporary literature as it boldly discussed the divine self. This book contributed to Mahfouz landing the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.
The novel, that was first published by Dar Al Adab in Beirut in 1962, was not published in Egypt until 2006 because of its bold content.
Awlad Haretna was later turned into a radio series, produced by Voice of Arabia Radio and written by Abdul Rahman Fahmy. It starred Samiha Ayoub, Abd Allah Ghaith, Abd Al-Rahman Abu Zahra, Muhammad Reda, and Abd El-Aziz Ghoneim.
Awlad Haretna got a rating of 4.10 out of 5 on the popular website Good Reads.
#4 Hadees El Sabah Wel Masaa’
Philosophy was the cornerstone of Hadees El Sabah Wel Masaa’, that was published in 1987, where Mahfouz skillfully weaved its strings. The novel revolves around five generations of three families and their descendants spread throughout Cairo.
Hadees El Sabah Wel Masaa’ was also turned into a 28-episode TV series that was released in 2001. Directed by the acclaimed director Ahmed Saqr and starred a large number of veteran actors. Those included Abla Kamel, Laila Elwi, Ahmed Khalil, Khaled El Nabawy, Dalal Abdel Aziz, Ahmed El Fishawy, Menna Shalaby, Nelly Karim, Reham Abdel Ghafour, Ibrahim Yousry, Salwa Khattab, Magdi Kamel, Ahmed Siyam, Amr Waked, and others.
The novel got a rating of 4.02 out of 5 on Good Reads.
#5 Miramar
In this novel, Mahfouz takes us to Alexandria; a metropolitan melting pot known to have hosted many diasporas throughout time, especially the Greek community. Even after the revolution and the departure of the foreign diasporas, Alexandria’s vibrant fusion of cultures remained, which was easily noticed at the city’s famed Miramar hotel.
Miramar, written in 1967 and translated into English in 1978, was also turned into a film that was released in 1969, starring Shadia, Youssef Shaaban, Youssef Wahby, Emad Hamdy, Soheir Ramzy, and Nadia El Gendy.
Miramar got a rating of 3.82 out of 5 on Good Reads.
#6 Ben El Kasren
Ben El Kasren is the first instalment of Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy; a series consisting of three Nobel Prize-winning novels for literature. This trilogy is considered the best in the history of Arabic literature, according to the union of Arab writers.
The 1956 novel takes place on the eve of the 1919 Egyptian revolution and tells the story of the life of a family belonging to the bourgeois class, El Sayed Ahmed Abdel Gawad’s family.
A film based on Ben El Kasren, carrying the same name, was released in 1964, starring Yehia Shaheen, Amal Zayed, Salah Kabil, and Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, and was directed by Hassan Al-Imam.
Ben El Kasren got a rating of 4.16 out of 5 on Good Reads.
#7 Kasr El Shouq
This novel is the second part of the Cairo Trilogy and was published in 1957. Its story also revolves around El Sayed Ahmed Abdel Gawad’s family.
The novel was released as a film in 1967, starring Nadia Lotfi, Yehia Shahin, Magda El Khatib, Amal Zayed, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, Samir Sabry, and was directed by Hassan Al-Imam.
Asr El Shouq got a rating of 4.22 out of 5 on Good Reads.
#8 El Sukkariya
Published in 1957, El Sukkariya is the third part of Mahfouz’s trilogy. It continues the story of the same family, and the events of this part begin eight years after the end of the previous one.
The last part of the trilogy was also turned into a film that was released in 1973, starring Yehia Shahin, Mervat Amin, Nour El Sherif, Maha Sabry, and Abdel Moneim Ibrahim. It was directed by Hassan Al-Imam.
El Sukkariya got a rating of 4.24 out of 5 on Good Reads.
Naguib Mahfouz left our world on the 30th of August 2006, leaving us with a rich history of literary novels that will live on forever.
