- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group; Anchor Books ed edition (1 May 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385485565
- ISBN-13: 978-0385485562
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 1.2 x 20.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,792,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
From the Foreword by Nadine Gordimer: "These pieces are meditations which echo that which was, has been, and is the writer Mahfouz. They are--in the words of the title of one of the prose pieces--'The Dialogue of the Late Afternoon' of his life. I don't believe any autobiography, with its inevitable implication of self-presentation, could have matched what we have here."
With more than 500,000 copies of his books in print, Naguib Mahfouz has established a following of readers for whom Echoes of an Autobiography provides a unique opportunity to catch an intimate glimpse into the life and mind of this magnificent storyteller. Here, in his first work of nonfiction ever to be published in the United States, Mahfouz considers the myriad perplexities of existence, including preoccupations with old age, death, and life's transitory nature. A surprising and delightful departure from his bestselling and much-loved fiction, this unusual and thoughtful book is breathtaking evidence of the fact that Naguib Mahfouz is not only a "storyteller of the first order" (Vanity Fair), but also a profound thinker of the first order.
With more than 500,000 copies of his books in print, Naguib Mahfouz has established a following of readers for whom Echoes of an Autobiography provides a unique opportunity to catch an intimate glimpse into the life and mind of this magnificent storyteller. Here, in his first work of nonfiction ever to be published in the United States, Mahfouz considers the myriad perplexities of existence, including preoccupations with old age, death, and life's transitory nature. A surprising and delightful departure from his bestselling and much-loved fiction, this unusual and thoughtful book is breathtaking evidence of the fact that Naguib Mahfouz is not only a "storyteller of the first order" (Vanity Fair), but also a profound thinker of the first order.
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First Sentence
I was less than seven years old when I said a prayer for the revolution. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
I was less than seven years old when I said a prayer for the revolution. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a brief volume which is an English translation. It is an interesting insight into the man who shaped and invented the modern Arab novel. Provides a useful window into Mahfouz's life and philosophy and the role writing and literature played in his life. In the book he also talks frankly about the attack upon him which left him unable to hold a pen - a tragedy for a man brought up in the pre-computer age. This is very much a cut and paste job ... mixtures of intereviews ... pieces of writing. I don't think you would necessarily need to read this to enjoy the works of the Nobel Laureate but it certainly adds value and colour to the experience of a Naguib Mahfouz novel. Not a must read but a nice to read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Autobiography of the imagination
8 May 2001
Format:Paperback
Despite its title, this is definitely not an autobiography of Mahfouz. Four things prove this: the narrator has three sons (Mahfouz had two daughters); he is sent to prison (Mahfouz never was); he works for a period outside Cairo (Mahfouz never did); he joins a Sufi order (Mahfouz assured me most emphatically that he never did). This was the last book that Mahfouz wrote. In fact he did not write it; it was put together out of pieces that he had dictated, and it is not clear how far it represents the complete work that he had in mind. I believe it should be regarded as a work of fiction, though it may be a fantasy of a life he would like to have lived. It is nevertheless a moving work, and it helps to enlarge our understanding of the author.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Words That Sing
7 Mar 2007
Format:Paperback
If you want a break from other types of books, this book is a lovely change of pace.
It consists of very short prose pieces, perfect to pick up for a few minutes or to read before bed. If words could sing, this would be quite a fascinating composition--light, happy notes; deep, melancholy tones; charming melodies.
For me, I immediately wanted to share certain passages with others. I will keep this book on my shelf to refer back to from time to time, when I want to remember how beautifully words can convey images.
I also found myself amazed that a translator (Denys Johnson-Davies) could do such a fine job. Often translated works have an awkwardness, but these pieces each flow and stand on their own as individual works.
We read this book for our book club and it was wonderful because we could each choose several pieces and read them aloud and enjoy them together.
It consists of very short prose pieces, perfect to pick up for a few minutes or to read before bed. If words could sing, this would be quite a fascinating composition--light, happy notes; deep, melancholy tones; charming melodies.
For me, I immediately wanted to share certain passages with others. I will keep this book on my shelf to refer back to from time to time, when I want to remember how beautifully words can convey images.
I also found myself amazed that a translator (Denys Johnson-Davies) could do such a fine job. Often translated works have an awkwardness, but these pieces each flow and stand on their own as individual works.
We read this book for our book club and it was wonderful because we could each choose several pieces and read them aloud and enjoy them together.
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