Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
47 used & new from £0.54

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy)
 
 

Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy) (Paperback)

by Naguib Mahfouz (Author), William Maynard Hutchins (Translator), Olive E Kenny (Translator) "She woke at midnight ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
US List Price: $16.00
UK Equivalent: £10.76
Price: £9.77 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £0.99 (9%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
15 new from £6.50 32 used from £0.54
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (New edition) £9.99 £6.99 40 used & new from £1.39
Unknown Binding 2 used & new from £7.99

Frequently Bought Together

Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy) + Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy) + Sugar Street (The Cairo Trilogy Volume 3): 2nd volume. Vol.1
Price For All Three: £23.75

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy)

Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy)

by Naguib Mahfouz
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £6.99
Sugar Street (The Cairo Trilogy Volume 3): 2nd volume. Vol.1

Sugar Street (The Cairo Trilogy Volume 3): 2nd volume. Vol.1

by Naguib Mahfouz
4.0 out of 5 stars (7)  £6.99
The Yacoubian Building

The Yacoubian Building

by Alaa Al Aswany
3.7 out of 5 stars (27)  £5.99
The White Tiger

The White Tiger

by Aravind Adiga
3.7 out of 5 stars (104)  £3.84
The Book Thief

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak
4.5 out of 5 stars (447)  £3.99
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday Australia; Anchor Books ed edition (28 Feb 1991)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385264666
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385264662
  • Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 406,387 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #23 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > M > Mahfouz, Naguib
    #51 in  Books > Fiction > World > Arabic

Product Description

Product Description
This is a sweeping and evocative portrait of both a family and a country struggling to move toward independence in a society that has resisted change for centuries. Set against the backdrop of Britain's occupation of Egypt immediately after World War I, Palace Walk introduces us to the Al Jawad family. Ahmad, a middle-class shopkeeper runs his household strictly according to the Qur'an while at night he explores the pleasures of Cairo. A tyrant at home, Ahmad forces his gentle, oppressed wife and two daughters to live cloistered lives behind the house's latticed windows, while his three very different sons live in fear of his harsh will. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover
A sweeping and evocative portrait of both a family and a country struggling to move toward independence in a society that has resisted change for centuries. Set against the backdrop of Britain’s occupation of Egypt immediately after World War I, Palace Walk introduces us to the Al Jawad family.

Ahmad, a middle-class shopkeeper, runs his household strictly according to the Qur’an while at night he explores the pleasures of Cairo. A tyrant at home, Ahmad forces his gentle, oppressed wife and two daughters to live cloistered lives behind the house’s latticed windows, while his three very different sons live in fear of his harsh will.

‘Writing worthy of a Tolstoy, a Flaubert or a Proust’
Independent

‘Luminous…All the magic, mystery and suffering of Egypt in the 1920s are conveyed on a human scale."
New York Times Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description


Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
She woke at midnight. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy)
79% buy the item featured on this page:
Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy) 4.0 out of 5 stars (21)
£9.77
The Cairo Trilogy (Everyman's Library classics)
10% buy
The Cairo Trilogy (Everyman's Library classics) 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£14.00
The Yacoubian Building
5% buy
The Yacoubian Building 3.7 out of 5 stars (27)
£5.99
Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy)
3% buy
Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy) 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)
£6.99

 

Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a superb novel with well developed characters., 27 Aug 1999
By A Customer
Palace Walk is the first novel in Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo trilogy. The three books provide a window onto a culture far removed from that of to-day's Western liberalism. His trilogy starts in 1914 and ends in the min-1950s. For our guide to this world Mahfouz uses a bourgeois family living in central Cairo. Their members act as a vehicle for interpreting the effect of world events as they impact on traditional Egyptian society. To ensure that his message is understood Mahfouz makes his story easily digestible for European readers by using the format of a Victorian bourgeois family saga. The roots for this fascinating trilogy of books can be traced back to the high-Victorian novelists of Trollop and Collins. He gives this tradition a modern twist by including comment on the main political events of the time. Although his style is Victorian his theme is not. Mahfouz focuses on two generations of one family and demonstrates how Egypt changed from an introverted, autocratic, chauvinist society to a more liberal and liberated, outward looking culture.

As an Egyptian who lived through this period he shows it to us with a sharply focused eye that can portray the inevitability of the changes and both the positive and negative elements of what was lost. The central character, Al-Said Ahmad, combines a laughing, charming side that he exposes to his male friends and concubines and another of a bullying, inflexible autocrat which he shows to his family. He lives his life as a devout muslim and recognises no conflict between these two sides to his life. In the novel he personifies the old pre-war Egypt and his death at the end of the trilogy marks the end of this ancient culture. Palace Walk, the first book in the trilogy, defines traditional Egypt. Al-Said Ahmad is the great patriarch and Amina is his devoted wife, between them we have two powerful characters from whom the whole story hangs. Mafhouz skilfully controls a large number of characters. He is prepared to give each one a large section of the book. Their relationships, problems and thoughts are carefully and minutely conveyed through their own actions and concerns and through their interactions with their family and friends. Like any great Victorian novelist Mahfouz takes his time. He wants us to be part of the family, perhaps a distant cousin who hears the stories knows the characters but is not invited to comment. The landscape that Mahfouz creates for us is dominated by Al-Sayid whose dreadful hypocrisy leaps off the page from the first chapter. Amina, his wife, despite rising at 5am to cook the family breakfast, must break her sleep in the middle of the night to greet her dominating husband as he returns from his revels. She peers down the stair well with a mixture of love and fear as the light from his lamp slowly rises towards her. Each night is the same; she kneels before him and helps him undress. She waits to be dismissed to her own room whilst he hums the songs that he has been listening to and laughs at the memories of jokes and experiences that he denies to his wife because she is a woman.

With the commitment of a devout muslim he cares for the souls of his wife and daughters by keeping them confined to his house, uneducated in any activity not directly related to managing a home. He terrifies his whole family into submitting to his will in all areas of life. But this fear excludes him from any intimacy with them. They love and admire his will, religious faith and zest for life. It is only after he has left in the morning for his shop that family life begins and his three sons and two daughters can reveal their true selves, gossip about their neighbours and bicker with each other.

Their daily lives are predicated on their gender. The two girls stay at home and through their lives we see a lost world of domestic life. Many boring and arduous tasks must be completed each day. They fight and complain but with no real will to change their destiny. They exploit the power that their domestic position gives them when fighting with their brothers. The age range of the boys allows for detailed descriptions of the old Egyptian way of life outside the home. Kamal is the youngest son and still at school. Yasin, the eldest, is a young bachelor of independent means who is beginning a life of dissipation that mirrors that of his father.

Although carefully planned to demonstrate how life changed over the middle years of this century the novel is not contrived. Each member of the family has a fully rounded character which drives their actions. This is one of those rare books where fictional characters and real events create a coherent whole.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing trilogy, 1 April 2003
By A Customer
When I went to Egypt recently, every Egyptian I met, when I expressed an interest in Egyptian literature, told me to read the Cairo trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz. Once you've read the trilogy you'll realise why he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. He tells a gripping story of a family's life in Cairo, interweaving the stories of each member of the family with the wider political events affecting Egypt during the first half of the twentieth century. It gives an insight into Egyptian life which as an outsider you could never otherwise hope to gain. The trilogy is timeless and easily the best three books I have read in the past year.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction to Egyptian Culture, 23 Nov 2002
By Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
Twelve years ago, I spent several months living in Egypt. I am an American woman, and at that time, I found much of the culture and behavior of Egyptians to be confusing. Since that time, I have married a Moroccan, and have lived in Morocco for the past ten years. I now feel that I understand much about Arab culture.

Just recently, a friend recommended I read the Cairo trilogy. I began with Palace Walk, and haven't yet read the others. This book is SUPERB. Westerners have trouble understanding how Middle Easterners THINK. This book is so wonderful because it takes you inside the mind of each of the characters, in turn, chapter-by-chapter, showing you how each one of them thinks, and allowing you to see their motivations for their behavior. One person commmented in their book review that the majority of the book concentrated on the male characters. There is a reason for this. Egyptian society is mostly about men, not about women. Even as the society modernizes, the THINKING stays the same. Mahfuz has done a masterful character study of each character in the book, as they go therough their daily lives. Without yet having read the two subsequent books, I expect that I will get more in depth into the women's lives in Sugar Street, because this is the house to which the two female daughters have moved upon their marriages to two brothers.

In the past, I have tried to read some other books by this author, and just couldn't get into them. These books are different. They really do merit the Nobel Prize. Reading them now, after being immersed in the Arab culture for 12 years, I see so many more things than I would have noticed had I read the books first. But living in this culture, I can see how accurate they are, and how the men really DO behave and think like the characters in these books! Aside from the all this, the story line is wonderful, too. I had trouble putting the book down after having read the first few pages. I recommend these books to anyone who would really like to understand the Middle Eastern culture.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating account of an Egyptian family
This was a fascinating insider view of a patriachal family in Egygt in the early twentieth century but I found my enjoyment of the narrative severely curtailed by the flowery,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by MaryAnne

3.0 out of 5 stars Get ready for culture shock
Some reviewers have said that nothing really seems to happen in the 500+ pages of "Palace Walk". I wouldn't agree with that in principle. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Rusty

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous
If this can be compared to Tolstoy then it is to Anna Karenina rather than to War and Peace. It is true that the novel occurs against the background of war and nationalist fervour... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Graham R. Hill

2.0 out of 5 stars Do not compare this to Tolstoy...
This is the first book in a highly-rated trilogy, where the entire trio of books was originally written as one book. It tells of a family in Cairo in 1918. Read more
Published 15 months ago by bloodsimple

5.0 out of 5 stars Palace Walk The Cairo Trilogy
A startlingly beautiful book and trilogy. Through Mahfouz, you see Egyptian society, social structure, religion, politics, love and a long lost era. Read more
Published on 5 May 2004 by L.Haddad

4.0 out of 5 stars a compelling read!
The characters in this book are amazingly well developed. It is crystal clear as to what drives their actions, and as the story twists into a compelling read, it is as though you... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Frustratingly Unentertaining
The first of my book group's selections, this is the very long first book in the Egyptian Nobel Prize winner's "Cairo Trilogy. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Culture shock!
Quite simply, an elegant work with the power to induce culture shock in most Western readers. The story line is almost too simplistic, yet compelling all the same. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
I liked this book very much and found it to be the only one worth reading in the trilogy. It is credible and offers a window onto a conservative Egyptian family at the turn of... Read more
Published on 27 Jul 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating glimpse of life under heavy handed patriarchy
This novel takes us to Cairo in the early 1900s when the husband/father of the family controls everyone with cruel despotism while seeming a jolly sociable man to the friends he... Read more
Published on 25 Mar 1999

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Palace of Desire

Palace of Desire

The sensual and provocative second volume in the "Cairo Trilogy... Read more
£9.99 £6.99

Find similar items

 

More From Naguib Mahfouz

Sugar Street...

Sugar Street : 2nd volume. Vol.1

Sugar Street, the climactic conclusion to Mafhouz’s masterpiece... Read more
£9.99 £6.99

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

Shop now

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates