- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Sceptre (3 Sep 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 034092487X
- ISBN-13: 978-0340924877
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 605,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'His fiction has both tenderness and melancholy. It is charged with the sadness of hopes unfulfilled and of friendships betrayed in a country in which the long shadows of myth and history fall across the lives of the poor as well as the powerful...He is the Thomas Hardy of Egypt.' (Margaret Drabble, Guardian )
'SUNSET OASIS is a highly ambitious and accomplished work' (Nagham Osman )
'SUNSET OASIS is a work of fiction in which nothing is small or petty, and everything in it - the theme, the workmanship, and even the size - is large.' (Mona Anis )
'A subtle cast of characters emotively bring the complexity of politics to vivid, powerful life' (Zena Alkayat, Metro )
'Fascinating...The most compelling journey is that of Mahmoud inwards, an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the honest but weak man' (Navtej Sarna, Times Literary Supplement )
'SUNSET OASIS is a highly ambitious and accomplished work' (Nagham Osman )
'SUNSET OASIS is a work of fiction in which nothing is small or petty, and everything in it - the theme, the workmanship, and even the size - is large.' (Mona Anis )
'A subtle cast of characters emotively bring the complexity of politics to vivid, powerful life' (Zena Alkayat, Metro )
'Fascinating...The most compelling journey is that of Mahmoud inwards, an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the honest but weak man' (Navtej Sarna, Times Literary Supplement )
Product Description
When Mahmoud Abd El Zahir is sent to govern the remote Egyptian oasis of Siwa in the late 1890s, he knows the danger he faces - two of his predecessors were murdered. But having been accused of disloyalty to the current regime and its British overlords, he has little choice. Rather than stay behind in Cairo, his Irish wife Catherine insists on going too, hoping to reinvigorate their relationship.
Once at Siwa, Mahmoud finds himself not only fiercely resented but caught between two warring factions, while Catherine, with her Western ways and seemingly avaricious interest in the local archaeological sites, succeeds in alienating the entire community - all except for a beautiful young woman, herself an outcast, whose attempt at friendship spells disaster.
In this fascinating novel, Bahaa Taher weaves together several voices to capture a society at war with itself and a marriage in trouble. At once a complex tale of love and an exploration of power, occupation and rebellion, SUNSET OASIS tells of people struggling to free themselves from the grip of the past. It is a striking, haunting work by one of the Arab world's most celebrated writers.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The two aspects of this book that I most enjoyed were the fascinating account of travelling across the desert, complete with a sand storm/tornado and the interesting insight into an intercultural marriage from the point of view of an Egyptian man.
Unfortunately though, the book overall didn't really grab me.
Having disgraced himself in the eyes of the Egyptian heierachy, Mahmood is relegated to the position of District Commissioner of the isolated Siwa Oasis. He travels there with his Irish wife, Catherine, who is fascinated by the antiquities of the area that date back to the Romans, Greeks and, her particular interest, Alexander the Great.
Mahmood and his wife are not welcome however, not surprisingly, as he is required to collect excessive amounts of tax from the residents of the oasis, in the form of olive oil and dates, that will be transported back to Cairo. This makes it difficult for Catherine to travel to the ancient sites she wishes to visit and her determination to do so causes further animositiy between themselves and the locals.
Add to this the infighting between the Easterners and the Westerners within the oasis community and various characters who are out purely for their own gains.
While I found a lot of this book interesting - the local customs and beliefs, the descriptions of the area, the mechanics of the Agwad (ruling body of the oasis) - overall it was a bit dry. The characters didn't really grab me and I wasn't driven to turn the next page.
A good read for devoted fans of "Global" literature, but otherwise not a 'must-have'.
Unfortunately though, the book overall didn't really grab me.
Having disgraced himself in the eyes of the Egyptian heierachy, Mahmood is relegated to the position of District Commissioner of the isolated Siwa Oasis. He travels there with his Irish wife, Catherine, who is fascinated by the antiquities of the area that date back to the Romans, Greeks and, her particular interest, Alexander the Great.
Mahmood and his wife are not welcome however, not surprisingly, as he is required to collect excessive amounts of tax from the residents of the oasis, in the form of olive oil and dates, that will be transported back to Cairo. This makes it difficult for Catherine to travel to the ancient sites she wishes to visit and her determination to do so causes further animositiy between themselves and the locals.
Add to this the infighting between the Easterners and the Westerners within the oasis community and various characters who are out purely for their own gains.
While I found a lot of this book interesting - the local customs and beliefs, the descriptions of the area, the mechanics of the Agwad (ruling body of the oasis) - overall it was a bit dry. The characters didn't really grab me and I wasn't driven to turn the next page.
A good read for devoted fans of "Global" literature, but otherwise not a 'must-have'.
Sunset Oasis
Mahmoud (Egyptian) and Catherine (Irish) are married. Cross cultural marriages are always interesting, with plenty of scope for misunderstandings.
Mahmoud has been unfaithful to Catherine, and she wants to get back to the closeness of the early days of their marriage. When Mahmoud is transferred to the Siwa Oasis to collect taxes, Catherine decides to go too, despite advice to the contrary. They rekindle their earlier passion on the journey and in their initial time at the oasis.
Catherine is also interested in the history of the place, and the possibility of finding out more about Alexander the Great who was there.
The people of the Siwa Oasis are antagonistic towards Mahmoud, understandably, as he wants them to hand over large amounts of their harvest, and there is much hard-headed bargaining in an attempt to reduce the taxation.
Catherine is dismayed to find that the people are also unfriendly towards her, and her attempts to find out more end in disaster.
Chapters alternate between the main characters, mainly Mahmoud and Catherine, but also others who play an important part in the unfolding story. Also one rather longwinded chapter in the voice of Alexander the Great!
Interesting!
Mahmoud (Egyptian) and Catherine (Irish) are married. Cross cultural marriages are always interesting, with plenty of scope for misunderstandings.
Mahmoud has been unfaithful to Catherine, and she wants to get back to the closeness of the early days of their marriage. When Mahmoud is transferred to the Siwa Oasis to collect taxes, Catherine decides to go too, despite advice to the contrary. They rekindle their earlier passion on the journey and in their initial time at the oasis.
Catherine is also interested in the history of the place, and the possibility of finding out more about Alexander the Great who was there.
The people of the Siwa Oasis are antagonistic towards Mahmoud, understandably, as he wants them to hand over large amounts of their harvest, and there is much hard-headed bargaining in an attempt to reduce the taxation.
Catherine is dismayed to find that the people are also unfriendly towards her, and her attempts to find out more end in disaster.
Chapters alternate between the main characters, mainly Mahmoud and Catherine, but also others who play an important part in the unfolding story. Also one rather longwinded chapter in the voice of Alexander the Great!
Interesting!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Speedy delivery, appropriate packaging and the book itself was excellent. Very elaborately written and translated.The story was so fascinating and catchy that I read the book in one single afternoon.
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