- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Fourth Estate; New edition edition (7 Jun 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007182163
- ISBN-13: 978-0007182169
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,313,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Cairo House
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Review
‘Wonderfully evocative and grounded in a strong sense of place.’ Lee Smith, author of The Last Girls
‘The postwar history of Egypt is skillfully woven into this evocative first novel’s portrayal of a wealthy Cairo family’s susceptibility to the winds of political change… Serageldin’s richly observed study of a family and culture in transition and crisis succeeds both as ironical Proustian reminiscence and as a telling exploration of the ambiguities of status, loyalty, and belonging’ Kirkus Reviews
‘Serageldin sets this beautifully crafted novel in Anwar Sadat’s Egypt… Serageldin focuses on Gigi, who is born in a country with rapidly changing culture and ideals, moves to London and the US, but never feels that any of these places is home. The novel is a great find… for any reader interested in Egyptian culture, flawlessly rendered prose, or just a good read.’ Choice
‘This novel is about the personal changes – births, growing up, growing old, deaths – that make exiles of us all. Serageldin does a wonderful job of evoking Gigi’s Cairo milieu.’ Booklist
‘Using a beautiful prose style, Serageldin makes Gigi’s problems vivid and real. This semi-autobiographical novel…is fascinating and highly entertaining.’ Library Journal
‘Serageldin’s perceptive insights into the women who “have more than one skin” enrich this narrative of displaced and out-of-place women – expatriate intellectuals both spiritually and physically.’ The Middle East Journal
‘Beautifully written, haunting and evocative…a bittersweet reflection on the ability to feel comfortable in many cultures but at home in none. Serageldin’s command of the cultural and linguistic layers of her narrative is masterful.’ Topics Tip World
Scotland Sunday Herald
'An intimate, authentic tone...provides an interesting prism through which to observe the shifting status of a complex nation.'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I recently read "Reading Lolita in Tehran" for my Book Club. I was disappointed by author Nafisi's aloof and professorial style. Reading her book, however, reminded me of much I liked "Cairo House," which also describes changes in a society following a revolution. I read "Cairo House" several years ago--as did my Book Club--and we all enjoyed the book very much. I have since read many other books written by Egyptian expatriates, and I think that "Cairo House" is one of the best of this expanding genre. Author Samia Serageldin succeeded in creating a sympathetic character whose reminiscences provide a view behind the scene into one family's experiences in a way that only a good novel can do.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book on the recommendations of several friends, and I was not disappointed. The Cairo House is totally gripping as a novel and love story, but also succeeds in immersing the reader in a completely believable world of Egyptian politics and history from the Revolution to the present day. We learn about Egyptian culture from the inside; about the role of women, Islamic traditions, class warfare under successive regimes, the events leading up to the assassination of Sadat, and much more. There is so much about this book to discuss that I will recommend it to my reading group. The reader's guide in the back contains useful and interesting materials: interview, author bio and essay, etc., another reason I will recommend this novel.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a haunting and very beautifully written book. It evokes the city of Cairo marvelously covering several decades in the last half of the century. Although the story focuses around a particular family house there, it is really a very personal story of an Egyptian woman and her life both in Egypt and abroad. I found it a very thought-provoking book and would recommend it without any doubt.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Cairo House
This is a fictional memoir about Gihan (known as Gigi), the only child of a father from a politically prominent, landowning family. Read more
Published 10 months ago by S Riaz
gripping novel
When you 've lived in Egypt a long time, every description and situation in this book reminds you of typical egyptian cultural experiences. Read more
Published 23 months ago by smalexane
Memoir as Fiction
The Cairo House is a compelling tale of love, loss, exile and tradition with decades of social and political change spun out in the history of one prominent family. Read more
Published on 30 May 2007 by Sofia
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