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Originally written as one massive novel, Mahfouz’s publisher would not touch it. It was only by serializing it and breaking it up into three books that we get to marvel at Mahfouz’s finest work today. The Everyman’s Library edition also has an excellent introduction by Hafez.
The novel traces three generations of an Egyptian family, coping with its ups and downs, while the country was grappling with political uncertainty.
Palace Walk
The first of the three books is set around the time of the first Egyptian revolution of 1919. It is a story with three layers. On top and what drives the story are its colourful characters and how they interact with each other. In the middle is a rich exposition of Egyptian culture of the time. Simmering beneath is the growing political discontent and a national desire to cast off the yoke of British domination, just waiting to disrupt their lives and change their family irrevocably.
Mahfouz has the gift of creating memorable characters. Characters who evoke a whole range of emotions, from admiration to exasperation, from empathy to despisement.
Al-Sayyid is the patriarch and the centre of the family universe. He is parochial, pigheaded, hypocritical and has double standards. He seems modest yet thrives on adulation. He somehow manages to strike an odd balance between licentiousness and religiosity. He is a bully at home, but when confronted by the enemy, he is a coward.
Amina, his second wife, is totally subservient, yet she has an inner strength which makes her the pillar of the family, rather than her husband.
Yasin, his eldest son from his first marriage, is shallow and an idiot. He is ruled by his bestial instincts rather than by intellect.
Khadijah, his elder daughter, is most like Amina and her second in command. She suffers because of her lack of physical beauty and is rather bitter and caustic. She, too, has an inner strength and a selfless trait.
Fahmy, his middle son, is intellectual and perhaps the most alienated in the family.
Aisha, his younger daughter, is pretty and coquettish.
Kamal, his youngest son, is striking in his innocence and naivety.
The introduction to the culture of the time is fascinating. Four aspects stand out: the intricacies of family life with its hierarchy, the central role of religion in the family, arranged marriages and the status of women.
A key theme cutting across all these is the need for order and control. The most obvious is the tyrannical Al-Sayyid iron-fisted rule over his family. There is zero tolerance for disobedience. Ironically, his harsh way of raising his children has made them weak and timorous, his sons especially. His children long for control over their own lives and destinies, but they cower in deference to Al-Sayyid’s will. They lead imperfect but safe, secure, comfortable lives. They have their moments of contentment, as well as moments of disillusionment. There are parallels in Egypt’s subjection to foreign powers, as a protectorate of the British. The people desire to wrestle themselves free but there are high costs.
The writing of each character is psychological, almost reminiscent of Stefan Zweig. Each character lives within his or her own microcosm, clashing with each other at points. But ultimately they are all swept away by the irresistible flow of history.
Although long, the novel is not draggy. It is broken up into digestible episodes, with almost fable-like forms and lessons, rather than one continuous drama.
Palace of Desire
Drama!
It is difficult to discuss this book without revealing a whole lot of spoilers. This middle book of the trilogy focuses on development of the characters and relationships.
It picks up from the tragedy of Fahmy’s death in the first book, where everyone is in a more subdued and reflective state. Some interesting discussions emerge from their more contemplative state: Kamal about his career choice, Yasin about his love interest. The serenity does not last long as their hidden passions gradually emerge and wreak havoc in their lives. While there is a veneer of propriety and civility, deep down in their hearts they are resentful and scheming.
Her white scarf came down over her lavender housedress, which revealed how thin she had become. She was cloaked in a stillness at times stained by sorrow – like seawater that during a momentary calm becomes transparent enough to reveal what is beneath the surface.
We see through the facade of three characters in particular.
”How fitting it would be for all of us to be united in a single book. Why should we stay here on the ground, since we’re so drawn to the world of the imagination?”
Obsession.
Al-Sayyid. Despite suspending his partying ways, he remains popular and respectable. For a brief period, he seems to have changed from his philandering and dissolute ways. But he eventually gives in to his carnal nature, pursuing the much younger Zanuba, as though he was chasing after his lost youth. Only later does he discover that father and son are lusting after the same woman. Scandalous! In the end, Zanuba, seeks to marry him but he gets cold feet and rejects her. He also acknowledges his failure as a father, yet he does nothing about it. Loser.
Lust.
Yasin. He seemed to have turned from his degenerate ways initially. While pursuing Maryam, he cannot control himself from ogling her mother’s voluminous bottom and has an affair with her. But at least that secret is kept from Maryam. What was far worse was his utter disrespect for Maryam by bringing Zanuba to his home and getting caught. It does not end there, as he looks for prostitutes after marrying Zanuba. Idiot.
Devotion
Kamal. He has great prospects and potential. He is smitten by his best friend’s sister Aida. He is dealt a humiliating blow as she weds his friend Hasan instead. We can only speculate why. Was it scheming on the part of Hasan? Was it Kamal’s own tardiness in courting her? Was she just stringing him along all the while? Or was he never in contention because of his lower social status compared to Hasan? Sad life.
”To attain my goal, you’ll find I’m prepared to sacrifice everything except life itself. My qualifications for this important role include a large head, an enormous nose, disappointment in love, and expectations of ill health.
”The truly amazing love is mine for you. It testifies on behalf of the world against pessimistic adversaries. It has taught me that death is not the most atrocious thing we have to dread and that life is not the most splendid thing we can desire.”
Sugar Street
The third and shortest book takes a different direction from the earlier books. Fast forward to the mid-1930s and things have changed dramatically. Unlike the first two books which detail events at a specific time, the third covers a much longer period from the 1930s to the 1940s. Time becomes the dominant theme here. The French philosopher Henri Bergson, whose theories of time and duration influenced Mahfouz, gets mentioned.
The stories are more varied, rotating between different characters, primarily involving the third generation of the Al-Sayyid family. The subplots are much shorter and do not necessarily have a conclusion. Perhaps time has not only moved on, it seems to be moving faster with the ages. Time is also not kind as issues of ageing and ill health are more apparent.
Politics, politicians and political unrest mark out the chronology of this book. The evolution of society and culture are also highlighted. Perhaps the most obvious changes are with regards the status of women, from being confined to the home to seeking higher education to being in employment (stops short of leadership roles). With all this change, the Al-Sayyid family at risk of being left behind. It is most evident in this conversation between Yasin and his friends about Yasin’s daughter Karima, which sums up the changing times and the anachronistic state of the al-Sayyid family.
”Girls today are a safer bet in school than boys.”
”We don’t send our girls to secondary school. Why not? Because they are not going to take jobs.”
”Does talk like this make sense in 1938?”
“In our family, they’ll be saying it in 2038.”
The impact of social class also started to change, with the Al-Sayyid family moving downwards. Even the respectable Shawkat family was affected. There was a reversal of fortunes as Al-Sayyid’s employee, Al-Hamzawi’s son is very successful in his career and holds a high position while Al-Sayyid’s own family languish in complacency.
Besides, class and property were two existing realities that he had not created himself, no more than his father or grandfather had. He bore no responsibility for them. A combination of struggle and science could wipe out these absurdities that separated people from each other.
There are perhaps three characters who serve as markers for the transitions between the three books. We see Al-Sayyid decline from overbearing patriarch with absolute control to a self-absorbed hedonist with no self-control to a frail invalid with no control. We see Kamal move from ingenuous to idealist-romantic to alienation. The minor character the Shayk, goes from revered to irrelevant to pathetic.
The only immutable things were the streets on which they lived. Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street are actual streets in Cairo. Through the years, these streets retained their identities by the tradesmen who plied their trades along them.
So this is a fitting end to a magnificent tri-generational family history. I wonder where would they be now.
Finally, something to ponder:
Looking at Ahmad most of all, Kamal said earnestly, "The elections were rigged. Everyone in the country knows that. All the same they have been recognized officially, and the country will be governed according to their results. What this means is that people will become convinced that their representatives are thieves who stole their seats in parliament, that the cabinet ministers also stole their posts, that the whole government is bogus and fraudulent, and that theft, fraud, and deception are legitimate and officially sanctioned. So isn't an ordinary man to be excused if he renounces lofty principles and morality and believes in deceit and opportunism?"
Ahmad replied enthusiastically, "Let them rule. There's a positive side to every wrong. It's better for the people to be humiliated than for them to be intoxicated by a government they love and trust, if it does not fulfill their true wishes. I've often thought about this, and as a result I have more appreciation for the reign of despots like Muhammad Mahmud and Isma'il Sidqy."
The novel traces three generations of an Egyptian family, coping with its ups and downs, while the country was grappling with political uncertainty.
Palace Walk
The first of the three books is set around the time of the first Egyptian revolution of 1919. It is a story with three layers. On top and what drives the story are its colourful characters and how they interact with each other. In the middle is a rich exposition of Egyptian culture of the time. Simmering beneath is the growing political discontent and a national desire to cast off the yoke of British domination, just waiting to disrupt their lives and change their family irrevocably.
Mahfouz has the gift of creating memorable characters. Characters who evoke a whole range of emotions, from admiration to exasperation, from empathy to despisement.
Al-Sayyid is the patriarch and the centre of the family universe. He is parochial, pigheaded, hypocritical and has double standards. He seems modest yet thrives on adulation. He somehow manages to strike an odd balance between licentiousness and religiosity. He is a bully at home, but when confronted by the enemy, he is a coward.
Amina, his second wife, is totally subservient, yet she has an inner strength which makes her the pillar of the family, rather than her husband.
Yasin, his eldest son from his first marriage, is shallow and an idiot. He is ruled by his bestial instincts rather than by intellect.
Khadijah, his elder daughter, is most like Amina and her second in command. She suffers because of her lack of physical beauty and is rather bitter and caustic. She, too, has an inner strength and a selfless trait.
Fahmy, his middle son, is intellectual and perhaps the most alienated in the family.
Aisha, his younger daughter, is pretty and coquettish.
Kamal, his youngest son, is striking in his innocence and naivety.
The introduction to the culture of the time is fascinating. Four aspects stand out: the intricacies of family life with its hierarchy, the central role of religion in the family, arranged marriages and the status of women.
A key theme cutting across all these is the need for order and control. The most obvious is the tyrannical Al-Sayyid iron-fisted rule over his family. There is zero tolerance for disobedience. Ironically, his harsh way of raising his children has made them weak and timorous, his sons especially. His children long for control over their own lives and destinies, but they cower in deference to Al-Sayyid’s will. They lead imperfect but safe, secure, comfortable lives. They have their moments of contentment, as well as moments of disillusionment. There are parallels in Egypt’s subjection to foreign powers, as a protectorate of the British. The people desire to wrestle themselves free but there are high costs.
The writing of each character is psychological, almost reminiscent of Stefan Zweig. Each character lives within his or her own microcosm, clashing with each other at points. But ultimately they are all swept away by the irresistible flow of history.
Although long, the novel is not draggy. It is broken up into digestible episodes, with almost fable-like forms and lessons, rather than one continuous drama.
Palace of Desire
Drama!
It is difficult to discuss this book without revealing a whole lot of spoilers. This middle book of the trilogy focuses on development of the characters and relationships.
It picks up from the tragedy of Fahmy’s death in the first book, where everyone is in a more subdued and reflective state. Some interesting discussions emerge from their more contemplative state: Kamal about his career choice, Yasin about his love interest. The serenity does not last long as their hidden passions gradually emerge and wreak havoc in their lives. While there is a veneer of propriety and civility, deep down in their hearts they are resentful and scheming.
Her white scarf came down over her lavender housedress, which revealed how thin she had become. She was cloaked in a stillness at times stained by sorrow – like seawater that during a momentary calm becomes transparent enough to reveal what is beneath the surface.
We see through the facade of three characters in particular.
”How fitting it would be for all of us to be united in a single book. Why should we stay here on the ground, since we’re so drawn to the world of the imagination?”
Obsession.
Al-Sayyid. Despite suspending his partying ways, he remains popular and respectable. For a brief period, he seems to have changed from his philandering and dissolute ways. But he eventually gives in to his carnal nature, pursuing the much younger Zanuba, as though he was chasing after his lost youth. Only later does he discover that father and son are lusting after the same woman. Scandalous! In the end, Zanuba, seeks to marry him but he gets cold feet and rejects her. He also acknowledges his failure as a father, yet he does nothing about it. Loser.
Lust.
Yasin. He seemed to have turned from his degenerate ways initially. While pursuing Maryam, he cannot control himself from ogling her mother’s voluminous bottom and has an affair with her. But at least that secret is kept from Maryam. What was far worse was his utter disrespect for Maryam by bringing Zanuba to his home and getting caught. It does not end there, as he looks for prostitutes after marrying Zanuba. Idiot.
Devotion
Kamal. He has great prospects and potential. He is smitten by his best friend’s sister Aida. He is dealt a humiliating blow as she weds his friend Hasan instead. We can only speculate why. Was it scheming on the part of Hasan? Was it Kamal’s own tardiness in courting her? Was she just stringing him along all the while? Or was he never in contention because of his lower social status compared to Hasan? Sad life.
”To attain my goal, you’ll find I’m prepared to sacrifice everything except life itself. My qualifications for this important role include a large head, an enormous nose, disappointment in love, and expectations of ill health.
”The truly amazing love is mine for you. It testifies on behalf of the world against pessimistic adversaries. It has taught me that death is not the most atrocious thing we have to dread and that life is not the most splendid thing we can desire.”
Sugar Street
The third and shortest book takes a different direction from the earlier books. Fast forward to the mid-1930s and things have changed dramatically. Unlike the first two books which detail events at a specific time, the third covers a much longer period from the 1930s to the 1940s. Time becomes the dominant theme here. The French philosopher Henri Bergson, whose theories of time and duration influenced Mahfouz, gets mentioned.
The stories are more varied, rotating between different characters, primarily involving the third generation of the Al-Sayyid family. The subplots are much shorter and do not necessarily have a conclusion. Perhaps time has not only moved on, it seems to be moving faster with the ages. Time is also not kind as issues of ageing and ill health are more apparent.
Politics, politicians and political unrest mark out the chronology of this book. The evolution of society and culture are also highlighted. Perhaps the most obvious changes are with regards the status of women, from being confined to the home to seeking higher education to being in employment (stops short of leadership roles). With all this change, the Al-Sayyid family at risk of being left behind. It is most evident in this conversation between Yasin and his friends about Yasin’s daughter Karima, which sums up the changing times and the anachronistic state of the al-Sayyid family.
”Girls today are a safer bet in school than boys.”
”We don’t send our girls to secondary school. Why not? Because they are not going to take jobs.”
”Does talk like this make sense in 1938?”
“In our family, they’ll be saying it in 2038.”
The impact of social class also started to change, with the Al-Sayyid family moving downwards. Even the respectable Shawkat family was affected. There was a reversal of fortunes as Al-Sayyid’s employee, Al-Hamzawi’s son is very successful in his career and holds a high position while Al-Sayyid’s own family languish in complacency.
Besides, class and property were two existing realities that he had not created himself, no more than his father or grandfather had. He bore no responsibility for them. A combination of struggle and science could wipe out these absurdities that separated people from each other.
There are perhaps three characters who serve as markers for the transitions between the three books. We see Al-Sayyid decline from overbearing patriarch with absolute control to a self-absorbed hedonist with no self-control to a frail invalid with no control. We see Kamal move from ingenuous to idealist-romantic to alienation. The minor character the Shayk, goes from revered to irrelevant to pathetic.
The only immutable things were the streets on which they lived. Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street are actual streets in Cairo. Through the years, these streets retained their identities by the tradesmen who plied their trades along them.
So this is a fitting end to a magnificent tri-generational family history. I wonder where would they be now.
Finally, something to ponder:
Looking at Ahmad most of all, Kamal said earnestly, "The elections were rigged. Everyone in the country knows that. All the same they have been recognized officially, and the country will be governed according to their results. What this means is that people will become convinced that their representatives are thieves who stole their seats in parliament, that the cabinet ministers also stole their posts, that the whole government is bogus and fraudulent, and that theft, fraud, and deception are legitimate and officially sanctioned. So isn't an ordinary man to be excused if he renounces lofty principles and morality and believes in deceit and opportunism?"
Ahmad replied enthusiastically, "Let them rule. There's a positive side to every wrong. It's better for the people to be humiliated than for them to be intoxicated by a government they love and trust, if it does not fulfill their true wishes. I've often thought about this, and as a result I have more appreciation for the reign of despots like Muhammad Mahmud and Isma'il Sidqy."
