Book Review

The Revenge Of Instinct (إنتقام غريزة) by Islam Nada: Islam Nada is proving to be a rising star in the Egyptian Mystery/Sci-Fi genre. This is the second book of his that I’ve had the chance to read, and I have to say that, now, I am officially a fan of his work, as The Revenge Of Instinct (despite having a very weird title) is a solid collection of genre-hopping short stories that have one thing in common: the element of suspense.

In his introduction, Nada acknowledges Egyptian writer Ihsan Abd El Qodoos and Agatha Christie as influences. Well, it definitely shows, as the stories deal with everything from rape, to insanity, to puzzling murders, to government corruption , to faith, to aliens, you name it! Although some stories are better written than others (A Second Chance is especially silly and preachy), the majority of the tales are well-crafted, high on readability – mainly due to Nada’s smooth and straightforward prose – and, most importantly, hugely entertaining.

Highlights include the title story, a psycho-sexual tale that is reminiscent of Ihsan Abdel Qodoos’s work; Homesickness and The Mother, two extremely short stories with clever twist endings and which bring to mind the short stories of Daphne Du Maurier; Ravings, a taut, suspenseful tale with a brilliant twist; The Hero, a darkly comic crime tale; and the closing story A Murder On The Catwalk, an entertaining and meticulously crafted Agatha Christie/Arthur Conan Doyle pastiche.

Reading this collection, I was amazed by how ambitious and well-crafted these stories are, and Nada’s love for the psychological suspense and whodunit genres is obvious and admirable, as I can only think of a handful of contemporary Arab writers who dabble in this kind of fiction, most of them unsuccessfully. And even though Nada is still finding his voice, this is a fine collection of stories that is an easy read and a perfect book for a rainy night.

Available from Dar Al Kotob here.

Book Review

The Corruption Of Places (فساد الأمكنة) By Sabry Moussa: First published in 1973 and now re-issued as part of Dar El Shourok's "Special Spotlight" series, Sabry Moussa's The Corruption of Places (فساد الأمكنة) is a truly original book that defies categorization. Part fantasy, part historical novel, and part Greek-Tragedy, it is unlike any Arabic book I've ever read.

The plot revolves around Nicola, an European immigrant whose travails lead him to Egypt circa 1940's, where he becomes involved in a massive mining operation in the Eastern Desert. While there, he meets an array of strange characters, witnesses the injustice the poor locals are subjected to by the hands of the rich and powerful (both Egyptian and British), and experiences the tragedy of losing his daughter before his eyes.

But the plot isn't the book's strength, as the novel is mainly made up of loosely connected episodes that are high on atmosphere and texture, but low on plotting and characterization. And, basically, this is The Corruption of Places in a nutshell: It is a masterpiece of ambiance and visual poetry, but the plot is forced and the characterization pretty slapdash. Add to that Sabry Moussa's verbose style, and what you get is a book that is not an easy read. But that doesn't mean that it is not worth the effort, as within the book are moments of such beauty and power, that one forgives the story's shortcomings, and the story does pick up steam near the final third, when Moussa's stunning descriptive powers are fully showcased.

So, if you are looking for something different, original, and haunting, grab a copy of Sabry Moussa's The Corruption Of Places, a fine example of alternative Arabic literature.

New book reviews coming this month!

I know I said that I would post new reviews starting this past February, but, lately, I have been working on several projects at once and have gotten a bit behind on my reviewing duties. But, starting this month, I am going to post new reviews of some really stellar books, many of which have been overlooked by mainstream media and awards.

So keep watching this space and thanks for your patience!