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The Yacoubian Building
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The Yacoubian Building Paperback - 2006

by Alaa Al Aswany


From the publisher

August Book Sense Pick

A fading aristocrat and self-proclaimed 'scientist of women.' A purring, voluptuous siren. A young shop-girl enduring the clammy touch of her boss and hating herself for accepting the modest banknotes he tucks into her pocket afterward. An earnest, devout young doorman, feeling the irresistible pull toward fundamentalism. A cynical, secretly gay newspaper editor, helplessly in love with a peasant security guard. A roof-squatting tailor, scheming to own property. A corrupt and corpulent politician, twisting the Koran to justify taking a mistress.

All live in the Yacoubian Building, a once-elegant temple of Art Deco splendor slowly decaying in the smog and hubbub of downtown Cairo, Egypt. In the course of this unforgettable novel, these disparate lives converge, careening inexorably toward an explosive conclusion. Tragicomic, passionate, shockingly frank in its sexuality, and brimming with an extraordinary, embracing human compassion, The Yacoubian Building is a literary achievement of the first order.

First line

The distance between Baehler Passage, where Zaki Bey el Dessouki lives, and his office in the Yacoubian Building is not more than a hundred meters, but it takes him an hour to cover it each morning as he is obliged to greet his friends on the street.

From the rear cover

This controversial bestselling novel in the Arab world reveals the political corruption, sexual repression, religious extremism, and modern hopes of Egypt today.

All manner of flawed and fragile humanity reside in the Yacoubian Building, a once-elegant temple of Art Deco splendor now slowly decaying in the smog and bustle of downtown Cairo: a fading aristocrat and self-proclaimed "scientist of women"; a sultry, voluptuous siren; a devout young student, feeling the irresistible pull toward fundamentalism; a newspaper editor helplessly in love with a policeman; a corrupt and corpulent politician, twisting the Koran to justify his desires.

These disparate lives careen toward an explosive conclusion in Alaa Al Aswany's remarkable international bestseller. Teeming with frank sexuality and heartfelt compassion, this book is an important window on to the experience of loss and love in the Arab world.

Details

  • Title The Yacoubian Building
  • Author Alaa Al Aswany
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Harper Per
  • Pages 272
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, New York
  • Date 2006-08-01
  • Features Glossary
  • ISBN 9780060878139 / 0060878134
  • Weight 0.5 lbs (0.23 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 in (20.07 x 13.21 x 2.54 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 20th Century
    • Cultural Region: Arab World
    • Topical: Family
  • Library of Congress subjects Egypt - Social life and customs, Civilization, Arab - 20th century
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2005055004
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • New Yorker (The), 01/18/2010, Page 74
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The Yacoubian Building: A Novel
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The Yacoubian Building: A Novel

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The Yacoubian Building : A Novel

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The Yacoubian Building : A Novel

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