Erected in the mid 1930s in cairos newly europeanized centre, the building is an. Alaa al aswanys novel the yacoubian building describes a beautiful building, combining french and greek architecture in grandiose statues and balconies, in the novel we follow the lives of those who live and work together in a building of the same name. A dentist whose first office was in the yacoubian building, he has written prolifically for egyptian newspapers across the political spectrum on literature, politics and social issues. Aug 22, 2008 al aswany s father, abbas, was a selfmade man from the south, a novelist and lawyer who won the state award for literature in 1972, and died when alaa was 19. Feb 22, 2005 robert siegel talks with the creative minds behind the yacoubian building author alaa al aswany and fatherandson team, screenwriter wahid hamed and director marwan hamed about sex, religion. The yacoubian building is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. The oncechic, now rundown, building serves as a metaphor for cairos own deterioration particularly in the 2003 arabic language novel the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany. The residents of the yacoubian building hardly talk to each other, separated by the walls.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Alaa al aswany is incredibly giving of his time and expertise in these small, customized workshops. Erected in the mid 1930s in cairos newly europeanized centre, the building is an architectural jewel, and. In the novels and short stories of alaa al aswany, characters struggle with class differences, police brutality, poverty, sexual harassment, and political corruption.
The book was initially published in arabic in the year 2002. The novelist alaa al aswany places his emigre characters in post911 chicago. I found the novel both well written and structured. Al aswany was chosen to be among 21 international writers to publish a monthly column in the new york times for one year.
The yacoubian building novel by alaswany britannica. A journalist who writes a controversial opposition column, al aswany makes his living as a dentist in cairo. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany 1684 words 123. Download pdf the yacoubian building free online new. His opeds have appeared in such international publications as the new york times, le monde, the financial times, and the guardian. From the pious son of the building s doorkeeper and the raucous.
Alaa alaswanys latest work explores class divisions, corruption and injustice as the masters take the servants for a ride in 1940s cairo published. The automobile club of egypt by alaa al aswany books on. Imarat yaqubyan is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. The yacoubian building, by alaa al aswany genre and year of publication. The characters are believable and the story is engrossing. Alaa al aswany is the internationally bestselling author of the yacoubian building and chicago. My only complaint is that i wish the book were longer. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english. Pdf the yacoubian building book by alaa al aswany free. This has given al aswany the opportunity to develop many interesting characters. Chicago, like the yacoubian building, is an enormously goodhearted book.
Bought in the open door used book shop paperback, translated from arabic read in july. The yacoubian building presents a surprising survey of contemporary egyptian society at a time when many people may assume that all arabs or muslims are the same. Al aswany is the author of sixteen literary worksnovels, short story collections, and compendiums of his articles. The yacoubian building of the title is a microcosm of much of cairo, and in telling the stories of various of its denizens alaa al aswany offers a colourful picture of contemporary egypt.
This is true of alaa al aswany s novel from 2002, the yacoubian building imarat yaqubyan. The book focuses mainly on the residents of the yacoubian. Buy the yacoubian building reprint by aswany, alaa al, davies, humphrey isbn. Its a sort of reverse upstairs, downstairs building, with the more wealthy living in multi room apartments on one of the ten floors, while the poor live in small tin huts on the roof. A journalist who writes a controversial opposition column, al. Using the title building as his center aswany portrays a diverse group of contemporary cairenes to demonstrate the experience of living in the world of egypt today. Actually there are two apartment buildings that once belonged to mr. He says he has been barred from appearing in any tv shows or writing for any egyptian media outlets, whether state run or private. Read the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany for free with a 30 day free trial. The residents of the yacoubian building hardly talk to each other, separated by the walls of the building. The yacoubian building holds all that egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built on one of downtown cairos main boulevards. Alaa al aswany is the bestselling author of three previous books published in arabic. Novelist alaa al aswany on surprising changes in the. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007.
It would be difficult to overestimate the impact that alaa al aswanys novel has had in egypt. Since the yacoubian building was released in 2002 alaa alaswany has become egypts most emblematic writer. The automobile club of egypt ebook written by alaa al aswany. Those who demonstrate are members of the elite, doss challenges the novels alter aswany, the leftist poetscientist nagi abd al. Aswany, who lives in the us, said the lawsuit was connected to his last novel the republic, as if and columns he had written for deutsche welle. The first edition of the novel was published in 2002, and was written by alaa al aswany. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany book read online. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Media in category alaa al aswany the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. Al aswany has an instinctive sympathy for underdogs of any description chicago takes a levelheaded view of even his own politics.
Alaaal aswanys the yacoubian building 2004 renders a scathing portrayal of modern. Due to its political content however, the book had to be published privately, but soon after its release it sold out in a month becoming one of the number 1 bestsellers of the arab world for more. Constructed as a series of vignettes about characters whose fates will soon converge, a stylistic device highly popular in todays hollywood, egyptian author alaa al aswanys arabic bestseller the yacoubian building brings to life a seedy and despicable cairo where only the corrupted and the corruptible can fare well. Mar 06, 2016 alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building 2002, which became a bestselling egyptian and arab novel worldwide in the past decade, owes its title to the ambition of an armenian millionaire who wanted immortality through a building that bears his name. Alaa alaswanythe yacoubian building seeing the world. Alaa al aswany, the yacoubian building, fourth estate, 2007. Al aswany, born in 1957, originally trained as a dentist, and still has his own. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Although the egyptian revolution in 2011 would push alaa alaswany into the limelight, he was already famous long before the events that would topple longtime autocrat hosni mubarak born in 1957 in the egyptian capital cairo, alaswany originally studied dentistry, first in cairo and then in chicago. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. The yacoubian building, an immense scandal when first published because of its sexual frankness, has topped bestseller lists for two years and is now a film with a hollywoodsize budget.
Its been an absolute pleasure sharing my work in a community that can understand so many facets of what i do, and becoming this familiar and comfortable with. The yacoubian building is fastmoving and actionpacked, with drama in every scene and shifts between the different strands used to provide tension. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the yacoubian building. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany goodreads. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 256 pages and is available in paperback format. The yacoubian building in cairo, has seen better days. Al aswanys father, abbas, was a selfmade man from the south, a novelist and lawyer who won the state award for literature in 1972, and died when alaa was 19. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany in chm, epub, fb3 download ebook. Feb 12, 2009 an eyecatching construction, the yacoubian building in cairo was long regarded as the last word in comfort and elegance.
Alaa al aswany, the yacoubian building, harperperennial, 2007. The yacoubian building download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. This is true of alaa al aswanys novel from 2002, the yacoubian building imarat yaqubyan. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building 2002, which became a bestselling egyptian and arab novel worldwide in the past decade, owes its title to the ambition of an armenian millionaire who wanted immortality through a building that bears his name. Alaa al aswany, bestselling author of the yacoubian building auc press, 2007 and chicago auc press, 2010, and the newly published on the state of egypt. Feb 22, 2005 the following are excerpts from the yacoubian building by egyptian author alaa al aswany. The environment is completely welcoming while still providing constructive criticism.
Aug 08, 2015 alaa al aswanys novel the yacoubian building describes a beautiful building, combining french and greek architecture in grandiose statues and balconies, in the novel we follow the lives of those who live and work together in a building of the same name. The first edition sold out in 40 days, and nine more printings were subsequently ordered. Nowadays the veneer has cracked and the shine has dulled to reveal the. All live in the yacoubian building, a onceelegant temple of art deco splendor slowly decaying in the smog and hubbub of downtown cairo, egypt.
Aug 27, 2006 alaa al aswanys empathy and perceptive detail in this novel about the inhabitants of a cairo apartment building yield a credible evocation of the making of a terrorist. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany overdrive rakuten. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany 1684 words. Read a sample read a sample read a sample enlarge book cover audio excerpt. The yacoubian building audiobook by alaa al aswany. Jun 08, 2018 kate 20thc, 21stc, alaa al aswany, baroque and dramatic, community life, history, passion and secrets, political social commentary, the life of the times, translation june 8, 2018 this novel was hypnotically uncomfortable to read, but also so rich in detail, colour, life, event, that i couldnt help but keep going. The yacoubian building, by alaa al aswany, trans humphrey. Alaa al aswany primary author only author division. Alaa al aswany is currently considered a single author. He is still hated by most islamists, who accuse him of contributing to morsis ouster, the death of thousands of civilians and a return to military rule. In this video from louisiana channel, egyptian author alaa al aswany speaks about how the characters in his novel the yacoubian building american university in cairo press, 2004, translated from the arabic by humphrey davies, began. August book sense picka fading aristocrat and selfproclaimed scientist of women. Free download or read online the yacoubian building pdf epub book. Based on the book, an awardwinning film was made in 2006 also entitled the yacoubian building directed by marwan hamed.
Built in the 1930s, the building was an architectural gem that housed the cream of society, but it underwent considerable change over the decades that. Buy the yacoubian building reprint by alaa al aswany, humphrey davies. 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. The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of style when set in london or. The yacoubian building has topped the bestseller lists for over two years, been adapted for the. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the yacoubian building. A master of characterisation, alaa al aswany entwines the reader in an allengaging story that revolves around inhabitants of a single, dilapidated, apartment building, the yacoubian building. This 57page guide for the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Constructed as a series of vignettes about characters whose fates will soon converge, a stylistic device highly popular in todays hollywood, egyptian author alaa al aswany s arabic bestseller the yacoubian building brings to life a seedy and despicable cairo where only the corrupted and the corruptible can fare well. The egyptian topselling author and commentator joins riz for a oneonone talk. Alaa al aswanys novel caused an unprecedented stir when it was first published in 2002 and has remained the worlds best selling novel in the arabic language since. The bestselling author of he yacaoubian building and hicago turns his attention to current affairs in egypt. Using a conversational and unpretentious style to create characters that the reader comes to care about, alaa al aswany shows his characters home life in the yacoubian building, hisher dreams and goals, the nature of life in the city at large, and the impediments to success.
It would be difficult to overestimate the impact that alaa al aswany s novel has had in egypt. The yacoubian building is a book written by an egyptian former dentist alaa al aswany. Egyptian novelist and dentist alaa al aswany speaks with margret warner about the surprising changes in political behavior of his countrymen amid the revolution earlier this year, and how the new. Sometimes compared to naguib mahfouz the author has recently released a new novel, i. Alaa al aswany became a contributing opinion writer for the international new york times in the fall of 20.
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