a stone, a leaf, an unfound door

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Passing in Peace


I want to devote an entry to one of my favourite writers, Naguib Mahfouz, who passed away this week. While I am always saddened when the world loses one so talented, I do take comfort that his passing was peaceful and in the presence of his wife. It was said that they were whispering and smiling to each other as he went. I hope to be so lucky, when my time comes. And I am so relieved considering that he spent the last decade of his life with a fatwa looming over him, with the possibility that he would be taken unnaturally and cruelly at the hands of a stranger.

The first novel I read of his was Midaq Alley, a stark yet beautiful account of living in a Cairo slum. The beauty in the despair and hope of each inhabitant of the alley was so real to me, that it inspired me to overcome some of my own hurdles in life. I have read several of his novels since that dark time in my life, and he will always remain an inspiration to me. To anyone thinking of visiting Cairo, I truly recommend that you read the Cairo Trilogy. You'll understand the beat of the City in a way that a travelogue could never orient you.

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