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عمارة يعقوبيان

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 7,122 ratings · 696 reviews

جاءت هذه الرواية معبرة عن مصر في الخمسين سنة الأخيرة 1952-2002 بكل سلبيات هذه المرحلة و بكل ما وقع فيها من حراك اجتماعي
حيث صعد الى أعلى الدرجات أقل الناس شانا وانهار أبناء الطبقة الارسطقراطية و لم يبق الا اجترار الماضي سجلت هذه الرواية ما وقع و يقع في مصر من فساد و انحلال و رشوة ابتزاز و تكاد تشير الى أشخاص بعينهم تعرفهم بسيماهم من أفعالهم

348 pages

Published 2007 by مكتبة مدبولي (first published January 1st 2002)

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May 02, 2012 ·Karen· rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mttbr-2012, in-german

Dispiriting.

I nearly tossed this into the nearest patch of long grass, as I got so thoroughly sick of the descriptions of boobs and buttocks, so impatient with the fact that ALL the women fell into only two categories: young and therefore luscious and desirable, or old, and therefore no longer desirable. Worst of all is old and skinny - and yes, it says a LOT about me that I'm particularly sensitive to this - because old and skinny means you turn into a screeching termagant. (Somebody better wa...more

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Aug 25, 2008 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those trying to make sense of the Middle East

Recommended to Tyler by: _An Egyptian

Narrators tell stories; protagonists tell them; characters in novels do, too. But in The Yacoubian Building, an apartment complex on a downtown street tells the story of a whole nation. This ten-story structure, I found, has a lot to say.

The building doesn't talk, of course, but it shelters the many people whose lives the book recounts. Brought together only by their place of residence, these very different people are, by the end, brought together in a second way, by the common experience of lif...more Narrators tell stories; protagonists tell them; characters in novels do, too. But in The Yacoubian Building, an apartment complex on a downtown street tells the story of a whole nation. This ten-story structure, I found, has a lot to say.

The building doesn't talk, of course, but it shelters the many people whose lives the book recounts. Brought together only by their place of residence, these very different people are, by the end, brought together in a second way, by the common experience of life in modern Egypt.

Just what it's like to live in Egypt is the real story. No number of articles about the Middle East can convey a feeling, so instead of telling us directly, the author paints a picture, a mosaic with a gestalt to it that makes the whole picture of Egypt suddenly pop into view. This shocking image is ... a sight.

The character sketches at the start of the book give readers a glimpse of the daily lives and passions of the denizens of the building, who represent every class of society. As they go about their lives, the latter portion of the narrative shows them stumbling into a world bearing a sordid resemblance to something George Orwell might have concocted.

In this world, it goes without saying that merit is seldom rewarded. Money, not law, makes things happen, even bad things. People wake up at night to find the police in their living rooms -- or maybe thugs hired by some rich man. Anyone can end up in a police station at any time, some never again to be seen. Torture, brutality, beatings and weird, weird sexism constitute everyday hazards.

The story of the building itself, told mainly through the eyes of a long-time resident, stands as a proxy for the bittersweet change that has swept over Egypt in the past two generations. This book hints at the actual sources of Egypt's current problems; in reality, people dare not discuss them openly.

Curiously, the book cannot be said to have an entirely negative feel. Egyptians simply don't have it in them to collapse into a Russian-style pessimism. In the book's moral I found its power: The narrative conveys not one, but many messages about the state of Egyptian society. In each you can find yourself saying, "So what has become obvious is ..." The book allows you to think about many things as you read.

Readers will like the artful approach the author employs, as the choice of a building to tell the story implies. Al-Aswany relates his characters with a confidential tone, as if he were in a private conversation with us. His candid remarks about each character tell us everything we need to know about the character without saying too much. The story neither droops into sentimentality nor takes a desultory turn. The writing is clean and efficient, with the right things said at the right time using no extra words.

The stories themselves are enough to stagger the senses, considering the society from which they emerge. The book has been a bestseller in Egypt, its subject matter so controversial that people never run out of things to say about it.

I rate this a four -- I really like it. If it were a little longer, I'd give it a five because it's that good. I highly recommend The Yacoubian Building for anyone who likes good literature, and for Westerners in search of realistic insight into the question, "What on earth is going on over there?"
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Jul 27, 2009 okyrhoe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing, egypt

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I enjoyed reading The Yacoubian Building but I can't resist analyzing its weaknesses.

The premise of The Yacoubian Building is a credible one. I did not sense that the setting of the story, the placement of a varied selection of individuals in close proximity with one another, all residents in one building is merely fictional license*. The novel is a frank & representative depiction of contemporary Egyptian urban settings, with enough historical and cultural background to explain the finer de...more I enjoyed reading The Yacoubian Building but I can't resist analyzing its weaknesses.

The premise of The Yacoubian Building is a credible one. I did not sense that the setting of the story, the placement of a varied selection of individuals in close proximity with one another, all residents in one building is merely fictional license*. The novel is a frank & representative depiction of contemporary Egyptian urban settings, with enough historical and cultural background to explain the finer details of each character’s history and motivations.
Yet there is something missing in this tapestry. In this group portrait, the intertwining of the separate threads, although executed in vibrant and expressive strokes, seems to have been drawn at the expense of any depth of focus. There is no clear primary character, nor a central question that is developed to a sufficiently complex degree to make this a novel of substance where the reader can either empathize with a character or be intrigued by a theme that develops as the story progresses.
There’s a lack of originality in terms of authorial persepctive/intention, and the closing scenes of each character’s subplot don’t quite follow from what precedes them, so that ultimately the characters are reduced to moralistic/symbolic entities rather than multidimensional personalities. The characters begin their tales interestingly enough, but ultimately their respective closures appear forced, as if there is only one way their story could end, as if they are conforming to convention (even if the convention is a fictive one).
In the case of Busayna, with regard to her financial concerns, it would seem to me that she would be more likely to take a more practical route, rather than resort to the ‘honorable’ solution (marriage) to her existential dilemma. In terms of character development Busayna’s and Zaki’s pairing doesn’t follow through from their prior behavior or motivations. The union of old (age as well as tradition) with the new/young is schematic rather than realistic, a compromise rather than a progression.
Similarly, Abduh’s and Hatim’s climactic confrontation contextually does not add up, given the way their relationship was presented so far. Hatim’s outbursts seem far beneath his prior composure and generosity, esp. after all that he’s done for Abduh. The decline of Hatim’s behavior is a throwback to East Mediterranean cultural cliches of several decades ago – as with the overall nostalgia of the novel for an Egypt which no longer exists - when popular culture mandated that sexual transgression is a force that ultimately implodes upon itself.
Granted, Al Aswany pushes the limits, within the scope of Egyptian cultural realities, by presenting Abduh & Hatim’s relationship in explicit terms, and by giving that relationship equal time and exposure in relation to the other parallel plots of the novel. Yet the conclusion is color-by-numbers what is expected within the reality of a society still in the process of evolving from feudal/patriarchal behavioral motivations to contemporary standards. I cannot fully comprehend El Aswany’s point, in terms of any possible socio-political commentary there might be in this anachronism.

As a critique of contemporary Arab society where ‘men’ regardless of position and background, no longer operate according to the spirit of patriarchal codes of conduct I feel that the novel is incomplete. All sense of justice, faith, honor, respect seems to have decayed into crass abuse of the system which gives them power. The social confusion over these social values is most evident when the youthful Taha, whose male honor has been violated, seeks redress in an unmanly & dishonorable way. But I venture that it's only the non-Arab reader who sees this, for according to the tribal traditions, both Abduh and Taha have cleansed themselves of dishonor by avenging their respective oppressors. On the other hand, for the women there is no apparent redress, as in the example of Busayna when her honor is violated (the public humiliation at being arrested for 'prostitution') - is her restitution only possible through marriage?

It appears that Al Aswany has nothing new to say regarding the juxtaposition between the strict moral codes women must still (appear to) adhere to, an anachronistic tradition that persists despite a governing system proclaiming itself as modern, democratic, socialist, etc. We observe members of the political system and the religious administration as men who unashamedly foregoes ideological principles when it is convenient to their shortterm aims – the sheikh agreeing to convince Souad to have an abortion when pressured by his longtime financial benefactor, and when men enter politics only for the purpose of securing financial success through extortion and bribery, also when radical religious leaders force a young recruit to a marriage with a “martyr’s” widow, even as they are planning the young man’s own martyrdom, and condemning the bride to a second round of widowhood. Even she, the martyr’s widow that Taha is set up with in the Brotherhood training camp, is regressing into patriarchal/feudal traditions since she believes progress & change is possible only by a return of the old codes of honor.

Does Al Aswany conclude that the situation cannot be rectified when the men resisting it are themselves oppressors of men as well as women? I’m not sure that it can be interpreted with conviction. In this respect, I felt the novel is incomplete, that whatever lasting message the novel intended to convey has been left unsaid. (less)

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Feb 09, 2009 Shams Eddeen شمس الدين . rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: روايات

لقد سمعت ما قيل عن هذه الرواية و لذلك لم اجازف و ادفع فيها مليم و استلفتها من صديقة لي

هذه الرواية لم تعجبني باي حال من الاحوال فتصوير المأسي شئ فطري في شعبنا الذي يعشق النكد و عمل وظيفة اسمها المعددة كي تندب الموتي !!!

و اري ان هذه القصة - كغيرها - لا يوجد بها اي ابداع و هو اختار نوع رخيص جدا من الادب و هو الادب الاباحي ان جاز التعبير ,فكمية الاسفاف في وصف مفاتن المراة قد فاقت الحدود المحترمة و لا اعتقد ان الفن يبرر الاسفاف

و لولا انه اقحم هذه التحبيشة الاباحية في رأيي لكانت رواية عادية و لما لف...more

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Mar 17, 2008 Nojood Alsudairi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arabic-books, fiction

لا أعلم لم كلما كانت رواية ما مدججة بالجنس تأخذ الصدارة في عالمناالعربي. ما زلت أود التخلص من النسخة "القابعة" على رف
مكتبي. قالوا عنها و قالوا و لم أجد بها سوى عالم منحط تترفع عنه الأسر المصرية

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view all 15 comments

Awab AlShwaikh قد أكون بالغت قليلاً في ردي بأنك لا تعرفين الأسر المصرية، ولكن ما كتبه علاء الأسواني ينطبق على بعض العائلات المصرية، فهي نماذج موجودة في مجتمعنا، وليس...more
Oct 03, 2011 09:14pm

Nojood Alsudairi وإن لم أكن مصرية لا أوافقك الراي أخي وأغضب غضبة حق من أجل احبتي في مصر. عاشرت المئات من الأسر المصرية وتعايشت معها هنا وفي الولايات المتحدة ولم أجد في...more
updated Oct 04, 2011 10:08am

Apr 01, 2008 Huda Felimban rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arabic-books

عن أنس -رضي الله عنه-قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم": "ماكان الفحش في شيء إلا شانه، وماكان الحياء في شيء إلا زانه"

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May 01, 2013 Dr_Ayman Ahmed أيمــــــــــــن rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

الرواية التى تسببت بالشهرة لعلاء الأسوانى وتُرجمت للعديد من اللغات، الرواية تشريح للمجتمع المصرى فى فترة التسعينيات من القرن العشرين، وما أصاب المجتمع من انحطاط أخلاقى وانهيار منظومة القيم فى الوقت الذى انتشر فيه التدين الظاهرى، وسادت الصحوة الإسلامية!

#أهم الشخصيات:
- زكى الدسوقى.
- دولت الدسوقى.
- حاتم رشيد.
- عبد ربه.
- بثينة السيد.
- طه الشاذلى.
- الشيخ محمد شاكر.
- أبسخرون.
- ملاك.
- الحاج محمد عزام.
- الشيخ السمان.
- كمال الفولى.
- كريستين نيقولاس.

تقييمى للرواية 4 نجوم

===================================...more

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May 09, 2010 Fatima K. Alhabeeb rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

بحماس من سمع أن الرواية "أعادت العرب إلى القراءة" وبلهفة من أذهلته استخدام أكبر ميزانية في تاريخ السينما المصرية لعمل فلم مقتبس منها بدأت قراءاتها , وياللصدمة ! بغض النظر عن الأحداث والاشخاص أود أن أتساءل:
كيف يطلق على من لغته بهذه الركاكة والضعف اسم "كاتب"؟
أمر جد مؤلم !
إذا غضضنا النظر عن اللغة لا أجد الكثير في الرواية, استفدت منها الكثير من المعلومات عن تاريخ مصر مرحلة ماقبل الثورة وبعدها وأعجبتني بعض الحوارات -العامية بالطبع!- بين أبطال الرواية خصوصاً ذاك الحوار بين بثينة وزكي الذي كانت تتكلم ف...more

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Nov 21, 2008 Mohamed Ramadan added it

أنهيت قراءة عمارة يعقوبيان وقد إستمتعت بها أيما إستمتاع وهذه خواطري حولها بدون ترتيب :
الفكرة رائعه عدة خطوط متوازية متباينة يربطها مكان واحد هو العمارة
أعجبت كثيرا بحيادية الكاتب فهو لا يحاكم أحدا فقط يعرض أفكاره وحياته حتى مع أحط الأفكار (كالشذوذ) وأخطرها (كالتطرف)
عندما يتحدث عن الشذوذ تخاله شاذا وعندما يتحدث عن المتطرفين تخاله متطرفا , قمة الحرفية والإبداع
المؤلف أظهر تباين وتهالك المجتمع المصري على كل مستوياته وإن كان لم يتعرض في أحد خطوطه إلى الطبقة الوسطى التى إعتراها التأكل في هذه الأيام ف...more

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Jul 05, 2007 stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

excellent long long sentences. colorful group of personages rendered as if balzac had never happened. which is not in itself a bad thing. it's just that balzac did happen and so doing straight descriptive work with reference to the social world seems, well, one-dimensional. there is enjoyable one-dimensional and not enjoyable one-dimensional: this is mostly in the former category if you pay exclusive attention to the male characters. the women do not fare so well. nonetheless i would recommend i...more

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May 06, 2009 خالد العشرى rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: الأفضل

الراوية الاكثر مبيعا و شهرة فى التسعينيات فى مصر ....الشهرة زادت طبعا مع تحويلها لفيلم الذى أراه خطأ فى حق الراوية بتعديلات السيناريو..زعلى اىحال الرواية ممتعة حقا و تعطى تشريحا لبعض النماذج الاجتماعية فى مصر من خلال تطور حيوات سكان العمارة ...فقط يؤخذ الحذر لسن القارئ لان بها وصف جنسى قوى

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Jan 27, 2009 Meka rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: علاء-الأسوانى

إختلفت الآراء عن تلك الرواية ، وفى نظرى يأتى هذا الإختلاف نتيجة تناول القصة لعدة جوانب إجتماعية يصعب التحدث فيها أو مناقشتها ، فنحن كثيرا ما نفضل غض الطرف عن المشاكل بدلا من تناولها ومحاوله إيجاد حلولا لها.

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Oct 01, 2008 Azza rated it 1 of 5 stars

لم اندم فى حياتى على مال قدر ندمى على الثلاثين جنيها التى دفعتها فى هذه الرواية

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Mar 23, 2008 Emtethal rated it 3 of 5 stars

رواية رائعة لولا تحفظي على بعض الاجزاء الجريئة والدكتور علاء روائي متميز

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Jun 28, 2009 Ahmed Abdelaziz rated it 5 of 5 stars

رواية جميلة جدا ..

تطرح مافعله الظباط الاحرار بمصر ..

من خلال تشبيه مصر بعمارة يعقوبيان ..

والتي تتشابه مع مصر بانها كانت متساوية الطبقات الاجتماعية

و جمالها الخارجي والداخلي .. وكيف انها احتوت بين ضلوعها

المصريين والاجانب واليهود والارمن ..

وكيف ان بعد ما وقعت الثورة .. خلت من الاجانب الهاربين

و انتشر فيها الضباط

والتي فسدت بهم العمارة ومصر ..

واتغيرت التركيبة السكانية والاجتماعية للاسوأ ..

وغادروها بعد ما اهالو ترابا علي الهالة والهيلمان

ويطرح في الراوية نماذج عدة للطبقات المصرية ..

ابن البشوات .....more

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Feb 25, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jenny by: Rima

Shelves: around-the-world, location-egypt, read2012

A handful of intertwining stories all passing through The Yacoubian Building in downtown Cairo, I read this in one plane trip from Texas to SC. I couldn't put it down! And not just for the sexual content, which I'm sure is the reason half the people who read this pick it up. Controversial in Egypt? Oh my! It has interesting insight into relationships of all kinds - homosexual men in a society that may look the other way if they like you enough, women who marry to support their families, and the...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Ahmed Salem rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ahmed by: Ahmed el Shaer

Shelves: 2006, favorites

من الصفحة الأولى تجذبك شخصيات الأسواني المرسومة بدقة وتفاصيلها الغنية. الشخصيات على تنوع اصولها و آرائها في الحياة الا انه يجمع بينهم مكان و احد و هو العمارة, عمارة يعقوبيان.

خلال احداث القصة سوف تعرف ان العمارة كانت آية في الهندسة والابداع في منطقة وسط البلد و التي في مع بعد مع مرور الزمن و الأحداث السياسية و الاجتماعية المتعاقبة على مصر, اصابها هي و سكانها الجدد و القدامى نفس التشوهات التي اصابة البلد كلها.

الروايه و الاحداث غاية في الابداع و تأخذك الى عالم وسط البلد الفريد,الذي لن تجد افضل من ع...more

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Oct 11, 2008 A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: روايات-واقعية

The writer has the ability to steal the reader and race him with his lines. He keeps firm grip on the reader's mind...even when you leave the book you keep thinking about the events and when will you go back to read more. You can live easily inside his story lines.

I have not seen the movie but I've seen some of the tv episodes, and i think the book is much much more exciting.

I'm thinking of buying the English version to compare it with the original Arabic versions...also I look forward to readin...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Hagar rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was ok! Ok..he's got some style in writing..but he adores employing the sex motif...in such a disgusting way! Even such issues can be tackled gracefully...not in such manners! Plus, this is not a true mirror of the Egyptian society and its malaise..yes I agree that the societal diseases are symbolised in the pervert sexual acts whether : banned sex, pervert spouses, homosexuality, whores, rape... but still..what I argue for..does that novel deserve to be Egypt's modern portrayal all over the...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Things are rotten in the state of Egypt' may serve to describe the focus of this novel. The plot tells the interconnected stories of men and women, some rich and some poor, who live in, around, or on top of a once elegant office/apartment building in downtown Cairo. The author, Alaa al Aswany, seems to have fashioned his characters as stand-ins for the many problems that constitute life in contemporary Egypt: political corruption, police brutality, Islamic militancy, a dysfunctional social fabr...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Sandra Hernandez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story was interesting as every day life, and I do not say that sarcastically. It is always interesting to read about a different culture however, I have no form of knowing its accuracy.

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Oct 18, 2009 Harriett rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Boy. This is tough going. The writing is brilliant. The story is so dispiriting I had trouble divorcing it from my overall impression of the book. I was so depressed when I finished it despite the lyrical brilliance that is Alaa al-Aswany.

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Sep 01, 2012 Lisetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Palazzo Yacoubian �� il fulcro intorno al quale ruotano le avventure e disavventure dei suoi inquilini, che nelle loro diversit�� incarnano, nel piccolo della loro vita comunitaria, le contraddizioni insite della stessa societ�� alla quale appartengono.

Attraverso una narrazione pungente, l��autore ti permette cos�� di entrare, come un inquilino tra tanti, dentro il palazzo Yacoubian ed esplorare un mondo, e una cultura storica e religiosa completamente diversa dalla nostra. Il confronto tra la...more

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May 09, 2013 Elizabeth Ducie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The cast of characters who reside or work in the Yacoubian Building in Cairo are laid out at the start of the book with useful potted biographies: the clever young man who is drawn down the path to disaster when he discovers it’s not what you know, but who you know that counts; the homosexual editor of a French language newspaper and his police officer lover; the elderly businessman who wants to become a politician; the ambitious shirt-maker who, with the help of his brother , makes a start on h...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book gave me a lot to think about and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about modern Egypt. It's definitely more allegorical, which I usually find not as interesting or compelling, but I think because it was an allegory of a country and society that I know so little about it was actually a good way for me to absorb and reflect on his telling of contemporary Egypt.

There is a lot of sex in this book--which I think is one thing that has made it controversial for some--but I...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read this book twice now. Once before coming to Egypt and again this summer, having lived in Egypt for two years.

The first time I read it, I truly believed that the situations that happened within it were exaggerated for artistic license. Now? It's all true. No artistic license needed. Just straight forward truth. I see so many of these things happening, and many more besides.

Al Aswany's depiction of Egyptian life, his clever way of writing about Egypt's elite and corrupt, making sure reade...more

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Jul 27, 2012 ShaiMaa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: movies, watched

بلهفة القارىء الذي سمع وقراء كل نقد قال أن تلك اليعقوبيان "قد أعادت العرب إلى القراءة"، وبحماس من أذهلته ترجمتها إلي عدة لغات ""، وبأستغراب مطالعة أخبار بيع أكثر من 250 ألف نسخة منها، ثم تحولها إلى فيلم، ثم ومسلسل تلفزيوني، حصلت علي نسخة منها، لم أستطع أستكمالها، وندمت علي شرائها، فلم أندم فى حياتى على مال قدر ندمى على الثلاثين جنيهاً، التى دفعتها ثمناً لها، فضلاً عن الوقت الذي أضعته في قراءة جزء من نسختها التي أرغب بشدة في التخلص من نسختها القابعة في مكتبتي.

أتعجب من كون تلك الرواية الركيكة ضمن...more بلهفة القارىء الذي سمع وقراء كل نقد قال أن تلك اليعقوبيان "قد أعادت العرب إلى القراءة"، وبحماس من أذهلته ترجمتها إلي عدة لغات ""، وبأستغراب مطالعة أخبار بيع أكثر من 250 ألف نسخة منها، ثم تحولها إلى فيلم، ثم ومسلسل تلفزيوني، حصلت علي نسخة منها، لم أستطع أستكمالها، وندمت علي شرائها، فلم أندم فى حياتى على مال قدر ندمى على الثلاثين جنيهاً، التى دفعتها ثمناً لها، فضلاً عن الوقت الذي أضعته في قراءة جزء من نسختها التي أرغب بشدة في التخلص من نسختها القابعة في مكتبتي.

أتعجب من كون تلك الرواية الركيكة ضمن قائمة "الأكثر مبيعاً" في الوطن العربي، بل أتعجب من ترجمتها إلى لغات عديدة، وكأنها "ماستر بيس" الأدب المصري والعربي، الذي أعاد الرواية العربية من قبرها، فهي رواية يمكن تلخيصها في أقل من نصف عدد صفحاتها، ومحتوها لم يترك شخصية إلا وأفسدها، مليئة بعبارات وإيحاءات فاقت كل الحدود المحترمة في وصف مفاتن بطلات الرواية، وعالم الشواذ جنسياً، لدرجة تشعرك بالغثيان والتقزز.

وهي برأيى رواية مشبوهة، قدم مؤلفها بصقة على الذات، ببحثه في ركام سلة مهملات الشخصية المصرية، وتسليط .الضوء عليه

والآن مع هذه التساؤلات التي تدور بمخيلاتي تجاه تلك اليعقوبيان...

لا أدري لماذا إحتفل النقاد بهذه الرواية بعبارات لا تناسب لا موضوعها ولا اسلوبها، هل لفراغ الساحة الأدبية، أم لـ اقحام المؤلف للثلاثي المحرم (الدين، السياسة والجنس)؟!
لا أفهم سر شراء "وحيد حامد" لهذه الرواية الركيكة، وتحويلها إلي عمل سينمائي ؟!
لا أستوعب كيف يصور "علاء الأسواني" نفسه علي أنه كاتب روائي عنده قامة تصل إلي "نجيب محفوظ"؟!
لا أعلم لماذا تأخذ رواية مدججة بالجنس الصدارة في عالمناالعربي المفترض أنه محافظ ويتطلع في ثوراته لنظم حكم إسلامية؟!

أتمنى أن أجد أجوبة شافية في يومٍ ما :-(
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Jul 11, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wonderfully illuminating look at the daily lives of diverse late-20th-century Egyptians, who all live and/or work in the same Cairo building. In this era (1990) they're still angry at Nasser & thwarted at every turn by Mubarak, or more precisely by the pervasive corruption of those in the power structure, who treat ordinary people with contempt and (often) arbitrary cruelty. This book was hugely popular in Egypt and elsewhere: Al-Aswany does a fine job of depicting characters from the rich a...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Stefanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany takes place in Cairo in the 1990s during the first Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the U.S. attacked Iraq in return. But the war is not the focus of the book, it is pretty much background. The center of the book is the various stories of some of the people who live and work in the Yacoubian Building.

I wanted to the like the book but I just haven't been able to. I read a few reviews in the book papers to try and figure out if I missed something. They...more

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May 07, 2012 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BOOK REPORT
BY
ALAA AL ASWANY
THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING

Islam is not monolithic; Aswany proves the case. His Egyptian characters, most of whom are Muslim living at the time of the First Gulf War, are like us family oriented, striving for advancement, religious, hypocritical, honest and corrupt. Some use sex to express love and others to control.

Hagop Yacoubain, a millionaire, built the building, renowned for its architecture, in 1934 on one of Cairo’s most prestigious streets. For many years its fifty...more BOOK REPORT
BY
ALAA AL ASWANY
THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING

Islam is not monolithic; Aswany proves the case. His Egyptian characters, most of whom are Muslim living at the time of the First Gulf War, are like us family oriented, striving for advancement, religious, hypocritical, honest and corrupt. Some use sex to express love and others to control.

Hagop Yacoubain, a millionaire, built the building, renowned for its architecture, in 1934 on one of Cairo’s most prestigious streets. For many years its fifty apartments were inhabited by the cream of Egyptian society. These wealthy tenants needed storage room and fifty iron storerooms, two meters by two meters, were constructed on the roof. Most wealthy tenants gradually moved to the suburbs and extremely poor people began to use the former roof storage areas as homes.

Zaki Bey inherited enough to be a wealthy playboy. He has an office in the Yacoubain building but lives with his sister, Dawlat, in another building. Busayna is an attractive young girl who lives on the roof with her family. She begins working in a clothing store where she is sexually molested by the owner. This experience causes her to breakup with Taha el Shazli. They were having a serious but Platonic relationship. Eventually, Busayna goes to work for Zaki. Reading the book would be spoiled by a description of their relationship.

Taha, whose father is a lowly doorman at the Yacoubain Building, wants to be a policeman and studies very hard to pass the entrance exams including an oral examination. At the end of the oral examination, one of the examiners asks Taha what is his father’s occupation. Taha answers but knows that his father’s job disqualifies him. Very religious Taha becomes a member of a student protest group, is arrested, sexually tortured, and becomes an Islamist soldier seeking revenge.

There are many other characters and two of the most interesting are Hagg Muhammad Azzam and Hatim Rasheed. “Hagg” refers to a Muslim who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Azzam is very wealthy and corrupt. He buys a seat in Parliament for a million Egyptian pounds. Busayna considers herself fortunate to work for Zaki and to help support her family for 600 pounds per month. Concerns about U. S. inequality pale in comparison.

Rasheed is the editor of a French language newspaper published in Cairo. He is also a homosexual. Aswany describes the various attitudes toward Rasheed’s sexual practices.

There is much sex, but none described in objectionable detail. Read the book and gain insight into Yacoubian residents who happen to be Muslim.

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About علاء الأسواني

Alaa Al Aswany
علاء الأسواني ولد في بالقاهرة لعائلة برجوازية، هو ابن الأديب عباس الأسواني المحامي، الذي أحيا فن المقامات وسمّاها المقامات الأسوانية في الستينات من القرن العشرين، وحاز علی جائزة الدولة من جرّاء رواية الأسوار العالية، غير أنه لم يكن مثل ابنه ذاع صيته. علاء ينتمي نفسه إلى أسرة مثقفة لأن جده أيضاً كان شاعراً مُرتجلاً و عم والدته عُين مدة وزيراً للمعارف. يعتبر علاء أستاذه الأول أباه لأنه...more Alaa Al Aswany
علاء الأسواني ولد في بالقاهرة لعائلة برجوازية، هو ابن الأديب عباس الأسواني المحامي، الذي أحيا فن المقامات وسمّاها المقامات الأسوانية في الستينات من القرن العشرين، وحاز علی جائزة الدولة من جرّاء رواية الأسوار العالية، غير أنه لم يكن مثل ابنه ذاع صيته. علاء ينتمي نفسه إلى أسرة مثقفة لأن جده أيضاً كان شاعراً مُرتجلاً و عم والدته عُين مدة وزيراً للمعارف. يعتبر علاء أستاذه الأول أباه لأنه أرشده إلى الكتابة وأعطاه مكتبته الضخمة، ونشأ و ترعرع علاء في وسط هذه المكتبة التي تضم أفضل وأروع الإبداعات الإنسانية في مختلف المجالات. و تتلمذ لأصدقاء أبيه الذين كانوا يعتبرون أعلام مصر مثل إحسان عبد القدوس، وعبد الرحمان الشرقاوي، وحسن فؤاد، وصلاح جاهين ولويس جريس و.

ونلاحظ أن الهواية الأولى له هي القراءة منذ نعومة أظافره وبسبب نصيحة والده المحامي بأن يجب عليك ألا تعتمد علی الرواية وتمتهنها ؛ لأنها ستقدم لك تنازلات كل يوم، لذلك التحق بكلية الطب بجامعة إلينوي في شيكاغو في الولايات المتحدة، وحصل علی شهادة الماجستير في طب الأسنان، وهي نقطة تحول في حياته، وعلی حد قوله: الأطباء في بلاده يحصلون علی شهادة الطب عن طريق حبهم للأدب . وبهذه الجامعة تعلم قواعد البحث العلمي والتفكير العلمي، وهو يتقن عدة اللغات منها: الفرنسية؛ لأنه درس الثانوية في مدرسة الفرنسية. والأسبانية لأنه أخذ منحته الدراسية في أسبانيا لدراسة الأدب في الحضارة الأسبانية والإنجليزية. مازال علاء الأسواني يمارس مهنته كطبيب للأسنان مبرراً ذلك بأنه لا يريد أن تُصبح الكتابة وسيلة يتكسب منها عيشه، بل هواية يتنفس ويحلم من خلالها. وهو عضو في حركة كفاية المعارضة في مصر.(less)

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