Heart of the Night: A Novel (Modern Arabic Literature)

by Naguib Mahfouz

Aida Bamia (Translator)

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Book cover for Heart of the Night

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Nobel winning author, Naguib Mahfouz's late-translated novella, Heart of the Night is now available for the first time in paperback

Jaafar Ibrahim Sayyed al-Rawi is guided by his motto, “let life be filled with holy madness to the last breath.” He narrates his life story to a friend during one long night in a café in old Cairo. Through a series of bad decisions, he has lost everything: his family, his position in society, and his fortune. A man driven by his passions, he married a beautiful Bedouin nomad for love, and as a consequence pays a punishingly high price. From a life of comfort with a promising future guaranteed by his wealthy grandfather, he descended to the spartan life of a pauper, after being disinherited. Jaafar faces his tribulations with surprising stoicism and hope, sustained by his strong convictions, his spirituality, his sense of mission, and his deep desire to bring social justice to his people.

Heart of the Night is a classic Mahfouz gem exploring marriage across class lines, spirituality, and the harsh realities of a precarious, life written by one of Egypt's most celebrated literary masters.

  • ISBN10 9774169980
  • ISBN13 9789774169984
  • Publish Date 5 January 2021 (first published 30 March 2011)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country EG
  • Imprint The American University in Cairo Press
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 90
  • Language English