Alaa Al Aswany

"Some live in squalor on its rooftop, others inhabit the faded glory of its apartments and offices - here a womanizing aristocrat, there the secretly gay editor of Le Caire newspaper. Religious fervour jostles with promiscuity; bridery and exploitation with joy and elation; modern life with ancient culture. Taha, the son of the building's doorman, has aspirations and dreams for himself and his childhood sweetheart Busayna. But when those dreams are dashed on the rocks of corruption, hope turns to bitterness - with devasting consequences..." -- back cover.

The Yacoubian Building

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.

A Novel

Savindi Jinasena

I read The Yacoubian Building this past semester for my Politics in the Middle East class and I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I enjoyed it so much that I actually ended up using the film version for my Topics in Islamic History class essay.

As the back cover suggests, the book follows the lives of the residents living in the Yacoubian building, roughly during the second Gulf War. While the book may take place during the early 1990’s , the context is applicable to the entire reign of the Mubarak Regime. The book is important in the sense that it explores all taboo topics in Egypt openly and honestly. It is so open about corruption and homosexuality that it created much controversy when it was published.

The reason that I enjoyed this book so much was because of its open and honest writing. It really gave the reader a picture of what life in Egypt is like. Al-Aswany has created characters that we either genuinely care about or those we cannot bring ourselves to care. Another reason I liked this book was because of its narration. It was rich in detail and description while being straightforward at the same time.

I enjoyed the fact that the characters such as Busyana,Taha and Zaki Bey were all three dimensional. I think another reason I enjoyed the book was because all of the character’s lives intertwined in some way. It was sort of like the movieLove Actually in that sense. But it was done remarkably well.

My only problem with the book was the ending. It was anti-climactic and I honestly wasn’t expecting such an ending.

Overall The Yacoubian Building is a wonderful book to read. It touches upon every emotion in existence and gives a glimpse to the city life of Cairo.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely

Rating: 4.5/5

The Yacoubian Building

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