Full Slate
Enchanted Forest annual sound and light show, Scotland, Britain. Reuters photo by Russell Cheyne:
Headline from nypost.com: “$50 painting from Hamptons barn sale nabbed by NY art dealer to fetch six figures at auction: ‘Cinderella discovery’.” Masset, Q.C.I. by Emily Carr, a Canadian.
Good news out of Virginia. From NYP: “Teacher fired for refusing to use trans student’s pronouns awarded $575K in lawsuit.”
From NYP: “Rage against the machine: Union boss rages against E-Z Pass for costing union jobs in video weeks before strike shut down ports.’” EZ pass is a rare example of government innovation that works spectacularly.
Will Dems no longer say the woman must be believed? Headline from foxnews.com: “VP Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff addresses report he slapped former girlfriend.”
Priorities. From FN: “State official lashes out at Biden admin over depleted FEMA funds spent on migrants.”
Life is full of surprises. Dem weapon used against them: “Judge rules that Biden admin violated environmental law in halt of border wall construction.” LOL. Love it!
Born in Cairo in 1957, Alaa Al Aswany trained as a dentist, earning a Master’s from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also wrote literary criticism and political commentary. He speaks Arabic, English, French and Spanish. He has been active politically and worked to depose Hosni Mubarak from power. His fiction was first published in 1990. He has written five novels. His second, The Yacoubian Building, recently came my way. I’m sure I’ve read books set at least in part in Egypt, but this is the first I’ve read by a native. Set circa 1990 as the coalition’s invasion of Iraq is about to begin, the story concerns residents of the eponymous dwelling, which actually exists in the real world, minus literary license. Although set then, the translator’s note that precedes the narrative states that it is really about contemporary Cairo 2006, when the novel was published. I found the portraits of the lives engrossing, although I wondered where it was headed, if it would all be tied together. About halfway through it begins to take shape. The fate of all the characters except one are resolved at least partially, and the one is powerless to avenge the indignities suffered, so resolution wasn’t really needed. I’m glad Aswany waited that long, although it’s impossible to say it was intentional. I might have abandoned the book if he’d gone into the homosexual stuff and radical Islam early, although the former is not explicit. He employs an objective, non-judgmental tone, although there are instances when he — or the narrator — makes broad generalizations that seem silly, especially concerning gays. While all the characters are interesting, I was intrigued most by the leader plotting terrorism. His motivation is clearly drawn, rational. The portrait of the society is grim, especially regarding the brutal, arrogant security forces. One aspect I found very amusing is the randy nature of the locals, even the straight. I did not research if Aswany wants an Islamic state, as it might have prejudiced my opinion. The translation appears solid to my western ear, although I felt the prose should have been tweaked. It was done by Humphrey Davies, who earned a doctorate in Eastern Studies at Cal Berkeley. The references to places and the names of the characters are not easy to keep track of, at least to my 74-year-old brain. The 246 pages of the large paperback edition are otherwise smooth. 932 users at Amazon have rated The Yacoubian Building, forging to a consensus of 4.2 on a scale of five. I’ll go with 3.5. It is still selling modestly at Bezos’ behemoth. Photo from GI:
Very quiet day at the Anti-Inflation Book Shop. My thanks to Lynn, who bought a stack of Reader’s Digest magazines, and to the woman who donated six hardcovers in Russian, all but one political.
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