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shehab_eldin's review against another edition
4.0
من ذاك العبد الذي يسمونه بالطاعة؟ ومن ذلك الظالم العاتي الذي يدعونه بالواجب؟ ما الإمارة، وما العبودية؟ كيف تهصر هذه الأسماء قلبه وترمي به في هوة اليأس الأليم."
نجيب محفوظ بمثابة أفيون القراءة الخاص بي..
قد أتركه يوم أو يومين وربما أسبوع وأسبوعين وقد أنساه شهر.. شهرين، ثلاث أو أربع. لكن في الأخر سأعود إليه حتماً لن ينساه جسدي وسيحن إليه عقلي. لأخذ جرعة محفوظية جديدة ونذهب للتخبط يميناً ويساراً مع الكتاب الأخرين ثم أعود عاجزاً باحثاً عن جرعة الأفيون من جديد.
الفنّان لا غاية له إلا اسكناه ذوات الأشياء .. وهذا هو الجمال .. لأن الجمال هو استجلاء ذات الشيء الذي يجعل منه ومن بقية المخلوقات وحدة ذات انسجام ..
هاهو نجيب محفوظ بالنسبة لي وللكثير من أصدقائنا ربما هو كاتب كل الفترات ولحسن الحظ نجيب وحده يمتلك غزارة أدبيه وكثرة من المنشورات ربما فقط أتمنى أن يمهلني الله من الحياة ما يكفي لإتمامهن.
اليوم في رحلة أخرى مع نجيب في ثلاثيته المصرية القديمة.. رحلته حيث خوفو القاهر الحكيم.. الملك الخالد.. معبود مصر الأولى وحاميها من بعد مينا.. وقاتل أعدائها من بعد توحيد النيل وكان أول أسياد النوبة..
فهل كان خوفو العظيم صاحب الهرم الأكبر حكيماً أم ملكاً قاهراً خالداً؟.. لكن الحقيقة الوحيدة أنه عاند القدر وما للقدر من مرد ولا مانع ولا حائل، لكنه رفض القدر ومن يملك أن يرفض قدره؟، وما كتب في السماوات السبع لن يمنعه قوى الأرض وطغيان أهلها وطاغوت حكامها وجبروت أهلها وبناء أهرامها وعظمة نيلها وإمتداد فروعه وتشعب خيراته وغيث غيومه وسحب أجداده وظلام أهله ونور وطنه..
’’ واها! إن الزمان يتقدم غير ملتفت إلى الوراء.. و ينزل - كلما تقدم - قضاءه بالخلائق.. و ينفذ فيها مشيئته التي تهوى التغيير و التبديل.. فمنها ما يبلى و منها ما يتجدد.. و منها ما يموت و منها ما يحيا و منها ما يبتسم شبابه و منها ما يرد إلى أرذل العمر.. و منها ما يهتف للجمال و العرفان.. و منها ما يتأوه لدبيب اليأس و الفناء ’’
أجمعوا كل ما في الأرض.. أول البشر وأخرهم.. الجن والطير والأنس وملك سليمان وسليمان نفسه.. لن يمنعوا أبدا قضاء الله وقدره..
أجمعوا يوسف وموسى والله لن ترد عصاه إرادة صاحب الأرض وملكها الأول والاخير..
ربما في كثير من الأوقات لا نعلم جدوى القدر أبداً، عبثي يعاندنا.. وغير سليم ويقاتلنا.. وغير معافى ويحاربنا.. لكنه القدر وهي الحكمة الألهية لن نصل إلى الجدوى ابداً.
و لم يكن يعي ما يفعل و لا يقدر عاقبة تصرفه.. و كل ما يمكن قوله انه مسه سحر الإفتتان فأطاع وحيه و أصاخ إلى نداءه.. فأنطلق يعدو إلى غايته المجهولة مدفوعا بعاطفة قهارة لا تقاوم.. فقد اصابه مس من الإفتتان.. و استقر الإفتتان في قلب شجاع لا يهاب الموت.. جسور لا يلوي على المخاطر.. فكان من الطبيعي أن ينطلق لأنه ليس من عادته أن ينكمش.. و ليكن ما يكون.
وهكذا كان القدر مع خوفو.. عبثي وغير رحيم به ابداً في أواخر عمره غير مجدي.. غير منطقي خسر المنطق والفلسفة والعقل.. وخسر أغلى ما يملك.. هكذا أنتهت الحياة لخوفو وهكذا كانت الحياة في مصر القديمة في عصر الوثنية وتعدد الآلهة .. ولا إله إلا الله الواحد القهار..
بالمناسبة الملك خوفو هو الوحيد الذي لم ينحت له تمثالاً في عهده، لأنه حرم صناعة التماثيل في عصره، وبالتالي التمثال الوحيد المنحوت والواضح له في المتحف المصري، كان بعد نهاية عهده بأربعة أسر أو خمس، وعلى كل حال يكفي الهرم وما تركه لنا من خلود.
"وبالرغم من كل شيء ظل مفتوناً بها، لا تفارق صورتها صدره، كي يخلو إليها كلما خلا إلى نفسه."
قلم نجيب محفوظ في تلك الرواية مختلف كثيرا عن قلمه المعتاد.. يفقد الأسلوب العامي الحرافيشي الشهير له.. ومع ذلك أحببت أسلوبه رغم شعوري في كثير من الصفحات إني أقرأ لكاتب أخر..
ولسوء الحظ خسر نجيب محفوظ حبكته الشهيرة في قصصه القصيرة ورواياته في تلك الرواية.. فالنهاية معلومة من الصفحة الأولى بالقليل والقليل من التوقع.. بلا حبكة واضحة وملحوظة.. لكن في النهاية هو نجيب وأنا أحبه وأحب ما يكتب وأقبل القليل منه ولا أقبله من سواه..
’’ الإنغمار في الجندية والتفرغ لها معناه النزول عن الانسانية وتدمير الحياة العقلية والرجوع القهقرى إلى مراتب الحيوان.’’
فعندما اقرأ كتاب لنجيب لا أستطيع أن أفصل شخصه عن وجداني وانا اقرأ مهما كان في الكتاب من جودة.. في أخر الأمر هو نجيب محفوظ الأفيون الخاص بي.. سأعود له دائماً وابداً.
حقاً إن الجمال يذل أعناق الرجال"
mohmed_safwat's review against another edition
2.0
والله يا عم محفوظ إنت الي بتعبث بينا، بس ليك عذرك يا باشا..
renadusif's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bergsteiger's review against another edition
2.0
I was in Egypt recently and while there wanted to buy something by an Egyptian author. Mr. Mahfouz was a Nobel prize winner so I thought that would be a good place to start. Unfortunately, the novel I got a hold of was his very first...
The book reads like an allegory with the characters serving as archetypal cutouts. The descriptions of people are like an ancient philosopher's observations on what perfect virtuous leaders, and their morally corrupt counterparts, look like. The story follows an incredibly obvious arc, which is not necessarily bad...if the story is told well.
There are also a lot of gaps here. Historically, key people are confused, cultures are misrepresented, and ancient military tactics are laughable in their misconceptions. Some of these mistakes are actually pointed out at the end of the book and while some of this tale could be seen as an attempt to write a Red Tent type novel (fleshing out ancient heroes we have little information about), the fact that the pharaoh who actually succeeds the main character dies in the novel makes this into a Hollywood alternate history. Outside the historical content, the love interest is so horribly contrived, you can't help but laugh. I suppose it was in keeping of the virtuous hero winning the upright maiden through staying true to his many values, but, yeah.
Look, some of the descriptions of the landscape and ancillary characters were well done. The story flowed well. You can see where Mr. Mahfouz can potentially become a much better writer. It's just that this piece read like an ancient propaganda story. Wanted to love it based on the content, but just couldn't. Solid 2 stars.
The book reads like an allegory with the characters serving as archetypal cutouts. The descriptions of people are like an ancient philosopher's observations on what perfect virtuous leaders, and their morally corrupt counterparts, look like. The story follows an incredibly obvious arc, which is not necessarily bad...if the story is told well.
There are also a lot of gaps here. Historically, key people are confused, cultures are misrepresented, and ancient military tactics are laughable in their misconceptions. Some of these mistakes are actually pointed out at the end of the book and while some of this tale could be seen as an attempt to write a Red Tent type novel (fleshing out ancient heroes we have little information about), the fact that the pharaoh who actually succeeds the main character dies in the novel makes this into a Hollywood alternate history. Outside the historical content, the love interest is so horribly contrived, you can't help but laugh. I suppose it was in keeping of the virtuous hero winning the upright maiden through staying true to his many values, but, yeah.
Look, some of the descriptions of the landscape and ancillary characters were well done. The story flowed well. You can see where Mr. Mahfouz can potentially become a much better writer. It's just that this piece read like an ancient propaganda story. Wanted to love it based on the content, but just couldn't. Solid 2 stars.
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
3.0
"What augustness, and what grandeur! And what suffering and struggle in their pursuit! Was it right for so many worthy souls to be expended for the sake of his personal exaltation? Was it proper for him to rule over so noble a people, who had only one goal — his own happiness."
Khufu's wisdom seems to be such a waste of idea. It could be a fine story about a man's obsession with his death. Or rather immortality.
.
"immortality is itself a death for our dear, ephemeral lives."
Perhaps it is absurd in some way to have your death on your mind any more than a sentence, if it could think, was to obsess about its full stop - not wanting to end, or wanting to somehow stay around after the full stop. But what is death but end of life? At least a full stop has an existence on paper (or screens) - it indicates a pause when speaking. Death is not even any of that. Yet we obsess with death and like I said want to somehow exist beyond that full stop. The dream of physical immortality being imposssible, we look to do it by making it so that we are remembered beyond our death - for most it shows in desire for children. In others, it takes the form of doing something that will make them worth remembering - 'make a dent on the universe' as Steve Jobs put it. Most do it through art and books. Khufu decided to do it in a way so poetical, that it shows both the excess and absurdity of his dream - by building the biggest tomb of the world for himself. What will you say about a man whose life's biggest project, on which he spent twenty years and incredibly huge amount of resources, was preparation of his death? Excusing his actions on idea of some imagined greatness:
"And what is Egypt but a great work that would not have been under taken if not for the sacrifices of individuals? And of what value is the life of an individual? It equals not a single dry tear to one who looks to the far future and the grand plan. For this I would be cruel without any qualms. I would strike with an iron hand, and drive hundreds of thousands through hardships - not from stupidity of character or despotic egotism. Rather, it's as if my eyes were able to pierce the veil of the horizons to glimpse the glory of this awaited homeland. More than once, the queen has accused me of harshness and oppression. No - for what is Khufu but a -wise man of far-seeing vision, -wearing the skin of the preying panther, -while in his breast there beats the heart of an openhanded angel?”
And, in fact, he spent his last years inside the tomb while .... guess what? writing a book of wisdom that will make him memorable. His true wisdom, except if title was supposed to be ironical (which isn't Mahfouz's style), really seemed to be his quiet acceptance of his disillusionment and death toward the end.
And this book started off awesome with some pretty 5 star stuff - characters speaking in that sophisticated manner which made everyone in Plato's dialogues look like nerds. The trouble is Mahfouz's book really doesn't stick around Khufu all that long. Except for the first few chapters, he is a side-character - sometimes not appearing for chapters, with his successor being the protagonist. The successor, Djedefra wasn't all that interesting to me. His is a story of a rags-to-riches boy who is perfect in everything he do. And there seemed something lacking with Mahfouz's narration too - all his characters seem to be dying of too much of emotion in here. This comes from someone who has enjoyed Mahfouz's novels before.
The best moment of the book was in the time when Khufu takes a whole army unit to kill a new born baby. It might be another irony that the boy would be raised by wife of a man who build the tomb and the inspector who overlooked the property. It could hold some interest for being a book on ancient Egypt written by an Egyptian author which is why it gets the last half star.
"What a pity! For if only those suffering from loss would remember that Death is a void that effaces memory, and that the sorrows of the living vanish at the same speed with which the dead themselves disappear, how much toil and torment they could avoid for themselves!"
annindo_underthesun's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
nevclue's review against another edition
3.0
Loose retelling inspired by the stories from papyrus Westcar. Khufu is told a prophecy by a magician that he will not be succeeded by his own children. This sets in motion a series of events that will test ideas of fate, power, and morality. Mahfouz clearly doesn't intend to have a rabidly faithful retelling of the ancient story or to strictly adhere to historical accuracy. Nonetheless it is quite evocative of the 4th dynasty, horses and chariots and artist's workshops notwithstanding!