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A review by kris_mccracken
The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany
2.0
An interesting tale that explores the inner life of a family in turmoil, amidst the disintegration of British imperialism and the political and moral corruption of Egypt's royal court in the early-1950s. This is a book that cuts right across the Egyptian social strata, from the King's bedchamber to the servant's quarters., and as such, it presents an interesting insight into a different world.
HOWEVER, I'm not sure about this translation. The dialogue is often bland and stilted, but can then veer into melodramatic and overwrought. It's difficult to tell whether fault lays at the feet of the author or the translation.
The key problem that I had was that the issues and moral choices were too stark. Characters are either wholly good or bad. There's very little in terms of subtle characterisation, and the story feels like an imagined sense of the past, rather than an exploration of a specific historical period.
With this in mind, the book could do with a more ruthless editor, it feels about 100 pages too long, and there's no doubt that it could be trimmed down without losing much. I'd recommend giving it a miss.
HOWEVER, I'm not sure about this translation. The dialogue is often bland and stilted, but can then veer into melodramatic and overwrought. It's difficult to tell whether fault lays at the feet of the author or the translation.
The key problem that I had was that the issues and moral choices were too stark. Characters are either wholly good or bad. There's very little in terms of subtle characterisation, and the story feels like an imagined sense of the past, rather than an exploration of a specific historical period.
With this in mind, the book could do with a more ruthless editor, it feels about 100 pages too long, and there's no doubt that it could be trimmed down without losing much. I'd recommend giving it a miss.