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A review by tagoreketabkhane31
The Republic of False Truths by Alaa Al Aswany
5.0
A book banned in much of the greater MENA region, "The Republic of False Truths" is both a historical novel, but also at times a satirical take on the motivations and outcomes of the Tahrir Square protests and the revolution that occurred in Egypt during the Arab Spring that resulted in the toppling of the Hosni Mubarak regime, and the subsequent period of military control before the advent of the Mohammed Morsi government under the Muslim Brotherhood.
Al Aswany chose the moniker "The Republic of False Truths" to be the name of his novel because that is what one of his characters calls the country of Egypt as they are leaving the country at the end of the novel to escape the brutality of the military crackdown occurring in the country. The moniker works; from the rule of law, the religiosity of the Egyptian people, and indeed, even the third person narrator at times presents the readers with "truths" that quickly become clear that they are lies.
The novel follows a cross section of Egyptian in Cairo located in and around Tahrir Square, the ground zero for the revolution in Egypt. From members of the Government, the propaganda media wing, students, Muslims, Copts, Atheists, rich and poor, men and women - all become caricatures of real Egyptians and their motivations during 2011 when the Mubarak regime initially fell in those chaotic months. Sprinkled in between are "eye witnesses" that Al Aswany uses to remind the reader that though this is a work of fiction, the brutality that was employed by the Egyptian military after the resignation of Mubarak to ensure that the Egyptian state and its institutions maintained their version of order, is what happened during those times. Even now, 10 years after the initial Arab Spring, Egypt now is just where they were when the protests first started.
For Al Aswany, nothing is above ridicule. His signaling of not only the religiosity of the many Egyptians in the novel are some of the best parts of the novel - where the frank discussions on religion and sex, power and consent are examined in the context of the revolution and Egyptian life, with the result being a harrowing look at the lengths that the state will go to ensure control of the citizenry.
The novel, even translated, is very much an Egyptian novel, focusing on the characters and working to craft a narrative that shifts based on the character in each chapter. One of the more satisfying aspects of the novel is the format that Al Aswany utilizes for the conclusions in his novel - they are reminiscent of the fate of thousands of Egyptian protestors as they chanted, fought and bled for their ideals and country only to be crushed by the Republic that they could not recognize.
Al Aswany chose the moniker "The Republic of False Truths" to be the name of his novel because that is what one of his characters calls the country of Egypt as they are leaving the country at the end of the novel to escape the brutality of the military crackdown occurring in the country. The moniker works; from the rule of law, the religiosity of the Egyptian people, and indeed, even the third person narrator at times presents the readers with "truths" that quickly become clear that they are lies.
The novel follows a cross section of Egyptian in Cairo located in and around Tahrir Square, the ground zero for the revolution in Egypt. From members of the Government, the propaganda media wing, students, Muslims, Copts, Atheists, rich and poor, men and women - all become caricatures of real Egyptians and their motivations during 2011 when the Mubarak regime initially fell in those chaotic months. Sprinkled in between are "eye witnesses" that Al Aswany uses to remind the reader that though this is a work of fiction, the brutality that was employed by the Egyptian military after the resignation of Mubarak to ensure that the Egyptian state and its institutions maintained their version of order, is what happened during those times. Even now, 10 years after the initial Arab Spring, Egypt now is just where they were when the protests first started.
For Al Aswany, nothing is above ridicule. His signaling of not only the religiosity of the many Egyptians in the novel are some of the best parts of the novel - where the frank discussions on religion and sex, power and consent are examined in the context of the revolution and Egyptian life, with the result being a harrowing look at the lengths that the state will go to ensure control of the citizenry.
The novel, even translated, is very much an Egyptian novel, focusing on the characters and working to craft a narrative that shifts based on the character in each chapter. One of the more satisfying aspects of the novel is the format that Al Aswany utilizes for the conclusions in his novel - they are reminiscent of the fate of thousands of Egyptian protestors as they chanted, fought and bled for their ideals and country only to be crushed by the Republic that they could not recognize.