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Showing posts with the label arabic novel

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How The Queue Unmasks the Dangers of Authoritarianism and Surveillance

Imagine a world where citizens are trapped in an unending queue, waiting for a faceless authority to dictate their fate. The Queue , a haunting dystopian novel by Egyptian author Basma Abdel Aziz, presents such a reality. Published in 2013, the novel has been widely praised for its chilling portrayal of bureaucracy, authoritarian rule, and the struggle for survival under an oppressive regime. Often compared to George Orwell’s 1984 and Franz Kafka’s The Trial , The Queue offers a thought-provoking and unsettling reflection on power, control, and human resilience. Plot Summary: The Never-Ending Wait The novel is set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country where the government, known only as "The Gate," holds absolute control over every aspect of its citizens' lives. The Gate's decisions are final and unquestionable, and people are required to wait indefinitely in an enormous queue for permission to do anything—whether it is receiving medical treatment, purchasing essenti...

The Coptic House by Ashraf El-Ashmawi: A Literary Exploration

"أولاد حارتنا" (Children of Gebelawi) by Naguib Mahfouz: A Deep Dive into a Literary Masterpiece

"Al-Ayyam" by Taha Hussein: An Autobiographical Journey of Struggle and Triumph

"Gate of the Sun" (باب الشمس) by Elias Khoury: A Tale of Love, Loss, and Palestinian Identity

"Thieves in Retirement" (لصوص لكن ظرفاء) by Hamdy El-Gazzar: A Satirical Reflection on Society

"Celestial Bodies" by Jokha Alharthi: A Deep Dive into the First Arabic Booker Prize Winner

"The Last Gift" by Mohammed Berrada: A Deep Dive into Moroccan Literature

The Map of Love (خريطة الحب) by Ahdaf Soueif: A Masterpiece of Love, History, and Cultural Intersection

"Chicago" by Alaa Al Aswany: A Journey into Urban Diversity