Urban space in contemporary Egyptian literature : portraits of Cairo / Mara Naaman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Naaman, Mara.

Series:

Literatures and cultures of the Islamic world

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Egyptian literature--History and criticism.

Egyptian literature.

Public spaces in literature.

Cities and towns in literature.

National characteristics, Egyptian, in literature.

Physical Description:

xxv, 227 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

Summary:

"This book is an examination of how the space of the downtown served dual purposes as both a symbol of colonial influence and capital in Egypt, as well as a staging ground for the demonstrations of the Egyptian nationalist movement. It is through the lens of literature, in this case a body of texts that form an archive on the downtown, that one is able to understand the layered significance of this space for multiple generations of Egyptians"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Specter of Paris: The Staging of Cairo's Modern City Center 11

2 Reconstructing a National Past: Radwa 'Ashur's Revisionist History of the Downtown 37

3 The Indigenous Modernism of Khayri Shalabi: Popular Intellectuals and the Neighborhood Ghurza 71

4 The Proletarian Revolution That Never Was: Idris 'Ali's Nubian Perspective 105

5 The Nation Recast through a National Bestseller: Alaa al-Aswany's Ode to Downtown Cairo 139.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230108653

0230108652

OCLC:

670481123