CAIRO - 27 December 2019: The ancient proverb says ‘’A room without books is like a body without a soul’’ and we say that books add to your only soul multiple others and fill your heart with joys and pleasures. Egypt Today gives its readers glimpses about 10 of the most popular books in 2019.
1-“Kohl Wa Habahan” (Eye Liner and Cardamom)
In this successful novel heartthrob writer Omar Taher explores the enjoyment of using food and smells to write the life story of an ordinary man. The novel’s protagonist claims that there is always “a taste and smell” for every feeling, life stage and status.
Taher brilliantly uses taste and smell to discuss the different stages of an ordinary man's life.
The novel focuses on a set of themes such as adolescence, love, alienation, loneliness, marriage, friendship, failure and success, where the protagonist believes that each feeling has a unique smell and taste."Kohl w Habhan" was published by El-Karma publishing house on December 26th, 2018.
Moreover, the song "Astwat" was released to promote this successful novel. The song is written by Omar Taher, sung by Wael el-Fashny, and composed by Mahmoued Hussein Kamel.
2- “Animal Farm”
This novel is written by George Orwell and Russell Baker
The Animal Farm novel tackles the tale of a farm that has been taken over by its overworked, mishandled animals.
The suffered animals target was to build their heaven, where progress, justice, and equality prevail. The fairy tale explains that transferring from a revolution against despotism to totalitarianism is a disastrous thing.
The novel written by George Orwell and Russell Baker reflects the garish idealism and inspirational slogans.
When “Animal Farm” was first published, Stalinist Russia was regarded as its main target.
The clarity and comical style of Animal Farm has a meaning and message that will live for a long time.
3- “La Beta’m el-Flamenco” (No in Flamenco Flavor)
“La Beta’m el-Flamenco” novel is written by the acclaimed best seller writer and psychiatrist Mohamed Taha.
Taha in this book highlighted the fact that ‘’change” is the biggest challenge a human could face during his whole life. According to “La Beta’m el-Flamenco” changing a person can be faced by two obstacles.
The first one is that the person who will change will be similar to a new born baby, who is facing society for the first time, carrying both his/her fears and opportunities. He/she will be rediscovering him/herself and people again.
The second obstacle is that change has its own price and sometimes this price is unbearable.
This book summarises how a person can change in addition to how to overcome the change obstacles and to start a new life, abandoning the past’s decisions and make new future decisions.
4- “Elaqat Khatra” (Dangerous Relations)
“Elaqat Khatra” is another best seller book written by Mohamed Taha. The book reflects that sometimes our human relations could be the most difficult thing in our life.
Sometimes human relations could be toxic and dangerous, it could be also a source of misery, sadness and hurt. Other types of relationships could be a source of happiness, hope and pride
In this book, Taha shed light on the different types of relationships among humans, how to tackle social problems and how to deal with hardships caused by numerous relationships. The book also focuses on how to cherish great relationships.
“Elaqat Khatra” is a highly important guide to understand the different kinds of human relationships.
The author uses several social studies conducted by Harvard University to back up his claims.
5- ‘’ Mosem Sayed el Gozlan’’ (Deer-hunting Season)
The famed Egyptian novelist and scriptwriter Ahmed Mourad takes us smoothly in his science-fiction novel “Deer-hunting Season’’, into the anonymous future revealing what would be our predestined destiny.
The novel carries a group of well-calculated political, societal and humanitarian assumptions that can dazzle anyone who reads the novel, proving that we are in front of a brilliant writer who knows quite well how to use his tools.
Mourad highlighted through “Deer-hunting Season’’ how our emotions become cold , after our human relations are technologized , a matter that created long and solid distances between people
.
Mourad showed us a live-stream going on in the protagonist’s head, “Nadim”. The popular writer has so masterfully drew all the novel characters, you will feel that all these characters are familiar as if you know them.
6-“Tholatheyat Ghurnata” (Trilogy of Granada)
“Granada Trilogy” is written by the late great Egyptian writer Radwa Ashour. The famous trilogy dating back to the period of La Convivencia in Spain, during the era where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived alongside one another. “Granada” was chosen to be among the 105 best Arabic novels of the 20th century by the Arabic Writers’ Union.
The events of the trilogy occurs in the Kingdom of Granada after the fall of all Islamic kingdoms in Andalusia. The story starts in 1491, the year Granada fell by declaring a treaty whereby the last king of Granada conceded to King of Castile and Aragon.
7- Turab el Mass ( Diamond Dust)
Another bestseller novel in 2019 is Turab el Mass by Ahmed Mourad. The novel revolves around Taha, who works for a pharmaceutical company and lives an extremely boring life with his disabled father.
Taha’s life is turned upside down after a mysterious murder reveals many secrets, dragging Taha into the world of crime and corruption.
In 2018 this novel was turned to a successful movie bearing the same name, staring Asser Yassin, Menna Shalaby, Maged el-Kidwany, Ezzat al-Alayly, Mohamed Mamdouh, Khaled al-Sawy, Sawsan Badr, Sherine Reda among others. The movie was directed by Marwan Hamed.
8- Rofaka’ el Leil ( Night Companions)
Rofaka’ el Leil is the last and the latest group of stories written by the one and only Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. The book was published by Al-Karma Publishing House and was released in 2019. ‘’ Rofaka’ el Leil’’ houses 11 stories, the main theme is a combination of excitement and thrill, that kind that the iconic writer used to master the most.
9- Tazkara Waheeda lel Kahera ( One Ticket only to Cairo)
Popular Egyptian writer Ashraf el Ashmawy tackles the journey of a Nubian guy named Ageeba who was living in the 1940s in his novel Tazkara Waheeda lel Kahera.
His compulsory journey starts from Aswan in the far south after the destruction of his Nubian village on the aftermath of raising Aswan Dam water, in addition to his father death in an accident along with the British engineer who designed the dam.
Ageeba travelled to Cairo to work with one of his relatives in the aristocratic Gezira club in Zamalek, to discover another world that he knows nothing about and live an exciting adventure in this club.
This novel does not only talk about the Nubians tragedy as a result of the successive displacements, but goes beyond all that to shed light on the lives of these marginalized people in the heart of Cairo.
10-El Maskoot Ano Fe el Tarekh ( what we don’t talk about in history)
This book is written by the acclaimed writer Wassim el Sisi , despite it was released from a short period of time it managed to be one of the best seller books in 2019. El Maskoot Ano Fe el TarekhIt tackles the most important historical events in the history of ancient and contemporary Egypt, which the majority don’t talk about despite its importance.
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