Themes in the yacoubian building by lancelot naipierkane. The yacoubian building is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. Feb 22, 2005 the following are excerpts from the yacoubian building by egyptian author alaa al aswany. Aug 27, 2006 the yacoubian building was a best seller in egypt, and this summer a feature film based on the novel opened there to popular and critical acclaim although members of the egyptian parliament. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007. With adel emam, nour elsherif, youssra, essad youniss. Alaa elaswany, who is a dentist, does not shy away from weaving sordid tales of political corruption, sexuality and torture in his story. Alaa al aswanys the yacoubian building 2002, which became a bestselling egyptian and arab novel worldwide in the past decade, owes its title to the ambition of an armenian millionaire who wanted immortality through a building that bears his name. Mahfouz set his novel in a poor workingclass district, seeking to portray the changes wrought by the second world war, and the british eighth. However, the movement had more political ambitions, and soon moved to abolish the constitutional monarchy and aristocracy of egypt and sudan, establish a republic, end the british occupation of the country, and secure the independence of sudan. Feb 12, 2006 the yacoubian building a sprawling, starstudded epic that spans all social classes in todays cairo, the yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever. Prostitutes were given permits and had to be checked for disease every week.
Hidden lives many of the characters in this novel lead hidden lives. Interview with director and star of the yacoubian building duration. A feminist perspective of egypts yacoubian building written by. The yacoubian building omaret yakobean 2006 rotten tomatoes. All live in the yacoubian building, a onceelegant temple of art deco splendor slowly decaying in the smog and hubbub of downtown cairo, egypt. Yacoubian building often a writer goes about the process of adapting a story from one type of media to another certain components of the original story have to be altered. In their stead, a new breed of cairenes has moved in. The building doesnt talk, of course, but it shelters the many people whose lives the book recounts. The yacoubian building is entertaining and does offer a good overview of contemporary cairo life, but with its many stories and its simplifications can feel more like it skims the surface than truly explores the many hidden depths even as it shares so many intimacies. This tenstory structure, i found, has a lot to say. Though this is sometimes strained, it holds up well enough, and though the characters represent different classes and backgrounds, they are also individuals. Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic tells the story of a group of people loosely bound together by dint of living in the same crumbling building a real place in downtown cairo. The yacoubian building as a mirror of a postrevolutionary. Alaa al aswany quotes author of the yacoubian building.
The following are excerpts from the yacoubian building by egyptian author alaa al aswany. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even. The yacoubian building a sprawling, starstudded epic that spans all social classes in todays cairo, the yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as. It has been reported to be the highestbudgeted film in the history of egyptian cinema. Death dominates the last section of the novel, and crucially none of the novels key characters arrives at a happy ending or even contentedness. This 41page guide for the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Constructed as a series of vignettes about characters whose fates will soon converge, a stylistic device highly popular in todays hollywood, egyptian author alaa al aswanys arabic bestseller the yacoubian building brings to life a seedy and despicable cairo where only the corrupted and the corruptible can fare well. The yacoubian building, an immense scandal when first published because of its sexual frankness, has topped bestseller lists for two years and is now a film with a hollywoodsize budget. The director depicted the deterioration of classes to be reflected in the building itself, and by that, he allowed the film to bring more cohesion to the snapchat of postrevolutionary egypt in his film by the diverse narratives. Apr 29, 2018 the yacoubian building 2006 is an egyptian film directed by marwan hamed. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws.
Sites like sparknotes with a the yacoubian building study guide or cliff notes. The book focuses mainly on the residents of the yacoubian building, a once. Through their various exploits, we learn about businessmen, politics, closet homosexuality, students, entrepeneurs and families living hand to. Military coup led by muhammad naguib and gamal abdel nasser. The yacoubian building in cairo, has seen better days. Set in cairo, egypt, the film deals with various controversial issues such as themes of homosexuality, religion, and politics, and employs a group of.
The yacoubian building was a best seller in egypt, and this summer a feature film based on the novel opened there to popular and critical acclaim although members of the egyptian parliament. The yacoubian building notes of a spurkahye finally come. Set in an actual building in downtown cairo, the controversial bestseller weaves together the lives of several characters to create a. He is one of the oldest residents of suleiman basha street, an.
Imarat yaqubyan is a novel by egyptian author alaaalaswany. The yacoubian building is a novel about modernday cairo, using the residents of the building as a broad crosssection of egyptian society. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany, humphrey t. The book focuses mainly on the residents of the yacoubian building, a oncechic but now rundown edifice that acts as a metaphor for cairos own deterioration. The yacoubian building distinguishes itself both as the most expensive egyptian film ever made and, despite its nearly threehour running time, one of the most watchable. A feminist perspective of egypts yacoubian building by livia. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of alaa alaswanys the yacoubian building. The center of the book is the various stories of some of the people who live and work in the yacoubian building. Egyptian sexuality in the 90s homosexuality was a taboo prostitution was made legal in late 18s up to early 19s. The yacoubian building 2002 is a multinarrative, literally adaptation film were a panoramic vision of recent egypt is depicted. Yacoubian building houses uncomfortable truths the controversial, bestselling egyptian novel the yacoubian building describes a country that is corrupt, unfair and thuggish. The yacoubian building 2006 is an egyptian film directed by marwan hamed.
Alaa al aswanys empathy and perceptive detail in this novel about the inhabitants of a cairo apartment building yield a credible evocation of. The yacoubian building is fastmoving and actionpacked, with drama in every scene and shifts between the different strands used to provide tension. This 57page guide for the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. The yacoubian building is the sort of dense neighbourhood novel which, though quite out of style when set in london or. Through its firstclass citizens and workingclass roofdwellers we view wealth and poverty, character and corruption, vice, chauvinism, terrorism, homosexuality, politics, prostitution. Themes in the yacoubian building by lancelot naipierkane on. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany librarything. Download pdf the yacoubian building free online new. The yacoubian building, a rare egyptian film to get any kind of american distribution, is overlong and schematic. Tragicomic, passionate, shockingly frank in its sexuality, and brimming with an extraordinary, embracing human compassion, the yacoubian building is a literary achievement of the first order.
Nestled along downtown cairos busy talat haarb street, the yacoubian building is easy to miss. In the hot evenings of autumn 2002, cairos streetside cafes were packed with men, women and teenagers riffling intently. The yacoubian building summary and analysis like sparknotes. Set in cairo, egypt, the film deals with various controversial issues such as themes of homosexuality, religion, and politics, and employs a group of diverse. Please see the supplementary resources provided below for other helpful content related to this book. Economics in the yacoubian building gender in the egyptian 90s apartment vs. Its a sort of reverse upstairs, downstairs building, with the more wealthy living in multi room apartments on one of the ten floors, while the poor live in small tin huts on the roof. Oct 29, 2015 the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany in chm, epub, fb3 download ebook. The apartment building exhibits the areas standard mixture of residential and commercial, its doorway plastered with signs and its first floor nothing but a row of typical and unremarkable small shops. In the course of this unforgettable novel, these disparate lives converge, careening inexorably toward an explosive conclusion.
The yacoubian building download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Tenants of the yacoubian building mirror the full length of egyptian society as it has passed from the era of privileged pashas to a scrappier social order. If there is a the yacoubian building sparknotes, shmoop guide, or cliff notes, you can find a link to each study guide below. There are very few morally pure characters in the text, at least when they are at home. The revolution was initially aimed at overthrowing king farouk. Alaa alaswany is the bestselling author of three previous books published in arabic. Feb 22, 2005 yacoubian building houses uncomfortable truths the controversial, bestselling egyptian novel the yacoubian building describes a country that is corrupt, unfair and thuggish. The film expresses all these elements through the lives of those who reside in the yacoubian building, representing segments within the egyptian society. But the war is not the focus of the book, it is pretty much background. In yacoubian building, a richly layered tale of life in. Alaa alaswanys novel the yacoubian building 2002, arabic tells the story of a group of people loosely bound together by. The yacoubian building by alaa alaswany 2006 not even past. In one scene he goes to protest being asked to donate 25% of the proceeds of a business scheme to the powersthatbe, only to be required to sit and wait to.
Through their various exploits, we learn about businessmen, politics, closet homosexuality, students, entrepeneurs and families living hand to mouth. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany 9789774248627. Mar 06, 2016 the yacoubian building, and the novels bestselling success, could be a barely disguised condemnation of society. The yacoubian building holds all that egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built. Many enjoy vices of all sorts, or behavior that society might consider immoral or scandalous, whether alcohol, homosexuality, or drugs. If you cant find good in your own country, you wont find it anywhere else. A rare and penetrating look into modern egyptian society can be found in alaa al aswanys novel, the yacoubian building.
Erected in the mid 1930s in cairos newly europeanized centre, the building is an architectural jewel, and. The controversial, bestselling egyptian novel the yacoubian building describes a country that is corrupt, unfair and thuggish. This 57page guide for the yacoubian building by alaa al aswany includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten. Based on the novel by the same title, the author dr. One doesnt need a university diploma to realize that the ruler is oppressive and corrupt.
The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a tv series in 2007 published in arabic in 2002 and in an english translation in 2004, the book, ostensibly set in 1990 at about the time of the first gulf war, is a roman a clef and scathing. From the pious son of the buildings doorkeeper and the raucous, impoverished squatters on its roof, via the tattered aristocrat and the gay intellectual in its apartments, to the ruthless. From the pious son of the building s doorkeeper and the raucous, impoverished squatters on its roof, via the tattered aristocrat and the gay intellectual, each character embodies a facet of modern egypt. But in the yacoubian building, an apartment complex on a downtown street tells the story of a whole nation. The yacoubian building, based on a real apartment block in cairo but given a fictitious makeover in this novel, is a microcosm. Arabic literature the yacoubian building essay 2203 words. The yacoubian building holds all that egypt was and has become over the 75 years since its namesake was built on one of downtown cairos main boulevards. Livia beqo abstract the yacoubian building stands amid the smog and commotion of downtown cairo. The yacoubian building alaa al aswany we can read it for you.
The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany in chm, epub, fb3 download ebook. The yacoubian building omaret yakobean 2006 rotten. By alaa al aswany, the american university in cairo press, 2004, 245 pp. Apr 27, 2006 based on the novel by the same title, the author dr. This controversial bestselling novel in the arab world re. Meditations on corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in. Dec 21, 20 a feminist perspective of egypts yacoubian building written by. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. A novel and join the genius community of scholars to learn the meaning behind the words. Apr 28, 2018 the yacoubian building 2002 is a multinarrative, literally adaptation film were a panoramic vision of recent egypt is depicted. He is one of the oldest residents of suleiman basha street, an almost folkloric figure, and his very particular. A feminist perspective of egypts yacoubian building by. Adapted from the bestselling novel by alaa al aswany, it is known as the highestbudgeted film in egyptian cinema. The yacoubian building by alaa al aswany takes place in cairo in the 1990s during the first gulf war when iraq invaded kuwait and the u.
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