A grim futuristic account of Egyptian society in the year 2023. I say it's more like a grim account of Egyptian Society in the year 2018.
"كيف ستكون مصA grim futuristic account of Egyptian society in the year 2023. I say it's more like a grim account of Egyptian Society in the year 2018.
"كيف ستكون مصر عام 2023؟ لقد عزَلَ الأغنياء أنفسهم في »يوتوبيا« الساحل الشمالي تحت حراسة المارينز الأمريكيين؛ يتعاطون المخدرات ويمارسون المُتع المحرمة إلى أقصاها، بينما ينسحق الفقراء خارجها ينهش بعضهم لحم بعض من أجل العيش، دونما كهرباء أو صرف صحي أو رعاية طبية من أي نوع." I mean tell me how is this any different from the current state?
صدرت الرواية قبل الثورة، لم تكن الأمور وصلت لهذه الدرجة من التوحش، التضخم الذي عانى منه المصريون في الرواية والذي كان السبب الأول فيما حدث لهم، تراجع مستويات التعليم، الكذب الصريح من ذوي السلطة، حتى احتماء الأغنياء بالسكن في الكومباوندات وتركهم لكل الأماكن الأخرى، العلاج المغشوش ثم الارتفاع الجنوني في أسعار الدواء المستورد، تدهور الخدمات العامة كلها بشكل ملحوظ، كلها أشياء لم تكن واضحة جداً في 2008، كانت موجودة بالطبع وبنسبة كبيرة ولكننا لم نكن وصلنا بعد لدرجة الخراب في الرواية، والذي نهرول نحوه الآن مسرعين بخطى واسعة.
الرواية صدرت في 2008، أي قبل عشرة أعوام من اليوم، وقد صرح د. أحمد خالد توفيق وقتها أكثر من مرة بأنه تعمد المبالغة في تخيل ووصف الأحداث كي يدق جرساً عالياً، لم يكن يعرف أنه لم يبالغ جداً، ففي العشرة أعوام التي تلت صدور الرواية، كان التدهور سريعاً للدرجة التي تجعل الرواية ليست مبالغة على الإطلاق، ورغم أن أحداثها تدور في المستقبل فإننا � ربما � سوف نسبقها.
في الرواية تجد مقاطع كاملة منقولة من دراسات حقيقية، كإحصاءات علمية وتقارير، فالرواية تتضمن جزءاً من تقرير للدكتور أحمد عكاشة عن معدلات الإدمان في مصر، وتقرير عن العنف ضد النساء مأخوذ من ملتقى الحوار للتنمية وحقوق الإنسان، وأخبار حقيقية مقتطعة من صحف ومواقع إلكترونية مصرية، كل ذلك كان بمثابة قطع اللغز التي جمعها د. أحمد خالد توفيق ووضعها جنباً إلى جنب لتشكل الصورة النهائية الكبيرة التي لم يكن أحد يلتفت لها وهي مبعثرة. ...more
The more I read Murakami, the less his work resembles genius, and the more it comes to resemble a symptom of autism or obsessive compulsion. As Rubin The more I read Murakami, the less his work resembles genius, and the more it comes to resemble a symptom of autism or obsessive compulsion. As Rubin explains it, Murakami works not because he has an idea for a book, but because he feels compelled to write. It’s suggested that he often sits at his desk, writing whatever comes to mind, until the glimmerings of a story appear.
As in all Murakami novels, After Dark’s plot is irrelevant. Nothing happens for a long time, then something creepy and inexplicable happens, then the book ends for no apparent reason, leaving any semblance of story unresolved. So it really depends on your level of tolerance at the time you are reading the book, however since this one is way shorter than his other work, I guess not a lot of people would have a problem tolerating his style. ...more
I love stories that takes place in London, and I love stories that takes place in London in the 20's. I do know that this is not the timeline here, butI love stories that takes place in London, and I love stories that takes place in London in the 20's. I do know that this is not the timeline here, but it's close enough. And I love Sarah Waters for always presenting me with this setting.
However, this novel feels unfinished. I was, and still am, waiting for the parts to connect in that grand finale kind of setting. A big finale for a big story, which never came. ...more
Chris Colfer is an extremely smart writer and I love his voices for the different characters. He never disappoints, but there was something off for meChris Colfer is an extremely smart writer and I love his voices for the different characters. He never disappoints, but there was something off for me in this book. I didn't really feel the characters, there were too many of them to really invest in emotional connection with any of them.
Chris Colfer always manages to put some wisdom on his books in a very light kind of way. He makes you reflect on subjects that you might not have thought about before and he does that in a way that doesn’t make you feel like it’s being pushed down your throat, but instead, it always serves as a inspiration somehow.
My main problem is that the plot for Fight club 2 is difficult to follow, it seems that the story is a jumble of independent events that more often thMy main problem is that the plot for Fight club 2 is difficult to follow, it seems that the story is a jumble of independent events that more often than not seem to have no correlation between one another. This really hurts me to say since am a huge Palahniuk lover and I always defended his work, but man I had so many troubles with this one, I mean what I loved about Fight Club (the first book), was that it rejected a traditional, shallow life but also critiqued the common, hyper-masculine, anarchist rejection of a traditional, shallow life. It showcased characters who found escape from the mundanity of everyday life in violence, but it also was skeptical of that violence and whether or not it was a real escape. While in Fight Club 2, as you read you just can't help but worry that the book would tarnish Fight Club like many other sequels have done to their originals.
However on the good side, Mack’s work is stunningly beautiful. Stewart does a masterful job handling transitions and translating this haywire plot into something your eyes can follow....more
That was the weakest Joker VS Batman story line by far! It felt like it was trying too hard and wanted to be great which unfortunately didn't work. FoThat was the weakest Joker VS Batman story line by far! It felt like it was trying too hard and wanted to be great which unfortunately didn't work. For me the Killing Joke still remains the best origin story. ...more
Murder on the Orient Express is the first Poirot story I’ve ever read, though it’s the tenth published by Christie. I liked the mix of lots of charactMurder on the Orient Express is the first Poirot story I’ve ever read, though it’s the tenth published by Christie. I liked the mix of lots of characters, all trapped in one singular place, who all had different stories and personalities, and yet Poirot was able to find various connections between them in interesting and subtle ways. Overall, I really enjoyed this book,...more
Any fan of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels also knows Kathryn Dance, the widowed young California mother whose law enforcement job includes scientific aAny fan of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels also knows Kathryn Dance, the widowed young California mother whose law enforcement job includes scientific analysis of a suspect's answers during questioning. I enjoy all of Jeffery Deaver's books. They are enjoyable and keep you guessing. I also enjoy how he develops his characters, and always manages to through few twists within each twist.
Deaver must plan his books well before writing. And it shows. There are no loose ends. Or plot lines that twist their way to nowhere. This book has all the expected Jeffery Deaver trademarks....a compelling story, difficult to put down, and unexpected twists and turns. However, it also has all of the cringe-worthy cliches of recent Deaver novels: a comic book style super villain, describing characters by saying they look like celebrities (Channing Tatum, Cate Blanchett, etc..), and the annoying way that anyone in law enforcement who contradicts Kathryn Dance (or Lincoln Rhyme, in the other series) is always proven wrong in the long run.
I didn't really buy or feel the ending, it feels like it has been his ghost writing, but never the less it was an alright read. I have read worse....more
Iguess everyone escapes into a fantasy world, and this is the world where Ethan escaped!
This is either a very clever story orOoookaaay! What was that!
Iguess everyone escapes into a fantasy world, and this is the world where Ethan escaped!
This is either a very clever story or just plain stupid, in hindsight, there is a psychological element underlying this story. I think for me it was okay, I didn't get annoyed with anything really and it was an easy read and the ending just was like "what did I just read!" and then its over. Just like that. You don't get to have any time to process what has just happened or what will happen. You just watch him run.
The story itself is pretty complex and disturbing. Imagine getting your son back after nine years and then people start to question whether he is the real deal or not. That has to be devastating. The mother is such a wonderful character. She never doubts Ethan. She fights for her son tooth and nail, and I loved her for that. But Blake's character was the most interesting for me. It had to be so hard for him, always the one who was there when Ethan was abducted. Not that they blame him, but that guilt that still surrounds him all his life about BEING there when his brother was taken. ...more
So apparently almost everybody fell in love with this book. This is met second Rainbow Rowell read, and I have to admit that she has this way of writiSo apparently almost everybody fell in love with this book. This is met second Rainbow Rowell read, and I have to admit that she has this way of writing that is just so ordinary. Which in itself is kinda awesome. like how everyday, life is unexciting. We make our way through each day, and there isn't always something to set it apart from all of our yesterdays and tomorrows. Rowell captures this balance well.
One thing that was the most beautiful for me is how Rowell handled the whole first love theme. First love can be everything or it can be nothing. You will always remember your first love, whether you stay together and get married, or split up. You will always remember. And I think that was the whole idea behind the characters behaviour and how things ended. ...more
First of all, I was overwhelmed (annoyed and bored) by all the flash backs and descriptions. Whenever the story started going somewhere and you actualFirst of all, I was overwhelmed (annoyed and bored) by all the flash backs and descriptions. Whenever the story started going somewhere and you actually start to find something interesting to read a flash back into some random event in his life would pop up, and yes things "tied up" in the end but man that was too many flashbacks. Also a three page description of a sewer system is not something I would want to read in my relaxing time.
This one is far from a thriller, and definitely not fast paced. I was mostly just reading to find out what might be "wrong" with Gwyneth. I think the overall idea of the book is pretty decent, it just felt that he had a lot of words surrounding it to make a book out of it. It was overburdened with descriptions, and metaphors, similes and all those artful things. Things happened at the end that I thought needed more foundation or setup. It was just all too frustrating.
The overall theme of this collected stories is desperation. Alaa Al Aswan may have presented different character with different stories however they aThe overall theme of this collected stories is desperation. Alaa Al Aswan may have presented different character with different stories however they all have the same punch line: life in Egypt is hard.
I read the following words and I think they describe the book perfectly: أوراق عصام عبد العاطي، حيث السقوط الوجودي المفضي إلي السقوط الاجتماعي الذي أفرز الزيف الديني ليتحول مجتمعنا إلي مجتمع وثني، جاهلي، منزوع القيم الأصيلة، يتمرغ في طقوس واهية، مضللة، وفكر إظلامي مزدوج
كما يبين أيضا تشبث الإنسان بالحياة علي نحو يقول عنه الأسواني " إن حرصنا الذليل علي الحياة لشيء دنيء حقا "، وهو حرص يمتد من التشبث بالحياة ذاتها إلي التشبث بالمكاسب الاجتماعية والمرتب والجاه.
إن عصام الشخصية الرئيسية في القصة يترسخ في عقله صور الشماتة المتبادلة، والكراهية التي تنبع في أحيان كثيرة من المحبة، وهو يعي ذلك علي نحو مرعب يدفعه للانسحاب من الحياة، واحتقار وطنه، ومواطنيه، ويصبح مجرد شخص وحيد، كالخلية المعزولة: "ليس مع أي شيء، ولا ضد أي شيء" أي أنه يمضي في الطريق إلي الموت أو الجنون، لأنه اقترب ورأي....more
The book is good to kill time while waiting outside the doctors office or waiting in line. The stories keep you engaged but not engaged enough to be bThe book is good to kill time while waiting outside the doctors office or waiting in line. The stories keep you engaged but not engaged enough to be bothered when you have to put the book down....more
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