By:Naguib Mafouz
This collection of five tales by Mahfouz, a Nobel Prize winner, is a good way for those of us who are uninitiated in his (translated)Arabic literature to get started. In the various tales, he takes us back to the time of the Pharaohs and matters of love and war. Other times there is palace intrigue and betrayal. In a more modern setting, there is a story of a rediscovered mummy's awakening. Some interesting cultural insights are found in his work. Review by Patricia. (Fiction) 08/19/09
