???? ????? ??? ??????... ????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ????????
????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ????? ???????? ??????

???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????
?????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????41 s Ayman Gomaa465 643

??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????????? ???? ??????? ? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ??? ????? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? .

??????? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????? ??????? ????????? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ? ???? ??? ??? ????? ? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? " ????? " ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? .

" ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ...?? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? !?? ????? !? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????? . ??? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? . ?????? ??? ?? ????? ??????? ? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ."
?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????? , ?????? ??? ?????? ? ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ?????? .

" ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? . ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? . ? ??? ??????? ??????????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????- ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ? ????? ????? ????? ? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ????? , ? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ? ????? ????????? ? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???????? ??????? ???? ??????? ? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ? ????? ?? ??????? ? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ? ??? ??? ????? ? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ???? . ??? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? , ? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? . "
???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ????? ?? ???? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? .

" ? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? . ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ."
? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ? ????? ?????? ? ???? ? ???? ? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ???? ? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? .

??? ????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ??????????? ? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? .

??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???????? ? ?? ?? ???????? " ??????? " ? ??? ??????? ????? ? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? .

???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ??????? ????? ? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ? ????? ??? ??? ? ??? ?????? ? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??????? .

??? ?? ?????? ??????? ???? " ?????? ? ????? " ?? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ? ?? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ? ???????? ??????? ? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ? ????? ?? ?????? .

43 s João Carlos646 300


Cairo - Egipto


”O chefe da polícia franziu o sobrolho e deu mostras de profunda perplexidade. Logo a seguir às primeiras verificações, vira-se confrontado à seguinte estranheza: o homicídio não tivera como móbil o roubo; nada fora roubado. Tão-pouco era um crime sádico. O médico legista afirmara formalmente que o cadáver da prostituta não apresentava qualquer sinal de sevícias ou de máculas. A rapariga fora simplesmente estrangulada, de maneira limpa e clássica. Estranho caso este! Nur El Dine via-se pela primeira vez diante duma árdua tarefa: resolver o enigma de um crime gratuito. E no entanto um crime gratuito em semelhante meio parecia-lhe impensável. Um crime gratuito implicava raciocínios profundos e uma inteligência dissimulada, que só uma pessoa instruída – possuidora até de alguma cultura europeia – podia ter. Era uma espécie de crime com que se depara nos livros ocidentais.” (Pág. 72)
Albert Cossery (1913 – 2008) descreve um assassinato brutal, sem motivação aparente, cometido num bordel na cidade do Cairo. A narrativa desenvolve-se em torno desse mistério, num tom de investigação criminal e numa irónica comédia negra. Há um pequeno grupo de mendigos, que vivem na marginalidade de um sistema dominado pela droga, pelo tráfico e pela prostituição. Apesar de rejeitarem as normas sociais e sem terem nenhum tipo de ambição, procuram o segredo do contentamento e do bem estar.
”Mendigos e Altivos” é um excelente romance ambientado ao Cairo dos anos pós-guerra, uma crítica social mordaz, organizada em torno de um crime e de um procedimento de investigação criminal, onde as personagens não são julgadas de acordo com os conceitos de superioridade ou de inferioridade, mas sim, contra um sistema social; onde o empobrecimento é um status escolhido, mas que devido à sua inteligência têm a capacidade de terem orgulho nesse mesmo status.
Excepcionalmente interessante neste ”Mendigos e Altivos” é a forma como Albert Cossery mostra um sistema de valores distorcido, desconstruindo alguns mitos da sociedade, descrevendo admiravelmente as transformações das personagens, com recurso a um humor perspicaz assente no absurdo, removendo todos os sinais de moralidade e pudor.classicsread l201826 s Eslam493 560



???? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ???????.
?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ????????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????.

????? ??? ..??????24 s Mohamed Bayomi226 150

???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???????? ? ????? ??????? ? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?
??? ????? ?? ??????? ? ?????? ??????????21 s Tony954 1,676

The title in the original French is Mendiants et orgueilleux, literally "Beggars and Proud People". Cossery explained that it came from an Arabic saying, precisely translated as "a beggar who sets his own conditions."

So, welcome to Egyptian squalor, a place of drugs and beggars and prostitutes. It is a place completely foreign to us Westerners. A place where a government worker is oxymoronic, where classes are strictly defined, where women are objectified. Okay, maybe not so foreign. Nour El Dine is a police inspector but also a pederast. Gohar is an educated, cultured man but also a beggar. These two will do a dance. What to do, they ponder, about a motiveless murder.

"Does a crime without motive fall within the scope of the law? Isn't it of the same nature as an earthquake, for example?"
"An earthquake doesn't think," said Nour El Dine. "It is a calamity that just happens."
"But man has become a calamity for his fellow man," answered Gohar. "Man has become worse than an earthquake. At any rate he does more damage. Inspector, don't you agree that the horrors caused by man long ago exceeded those of nature's cataclysms?"
"I can't stop an earthquake," said Nour El Dine.

This is a place were men will argue, then disperse, muttering invectives of high literary merit. Women, too, such as the higher priced prostitute who declines an invitation to take a stroll thusly: "Walk yourself, servant of a failed government!"

My favorite character was the limbless man. He is dropped onto a street corner by his stout wife in the morning and retrieved by her at night. But, oh they fight, because the limbless man is prized for the amount of alms he receives, and his wife is jealous of his many female admirers. With good reason.

This was not a hopeful place. But, no, it was not entirely foreign.


egyptian french nyrb-classics19 s Henry MartinAuthor 150 books152


I often wonder about sentences – about their impact, their purity, their necessity of being. I wonder about wasted words, wasted pages, and wasted stories. I wonder every time I read.

Yet, whenever I reach for The Proud Beggars, I find myself in awe, mesmerized, a captive to Cossery’s mastery of language, his scenes, his characters, and his ideology. If there ever was the perfect literary book, for me, it is this one.

No matter how many times I read this book, it never fails to grab me anew and bring me to my knees.

Through his easy flowing, imagery-rich writing, Cossery breathes life into his main characters: Gohar, a wealthy, respected philosophy professor, who leaves everything to become a beggar; Yeghen, a hideous derelict poet, who values friendship above his own life; El Kordi, a government clerk, who is too occupied with noble ideals to actually perform any work; and Nour el Dine, a pederast police inspector, who wonders whether all he serves and believes in is only a sham.

Cossery’s mastery of language (and Cushing’s excellent translation) delivers an astounding experience, both visual and emotional. His writing is renown for giving voice to the least fortunate of men, and he continues this tradition in The Proud Beggars. Using the Cairo slums as a background, Cossery is not satisfied with merely painting the surroundings…he delves deep and bores through the fabric of societal hierarchy all the way to the deepest bottom, to circles where one does not need to pretend anymore. A world of men only a modern society is capable of producing, a world where misery seeps from every pore ad infinitum. An obscure world of cigarette-butt scavengers, prostitutes, secret gay lovers, street vendors, drug dealers, and the worst of the scum, while across the river the lights shine brightly on the most exquisite merchandise.

Although the story takes place in pre-WWII era, Cossery’s philosophy proves itself timeless and remains relevant today: A man is only free when he has nothing to lose. Society, and the middle class in particular, is merely tied down, chained by its priced possessions, and forced to forfeit liberties in exchange for meaningless artifacts. Can we argue with such a view? Certainly, and we should. But how different are we really? How different is life in these ‘glory days’? We might not have the need to scavenge for food, but we continue to chase after the coolest gadgets, the latest fashion, the shiniest jewelry, and the best living spaces. We continue to sell part of ourselves for these comforts.

This book, however, is not about the absurdity of modern-day society. (Nor am I standing atop a soapbox.) It is, first and foremost, a human story — a story of dignity, of man’s weaknesses and strengths, of enlightenment and perversity. It is a story of the blind tearing off their veils and seeing, for the first time, what really matters. And from there, we are on our own, as Cossery, after a spectacular ending, leaves to us the choice to see or not to see.

I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys deep psychological dramas.permanent-collection17 s Teresa1,492

"A vida é formidável porque a vejo com os olhos do escárnio."

"Sempre convivi com os marginais, porque os marginais são o que há de mais vivo no mundo. Fazem o que querem, e por isso são mais divertidos que as outras pessoas. Os marginais são também frequentemente mais inteligentes."

Era assim Albert Cossery, um egípcio que viveu os últimos cinquenta anos da sua vida num mesmo quarto em Paris. Trabalhava pouco porque não lhe interessava acumular bens materiais. Ao longo de sessenta anos de carreira como escritor publicou apenas oito livros, que lhe permitiu viver uma vida simples dedicada à reflexão. Dizia-se, em jeito de anedota, que escrevia uma linha por dia. Embora escrevesse sempre em francês, quase todos os seus livros são sobre o Egipto e o seu povo e, segundo ele, baseados em situações reais que viu e viveu.

Mendigos e Altivos, considerada a sua obra-prima (o único livro que li, mas tenciono ler todos), é um romance muito original, pelo tema e pelo estilo, que trata assuntos sérios, mas recorrendo ao humor (negro) em vez de ao drama.

Nur El Dine é um polícia inteligente que não resiste a um belo efebo. Investiga um crime ocorrido numa casa de putas, onde Gohar, um velho professor universitário que abandonou a sua vida anterior para se tornar vagabundo - e melhor conhecer a humanidade - faz uns trabalhos de escrita para sustentar o seu vício enquanto não realiza o seu sonho de ir para a Síria, onde há grandes plantações de haxixe. Gohar, é idolatrado por Ieguene, um traficante de droga feio como o inferno, cuja mãe desistiu de rezar por ele, delegando-lhe essa tarefa, coisa que muito o aflige. O terceiro suspeito do crime no bordel, e amigo de Gohar, é El Kordi, um funcionário público; um escrivão sem caneta, a qual lhe foi retirada pelo chefe porque ele não a utilizava. É um jovem poeta de ideias revolucionárias e apaixonado por uma prostituta, que ele pretende salvar.

Estas quatro personagens protagonizam situações, por vezes absurdas de tão delirantes, que nos põem a pensar em assuntos sérios, rindo...
A pobreza extrema pode significar o apogeu da liberdade; quem nada tem para perder não sente medo, pois são os bens materiais que nos subjugam aos que dominam. Como diz Ieguene: não há que temer uma bomba que destrói uma cidade, pois o seu custo tem que ser muito grande e, com certeza, não a irão desperdiçar fazendo-a explodir em cima de quem vive num tugúrio, onde as barracas mal se têm de pé. Mais tarde, alguém lhe dirá que não é exactamente assim...

Albert Cossery é formidável!e5 favoritos n-egipto15 s ToshAuthor 13 books685

A beautiful and very young prostitute gets killed in the beginning of “Proud Beggars” which sets off a journey of self-discovery. Also everyone is likable, including the young girl's murderer. Welcome to the world of Albert Cossery!

The narrative takes place in what we believe is in Egypt – perhaps Cairo? Cossery is from the Middle-East but lived in Paris most of his life. A hardcore member of the St-Germain crowd, Cossery is a writer of incredible charm, that is full of poison. What is fascinating is that via this novel we enter into a world of beggars – where it is not only a choice for some, but a desired lifestyle. Poverty worn as a sign of pride. Of course there is anxiety in knowing where one is going to sleep that night, or where the next meal will come from (if any at all), but the sense of freedom that goes with the lifestyle is the addiction where these characters roam with great joy.

The detective who is investigating the murder, is a closeted homosexual who is deeply attracted to the people he's after. A strange dance or chess game with all the characters who are expressing a certain school of existentialism – Cossery, as a writer, has the knack of expressing a culture in a light hearted way but again, with a sense of great wit, and this book is a very dark comedy. The murder was committed with no real purpose, which is shocking, but what is more shocking is how the characters react to the crime. A very strange book in that sense and it reminds me a bit of Paul Bowles' work. Maybe because its a strange culture to me, but the surrealism of the scenery and the joy that the beggars (at least the main characters) have with life is kind of upsetting. This is another remarkable novel by a great writer.books-bought15 s Nora Barnacle165 114

Ukupan utisak je "pa, ok".

Odli?na je atmosfera (na crtu Darelu, bez srama), upe?atljive su bizarnosti, ali je sve toliko neujedna?eno, da mi se ?ini kao da je Kosri pisao po porudžbini i na zadatu temu, iznose?i stavove koji mu se dopadaju, ali iz daleka, salonski ili kroz tamni Rejban tinejdžerskog velšmerca. Najviše je, rekla bih, podbacio na temu likova koji su svi postavljeni briljantno, ali razra?eni prili?no naivno.
Apsurd dozvoljava svakakve slobode, ali se za šetnju po tim bespu?ima traže cohones. Eto, recimo, Luj Mal je tip koji je od ovoga mogao napraviti remek delo.

Nije bezveze, vredi i više nego što ga cenim, al' me je iznervirao što je imao potencijala za savršen roman, no pao je na glupim forama, pa ?u mu zalepiti trojku - od jeda.15 s João ReisAuthor 88 books569

Origem do exemplar: Biblioteca.
Língua da edição lida: Português.
Tradução: Boa.
Género: Ficção; literatura.
Avaliação: Bom (3,5*).15 s Matilde P. Bernardo4 8

Um livro que nos prende logo na primeira página, em infinitas e densas sucessões de acontecimentos deliberadamente descritas com uma simplicidade extraordinária, personagens inteligentíssimas e um humor inacreditável. O ócio como filosofia, aliado ao verdadeiro encontro da paz, a negligência pelas instituições, todo o livro é improvável e genial, poderia ter o dobro das páginas que não seriam demais. Cossery foi daquelas almas que habitou o nosso planeta e a quem a literatura e a filosofia muito ficam a dever. 13 s Dajana77 28

Ovo je jedna od knjiga koja je presudno uticala na to da se bavim književnoš?u. ?itala sam je u srednjoj školi na profesorovu preporuku, i ona je gotovo filozofska parabola o klasnim razlikama, ljudskosti, porivima i jedan od pomalo skrajnutih romana apsurda sa mersoovskim likom, što je opravdano, s obzirom na to da se Kosri družio s Kamijem. Ukratko, to je pri?a o egipatskom profesoru izba?enom s fakulteta zbog drogiranja koji se odlu?uje da ubije da bi došao do novca, ali na?in na koji to ?ini i njegov status u zajednici su ono što je vrlo zanimljivo. Svaki lik je univerzalni lik, recimo, i ovo delo bih opisala kao parabolu o Pesniku (književnosti), Policiji (Vlasti, Mo?i) i Intelektualcu.
Stoga, preporuka svima!12 s George K.2,545 344

??????????: 9/10

??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????, ???? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ?????????? "?????????? ??'?? ???" -??? ??????? ??? ???? ??? 2016-, ?? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ???????, ?????? ????? ????? ????. ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ????????????? ???????????, ??? ????? ???????, ???? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ?????: ????????, ??????, ???????, ?????????????? , ?????????? ??? ?????????? ????????????????. ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????????????? ??? ?? ??????????????? ??? ??????, ???? ??????????????? ???????. ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????, ???? ???? ????? ???? ? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??????????? ??? ???? ?????????????, ???? ??? ??? ?? ???????????? ??? ????? ??? ????????, ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????????? ?? ????????, ???? ??? ??? ????... ?????????? ????? ????. ???? ????? ?? ?????, ????? ?????????? ???? ????, ?????????? ?????????, ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ????????? ??????. ?? ?????????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ??? ??????????, ????? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ?????????????, ????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?????????, ????????? ?? ?? ???????? ?'???? ?????????? ?????, ?????? ?????...???????. ? ????? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????, ???? ???? ??? ?? ????????? ??? ??????, ????? ? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????. ???? ??????, ??? ????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ?????? ???? (???????? ???????????). 20th-century11 s merixien599 440

1955 y?l?nda Kahire sokaklar?n?n kibirli dilencilerinin bir genelev ve bu genelevde i?lenen cinayetle ili?kileri üzerinden, kara mizahla anlat?lan bir toplum ve düzen ele?tirisi. Eskiden sayg?n bir üniversite hocas? ve burjuva bir hayat ya?arken her ?eyden vazgeçip ilkel hayata yönelen bir dilenci, çirkinli?ine annesi d???nda kimsenin tahammül edemedi?i ?air bir uyu?turucu sat?c?s? ve can s?k?nt?s?ndan haks?zl??a, hukuksuzlu?a, adaletsizli?e direnip devrimci oldu?unu sanan lakin özünde bombo? olan bir devlet memuru. Bu üçlünün kar??s?nda ise kanunun ve düzenin savunucusu görünümünde olan lakin içinde bu sisteme s?k???p kalman?n tiksintisini ya?ayan, entellektüel bir açl?k ya?ayan e?cinsel polis amiri Nureddin. Oldukça ak?c? bir hikayenin ortas?nda huzura, sahipli?e, k?skançl??a, topluma ve o toplumun getirdi?i zorunluklara dair etkileyici bir fikir ak??? ya?an?yor. Suriye’nin hayallerin ülkesi oldu?u uzak zamanlara dair “pasif” bir isyan hali.

“Gohar’?n dayanma gücü bu mutlak mahrumiyetten geliyordu; y?k?m kar??s?nda kaybedecek hiçbir ?eyi yoktu.”

“Dilencilik kolayd?; ama kibirlilik? Kibri nerede bulacakt?? ?çinde sonsuz bezginlikten, büyük bir huzur ihtiyac?ndan ba?ka bir ?ey yoktu. Sadece huzur.”

fiction french-literature read-in-202012 s KenAuthor 3 books1,044

A short (172 pp) and smart book, surprisingly modern. It is at once police procedural and satire, buddy book and philosophical tract. Set in Cairo, it details the grim lives of three men who have chosen to be beggars. You read right: CHOSEN. They see poverty as liberation. They see the world and its authority figures as brutes to be antagonized -- in the case of this book, mostly the police as embodied by Nour El Dine, a proud investigative officer with a taste for young men (it's just part of his undoing).

The three amigos? They are Gohar, one-time professor turned whorehouse accountant; Yeghen, a poet and drug dealer who is so ugly he scares all but his mother; and El Kordi, a young clerk and wannabe revolutionary. With distinct personalities but a common bond in elected poverty, they go about life fully amused by such things as government and law and oppression of all sorts.

Cossery's point? If you have nothing to lose, life's absurdities and brutalities can't touch you. He even invokes the power of illiteracy, having one of his characters wonder at the absolute freedom the illiterate enjoy with no knowledge of the world's evil (as seen in a newspaper near you, both then and now).

This exchange between Nour El Dine and Gohar is typical:

"How did you fall into such misery? From the way you speak, you seem to be an educated man. I'd even say a highly cultivated one. Normally you should have occupied a high rung in the social hierarchy. But you live a beggar. This is a mystery I'd to understand."

'It's no mystery. I live a beggar because I want to."

"By Allah, you're a surprising man! Your way of thinking baffles me more and more!"

"The truth, Inspector, is that you are easily surprised. Life, real life, is childishly simple. There is no mystery. There are only bastards."

"Who are you calling bastards?"

"If you don't know who the bastards are, then there's no hope for you. That is the only thing you don't learn from others, Inspector."

Hands clenched between his knees, Nour El Dine bowed his head; he seemed to be meditating on a doleful problem.

"It's more complex than that," he said finally. "There are not just good guys and bastards."

"No," said Gohar. "I refuse to allow nuances. Don't tell me that it's more complex than that. Why don't you understand that this so-called complexity only benefits the bastards?"

Stylistically, this is a clean, concise book, minimalist in its approach and goals. It's only miss is the pat ending, which is easy to forgive, considering how many authors miss at the end (see Tolstoy). Added bonus? At times, this is funny despite the murder of a prostitute and the following investigation. There are even lessons to be learned from a limbless man who attracts all the ladies.

Rousseau would approve. Three noble savages by choice -- beggars, but proud. It's enough to confuse any upwardly-mobile conformist (gee, know of any?)...finished-in-20159 s Jonfaith1,950 1,578

Proud Beggars is an exquisite meditation on dignity, not just another Egyptian noir (though there isn't anything bad about that). Neither is this a tale of the Junkie Raskolnikov in the Medina, which is what the plot suggests initially. The narrative involves a trio of friends in a seedy district of Cairo, each singular in his trials and ambitions. A crime is committed and such alerts the presence of a conflicted police detective. What follows is remarkable. There a re a pair of scenes which explore humanity's capacity for contentment. I pause when I consider either of them.

Thanks to Jonathan Morton for his endorsement of Mr. Cossery.
8 s ????? ????Author 9 books250

?? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????? ????? ??????? "?? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?? ??????? ??????" ?????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ????.

??? ?????? ??????? ????? ?? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?????? "???????? ??????" ?????? ??????/??????? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? - ??? 27 ????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? 63 ????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ????????- ??? ??? ?? ???? "????" ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?????.

??? ??? ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???????? ???????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???-???? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ??????????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ???????.

?? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ?????????.

??? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? (????? ???? ??????? ??? ?????)? ?? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ??????.

?????? ?? ???? ???? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?????.

??? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???????.

??? ?? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????? ??"???" ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ?????.

??? "??????" ???? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????.

?????? "??? ?????" ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????? ?? ??????: ????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???????. ????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????. ???? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ???? ????. ????? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????. ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?????.

?? ??????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? "???????? ??????"? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ?????????? ???????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ?????????.

????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ????????.comic-books ww26 s Ana230 87

Mendigos e Altivos conta-nos uma história menos movida pela acção do que pelos personagens que a habitam e sua filosofia de vida.
Nur El Dine é um oficial de polícia dedicado, a quem coube investigar o homicídio de uma prostituta numa casa de passe. As suspeitas recaem sobre três homens que são mendigos, marginais por opção, que vêem a pobreza extrema como forma última de libertação. São eles Gohar, um antigo professor universitário, que escolheu a indigência e que sonha ir viver para a Síria (convém esclarecer que o livro foi publicado em 1955) onde não lhe faltará o haxixe de que depende; Ieguene, cuja feiura assusta toda a gente menos a sua mãe, e que é o fornecedor de haxixe a Gohar a quem venera; El Kordi, um funcionário público desvalido, anarquista com pretensões a poeta, e apaixonado por uma prostituta tísica que ele deseja salvar contra a vontade da dita. Todos nutrem o mesmo desprezo pela ordem socialmente estabelecida e pela autoridade policial e, nada tendo a perder (porque nada possuem) são imunes a qualquer contingência que a vida lhes reserve... o que vai dando com o pobre Nur El Dine em doido.
Filosofia, sátira, absurdez e provocação num livro que me divertiu imenso.4stars c-egypt read-20187 s Jawad Abdellatif83 24

Albert Cossery is a very peculiar guy. He lived most of his life in a small room in a Paris hotel, sixty years or so, where he was found dead! He isn't a 'novelist', as he says, but rather an 'author' with one simple & clear idea in mind: He writes so that his readers stop going to work, and he is not fond of writing too much, because 'one doesn't need to write many books to convey an idea'. Quite true! I this man because he is authentic, humble, and hence very 'aristocratic'. He is the epitome of the Baudelairian flaneur. And this novel, which was wonderfully adapted into a film by Asmaa El Bakry, is his greatest achievement. opium philosophy7 s ??????130 23 Read

Nešto druga?ije.
Prijatno, svakako.
Uživala sam u ?itanju, jer se knjiga ?ita brzo, ne optere?uje, iako je pri?a ozbiljna (gordost i intelektualci; poniznost i birokratija; režimski likovi vs slobodnomisli?a bi?a itd, itd)..6 s Ahmed187 31

??? ???? ?????6 s Doug H286

Romanticization/glorification of poverty. Misogyny. Homophobia.

6 s Kelly65 29

I read this book a while ago and I still don't think I can give a adequate review. I don't know what to say or where to start. The story revolves around 3 men leading impoverished lives by choice, but who are living in contentment without the necessity of materialistic ideals subjected upon them by the world around them. From the very beginning I loved the characters, even though they are drug addicts who seem to reject any kind of ambition.. --you really can't help but them.

I don't consider myself to be a very intellectual person, but I do find the philosophy of Existentialism quite interesting. For this reason, I really that the book was so easy to read, but very thought provoking. -and even though you might plow through it because of its simplicity, you are well aware of the real story written between the lines.

I guess the only part of the story that I had an issue with, is that even after murder, Gohar, really wasn't bothered enough to care, which seemed a little extreme to me. Although, I do feel that Cossery was purposeful in that he wanted to make sure he was getting his point across.

I think that anyone who enjoys a simple book that really makes you think would benefit from giving this book a read.french5 s Truusje Truffel86 12

Te trots om elkaar te verraden

In De trotse bedelaars uit 1955 voert Albert Cossery hoerenlopers, beroepspeukenrapers en dito bedelaars op. Een belangrijk thema dat aangesneden wordt is de vraag of een mens gelukkiger wordt van een succesvol leven en de meest luxe spullen om zich heen. De charmante Gohar denkt van niet. Hij brengt zijn nachten door op kranten in plaats van op een matras en leeft 'met een strikt minimum aan materiële middelen. Ieder besef van zelfs de meest elementaire vormen van comfort had hij allang uit zijn geheugen gebannen.' Zijn bestaan als universitair docent filosofie heeft hij opgegeven en zich uit vrije wil tot het gilde der bedelstaf bekeerd. In weerwil van zijn grote droom om ooit de trein naar Syrië te pakken, is hij volmaakt happy met zijn bestaan, behalve dan op momenten dat hij zonder zijn vaste dosis hasj zit en hij op zoek moet naar de onooglijke Yéghen; zijn vertrouwde dealer, zonder vaste verblijfplaats en steevast zonder een cent op zak.


'Het was een droom die hij sinds lang koesterde, de enige die hij zichzelf toestond en wel omdat hij direct verband hield met de bron van zijn gelukzaligheid. In Syrië gold geen enkel verbod op verdovende middelen. Hasjiesj groeide er open en bloot in de velden, als ordinaire klaver, en je kon het zelf verbouwen als je wilde.'

Tijdens zijn zoektocht doet Gohar het plaatselijke bordeel aan, in de ijdele hoop Yéghen daar aan te treffen. Hij verleent de analfabete dames regelmatig een gunst door administratieve klusjes te doen, maar komt er nooit als klant. Deze keer echter verliest hij zichzelf in zijn verlangen naar drugs en – nee, dit is géén spoiler – hij wurgt in een vlaag van verstandsverbijstering het jonge hoertje Arnaba vanwege haar 'gouden' sieraden.



'Hij was nu heel rustig, volkomen ontnuchterd door de schokkende ontdekking dat hij zich had vergist. Hij liet het lijk van het meisje voor wat het was, pakte zijn fez die op het bed was gerold, […] en begaf zich naar de deur. De wachtkamer was nog steeds donker en verlaten. Zo te zien was er in de tussentijd niemand geweest. Gohar liep langzaam de trap af, sloeg zonder enige vrees de steeg in en groette een voorbijganger die hij niet kende, alsof er niets gebeurd was, uit pure beleefdheid.'

Zonder de minste gewetenswroeging zoekt hij verder naar Yéghen en komt onderweg een goede bekende tegen; El Kordi – werkzaam als incapabele klerk op het ministerie. Deze vertelt hem dat hij zichzelf de opdracht heeft gegeven om een aan tbc lijdend hoertje te bevrijden uit de klauwen van de hoerenmadam.

Wanneer de moord op Arnaba wordt ontdekt, wordt de despotische rechercheur Nour El Dine – een antiheld – tegen zijn zin belast met het onderzoek en ontwikkelt zich een wanordelijke intrige tussen hem, Gohar, Yéghen en El Kordi – die als karakters complementair zijn aan elkaar. Er komt aan het licht dat Nour El Dine graag zijn tanden zet in jong mannenvlees, wat weliswaar nog niet op een succes lijkt uit te lopen. Omdat het dode hoertje niet verkracht of bestolen blijkt te zijn, richt hij zijn pijlen niet op de arme sloebers – die zouden zeker bijkomende motieven gehad hebben – , maar zoekt naar de dader in de meer intellectuele kringen. Tegelijkertijd blijft hij zich verbazen over de blijmoedigheid van het drietal, ondanks dat ook zij te maken hebben met fikse tegenslagen. De tevredenheid van de heren verwart de rechercheur in eerste instantie, waardoor hij zijn vinger heel lang niet op de zere plek krijgt, maar uiteindelijk begint het hem te dagen.

Albert Cossery (1913 – 2008) – geboren in Caïro – voelde het schrijversbloed al op tienjarige leeftijd door de aderen borrelen. In 1945 blies hij de aftocht vanuit Egypte en vestigde zich in Parijs op een hotelkamer waar hij, tot zijn dood, vijfenzestig jaar heeft gewoond. Zijn dagen sleet hij het liefst in ledigheid – een boek schrijven kostte hem gemiddeld tien jaar –, had een broertje dood aan werken, stortte zich met veel plezier in het nachtleven met de intellectuele, surrealistische, literaire elite, of flaneerde door de stad om uren door te brengen op een terras en mensen te bestuderen. Dit flegmatische trekje en zijn dandyisme zijn een terugkerend motief in zijn romans, evenals cynisme, vileine ironie, de lofzang op luiheid en armlastige schobbejakken die soms wat opportunistische trekjes vertonen, maar steeds weer de sympathie van de lezer weten te vangen. Vanwege de herkenbare motieven – ook te vinden in Grote dieven, kleine dieven en De luiaards in de vruchtbare vallei – kan zijn schrijfstijl met een gerust hart cosseryaans genoemd worden. Bovendien laat hij zijn protagonisten bij voorkeur lanterfanten in de schimmige straten van de volksbuurten van Caïro. Zelf was Cossery zich er terdege van bewust dat zijn romans veel overeenkomsten hebben en hij schertste eens dat hij elke keer hetzelfde boek schreef.

Dat de auteur een groot liefhebber was van de leer der esthetiek, getuigen de gedetailleerde beschrijvingen van de kleurrijke personages en de karakteristieke omgeving waarin zij zich bewegen. Het zintuiglijke van zijn teksten komt de lezer bijna letterlijk vanaf de bladzijden tegemoet waaien wanneer de geuren van de etenswaren, hasj en de smerige straten worden beschreven, evenals de eeuwige rumoerigheid overal. Maar wees gewaarschuwd: wie eenmaal een Cossery heeft gelezen, is voor altijd verkocht.

Ondanks dat de vertaling van de hand van Rosalie Siblesz dateert uit 1987 doet dit niets af aan de frisheid van dit heerlijke verhaal. De verdieping in de gelaagdheid zit hem in het wisselende perspectief, dat steeds een ander personage belicht. De bijrollen zijn weggelegd voor een aantal markante karikaturen, zoals een buurman zonder ledematen die elke dag door zijn potige vrouw op de schouder wordt genomen en op straat wordt gezet om te bedelen. Bij thuiskomst moet de arme man zich zelfs tegenover zijn jaloerse echtgenote verantwoorden dat hij niet vreemd is gegaan.

De trotse bedelaars zit vol vermakelijke, stoïcijnse dialogen en speels sarcasme, maar toch gloort er regelmatig een sprankje medemenselijkheid tussen de armoedzaaiers van de straat, die elkaar nóóit zullen verraden.gelezen4 s Oguzcan Yesilyaprak277 7

Çok sevdi?im bir kitap oldu. Yazar?n okudu?um ilk kitab? ve iyi ki tercih etmi?im dedim. Sonu özellikle çok ?a??rtt? beni.7 s Aubrey1,414 952

The problem with forever pursuing that which one personally finds great in one's reading is, once one has found the book that extricates one from the box one hadn't known one was in, there's hell to pay when a succeeding book wants to force one back in. When it comes to a work such as this, I think about the diaspora of writers such as Elias Khoury and Atiq Rahimi, the syntheses of life wrought by writers such as Leslie Feinberg and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the proclamations of theorists such as Frantz Fanon and Octavio Paz, and I consider the difference between those looking to provide life and those looking to, by any means, rise to the top. You see, the facts and introductions and contexts of Cossery lead one to believe that there's an uncontested authenticity to his stories, and if he chooses to always write in as simplified, vague, and noncommittal way as possible about a class he was never born into and a nation that he lived in for less than fifth of his life in a language that, by and large, is little more than a colonial power to both his homeland and whatever other 'Arab' nations he's concerned himself with, that doesn't imply anything about his authorial choices, especially the idea that this is an awfully convenient way to play the cultural representative without losing much in the way of face. Lord knows I'd rather that a read that I paid full price for after waiting around nearly a decade to come by through more passive means went better, especially with it being my first finished work of 2022, but it's the rating and the review that's going to stick around for a much longer time than did the initial reading, and I'm not in the business of putting out piss poor work for the sake a comfortable ending.

It's no longer the age that put out "La Traviata," "Carmen," or "La Bohème," and what with the advent of Instagram, smartphones, and camera apps, one could afford to be a tad hopeful that the gap between those who tell the stories and those who live it isn't as disgustingly vast as it once was. However, you still sometimes get works this that disingenuously talk of "anarchy" and "poverty" in such a way that would make sex working squatters and antifascist anarchists shit their pants laughing, and yet accrue a bevy of positive sounding for the sake of further marketing the works of indie press lines. If anything, this particular piece of Cossery's smacks more of the fetish for stories of suave serial killers and seduced law enforcers than any sort of castigation of systems of power or humanization of marginalized, where women are much derided but still intrinsically vital sources of narratological infrastructure and the setting could be any sort of "every-Arab" country that's ever dealt with drug users and police brutality. There's certainly solidarity in marginalized communities and alienation in bureaucratic systems to be found in the real world, but this work's point of the view is the sort of holier than thou neoliberal nihilism that views the whole thing as a joke that's too far away to every impact it personally, and the fact that the homophobia takes on a less stereotypical guise than usual doesn't make it praiseworthy. Folks can talk about the times, the times, the times, of course, but Emma Goldman and the great movements she was a powerful part of were of those times as well, and the fact she hasn't been singled out to get a shiny NYRB Classics edition doesn't refute that.

I suppose, judging by how this is described as a "black comedy," that I was supposed to find this funny. It's not as if it couldn't have been funny had it take on any sort of the incongruous paradoxes that don't magically resolve themselves upon acknowledgement of a man being in possession of a working penis, but alas, when one knows that the murderous fools and the "Western" genius that the self satisfied male voices live and breathe by are one and the same, the only source of humor is the author's attempts to play the centuries old framing trope of the man behind the curtain. Sure, the story is absurd, but so is slicing off every bit and piece of history that could conceivably ground one in why the times and the systems and the powers that be are what they are, and without some sort of effort to take that into account in the midst of one's effort to entertain, it just comes out another "subversive" bedtime story for former colonial powers and self obfuscating settler states. The fact that Egypt continues to be squeezed between its plundered past and its savior complexed present when it comes to authorial representation certainly makes it hard to ignore any sort of publication that promises otherwise, but still. One can always do better if one actually cares. "But then, they're crazy!"
"Oh no! Don't allow them extenuating circumstances. They're not crazy. On the contrary, they're very lucid. That's what makes them so dangerous." antidote-think-twice-all antidote-think-twice-read antidote-translated ...more4 s WndyJW646 119

This slim book was a gem. Written in 1955 about the intellectual life of beggars in Cairo and the police inspector who feels one of these beggars committed a motiveless murder makes one think about what brings peace and happiness. Cossery uses dark humor to show the dignity in those who live in abject poverty and squalor and creates characters who do should, but do not, invoke pity, if anything they almost invoke envy!africa-north egypt france ...more4 s ????859 309

???? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ????? 50 ???? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??????? ???????.?????? ??-??????4 s Ulas42 88

Autor del comentario:
=================================