Dear Mr. Mahfouz,
I am saddened to hear that you have left us.
In each of us our Maker gives some special talent. Unfortunately, most of us don't know what to do with it, and squander it.
With you we were doubly lucky, because He gave you way-y-y more than your fair share of storytelling talent, and you knew how to use it right.
So you gave us the Cairo Trilogy: three books that are among the very best this reader had the good fortune to read.
Thank you Mr. Mahfouz, for re-creating an entire world with your words, then gently leading this reader therein, not as a stanger but as a friend. Thank you for the unforgettable characters of el-Jawad family and those around. Thank you for your precise and poignant depictions - your Cairo is a living, breathing world in my mind's eye.
I hope Allah keeps you in peace.
A Grateful Reader
sistunes
Wednesday, August 30, 2006