Piece Comment

Review of "The Cairo Trilogy" by Naguib Mahfouz


Despite the horrible pun setting up this show about Nagib Mafouz ("Nagib Mafouz has died, leaving behind a body -- of work ..."), this is an important piece of radio, especially these days when examples of an Arabic intellectual tradition are far over-shadowed by the terrorist threat and Muslim extremism. What Radio Netherlands has put together here -- a hybrid of interview, scored readings and reported feature -- is a great introduction to Nagib Mafouz, the ideas behind his most famous works and the underpinnings of the rich cultural tradition he belongs to. It would fit great in any slot meant for books or culture in general.