I was rather reluctant to open Nuguib Mahfouz's novel, The Thief and the Dogs because I usually dread assigned reads. Good thing reading the back cover lightened my mood about this story. I felt like being a total dork, so I began reading the Introduction, which no one ever does. It caught my attention that he was Arab because so is my mom :} And it was ironic too, that it took place in Egypt, because it reminded me of this woman in her thirties I have in my Speech 1026.
Anyhow, I really liked how the novel began. Mahfouz successfully kept my attention when I was reading the first page. I liked when the protagonist, later introduced as Said Mahran, said to himself he would "strike like Fate" when referring to his 2 traitors. It made me think of those events in life that are inevitable. The way that death of the body is deemed inescapable by all. Still on the same page, my favorite part was when Sana was first mentioned. How "as the thought oh her crossed his mind, the heat and the dust, the hatred and pain all disappeared, leaving only love to glow across a soul as clear as a rain-washed sky." It made me think of how Love is so unconquerable, and strong that it is capable of healing everything. Nothing can encompass Love's strength. Love made the less than positive aspects of his life, disappear into thin air. Nothing could overcome his love for his daughter. He hadn't seen her in 4 years, but not once was she erased from her mind. He imagined a place where luck, such love, joy and triumph all coincided, and I realized he might learn to forgive the past there, though he refuses to FORGET.
One couldn't help but notice the hypocrisy among him and the other men in the city. For a protagonist, he seems very vengeful. Vindictive, even. Which I hope is one of the traits that improves as the character develops.
I like this quote by his foe, "I have commited no crime. It was partly Fate and circumstances, partly my sense of duty & decency that drove me to do what I did..." It kind of described how I felt earlier today. Sometimes people judge with out getting the whole picture. I felt this afternoon like my decision on somehthing couldn't be deemed wrong, since i felt like everything has its reasons.
Let's see what happens.
By the way, i was totally crushed when the daughter treated Said like some scary stranger.
Chapter two confused me because at first i thought the Sheikf was his father. I loved how the spiritual master spoke in code sometimes. Just so that Said can answer the questions for himself. The chapter ends with a brief description of the main character's first night as a free man after 4 whole years of imprisonment for stealing.
Anyhow, I really liked how the novel began. Mahfouz successfully kept my attention when I was reading the first page. I liked when the protagonist, later introduced as Said Mahran, said to himself he would "strike like Fate" when referring to his 2 traitors. It made me think of those events in life that are inevitable. The way that death of the body is deemed inescapable by all. Still on the same page, my favorite part was when Sana was first mentioned. How "as the thought oh her crossed his mind, the heat and the dust, the hatred and pain all disappeared, leaving only love to glow across a soul as clear as a rain-washed sky." It made me think of how Love is so unconquerable, and strong that it is capable of healing everything. Nothing can encompass Love's strength. Love made the less than positive aspects of his life, disappear into thin air. Nothing could overcome his love for his daughter. He hadn't seen her in 4 years, but not once was she erased from her mind. He imagined a place where luck, such love, joy and triumph all coincided, and I realized he might learn to forgive the past there, though he refuses to FORGET.
One couldn't help but notice the hypocrisy among him and the other men in the city. For a protagonist, he seems very vengeful. Vindictive, even. Which I hope is one of the traits that improves as the character develops.
I like this quote by his foe, "I have commited no crime. It was partly Fate and circumstances, partly my sense of duty & decency that drove me to do what I did..." It kind of described how I felt earlier today. Sometimes people judge with out getting the whole picture. I felt this afternoon like my decision on somehthing couldn't be deemed wrong, since i felt like everything has its reasons.
Let's see what happens.
By the way, i was totally crushed when the daughter treated Said like some scary stranger.
Chapter two confused me because at first i thought the Sheikf was his father. I loved how the spiritual master spoke in code sometimes. Just so that Said can answer the questions for himself. The chapter ends with a brief description of the main character's first night as a free man after 4 whole years of imprisonment for stealing.
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