The Yacoubian Building

This controversial bestselling novel in the Arab world reveals the political corruption, sexual repression, religious extremism, and modern hopes of Egypt today. All manner of flawed and fragile humanity reside in the Yacoubian Building, a once-elegant temple of Art Deco splendor now slowly decaying in the smog and bustle of downtown Cairo: a fading aristocrat and self-proclaimed "scientist of women"; a sultry, voluptuous siren; a devout young student, feeling the irresistible pull toward fundamentalism; a newspaper editor helplessly in love with a policeman; a corrupt and corpulent politician, twisting the Koran to justify his desires. These disparate lives careen toward an explosive conclusion in Alaa Al Aswany's remarkable international bestseller. Teeming with frank sexuality and heartfelt compassion, this book is an important window on to the experience of loss and love in the Arab world.

This book is ranked number 35 in the Global Reads list

Recommended by:

Sue MacGregor
“This is a delightful novel with a delightfully simple plot: the author describes with sympathy and humour the lives of the inhabitants of a famous old apartment building in Cairo, from the impoverished roof dwellers, to the well-to-do middle class apartment owners inside, and the ambitious son of the caretaker on the ground floor. All of them come vibrantly alive, and al Aswany has some penetrating things to say about Egyptian politics, Arab fundamentalism, and the universality of the human condition.”