Daunt Books

The Yacoubian building is a slowly dilapidating, art deco apartment block in downtown Cairo where the characters in Al Aswany's novel live and work. The intertwining stories of love, sexuality and corruption, and the kaleidoscopic array of characters give this a Dickensian feel, but also serve as a metaphor through which Al Aswany can attack a political system that has led to growing poverty and social instability. A taboo-breaking, politically indignant novel from a master of storytelling.

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