The story of the soul | Zaki Naguib Mahfouz

When I created the book "Story of the Soul," I wanted to depict my life as it was shaped by the factors of the subconscious, and it was inevitable to resort to symbolism; because there are some truths of the inner life within every person that no one can bear to reveal, and yet they are things that should not be disclosed due to the social norms. The first thing I noticed in myself when I began working — and I believe it is something that everyone must notice in themselves if they look closely — is that I am like several people in one skin. There are those who are carried away by emotion and cannot control it, but there are others who criticize and try to restrain it so that the movement that drives one to the abyss is limited. This tug-of-war inside the soul between an ignited emotion and a subdued mind does not prevent a person from enjoying quiet moments in which emotion and reason reconcile and move together in one direction. Based on this tripartite framework, I built "Story of the Soul."