A story without beginning and end

Believe me, everything's balance has been disturbed, the stars have left their orbits, words have lost their logic, and the domes of shrines have given birth to idols! I was relying on the authenticity of a noble origin, the privilege of a house, and the dignity of a family. Where are all those? Where? .. Over time, people will see in me a man drowning in sins, stained, lost, who built a large structure from their money through the corruption of his conscience. The creativity of Naguib Mahfouz in storytelling was manifested in this precious collection of stories, which gathered five short stories all sharing the same idea and perspective on life. You don't know when the story began, nor does it give you an end, but rather an ongoing continuity of life that never stops; in the story "A Tale Without Beginning or End," Mahfouz talks about the ongoing struggle between religious authority represented by the Akrami method and its leader Mahmoud Al-Akrami, and the revolution of science against it represented by Ali Aweis. In the story "The Alley of Lovers," he takes the relationship between Abdullah and his wife Haniya, who go through several storms — their life remained stable and filled with bliss for five years until doubt crept into this relationship and ruined everything — as a symbol of the phase of doubt in human faith and attempts to return to it. And other symbolic and philosophical stories that emphasize the continuity of life. Author: Naguib Mahfouz Publication date: 2024 Book genre: Short stories and novels Publisher: Diwan Publishing Number of pages: 256 Format: Paperback