Our neighborhood boys

Publisher: Diwan Library Number of pages: 567 A novel in which all the elements of distinguished literary work are gathered; symbolism, plot, imagery, and imagination. Through it, Naguib Mahfouz presented, with his usual simplicity and unmistakable craftsmanship, a unique vision of the struggle between good and evil throughout human history, using symbolism that gives the novel broader and more comprehensive interpretations, granting the reader the authority of interpretation, analysis, and projection. The genius of the Nobel laureate was in presenting all of this through the Egyptian neighborhood as a miniature model of the world. He began weaving his characters into it; starting with "Al-Jabali," a character characterized by greatness, sanctity, and eternity, passing through "Idris" and "Adham," who were expelled from the house by "Al-Jabali," then "Jabal," one of the sons of "Bani Hamdan," who called for action against the Waqf supervisor under the commission of "Al-Jabali," and "Rifa'a," who was killed by the neighborhood thugs, and his followers spread the rumor that "Al-Jabali" raised him and buried him in his garden. Then "Qasim," who unified the neighborhood's inhabitants, controlled it, and established the values of truth and justice, and finally "Arafa," the owner of strange experiments who does not believe in "Al-Jabali" or his sons.