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Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
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The Mirage Paperback – February 14, 2012

by Naguib Mahfouz (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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A stunning example of Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz’s psychological portraiture, The Mirage is the story of an intense young man who has been so dominated by his mother that her death sets him dangerously adrift in a world he cannot manage alone.

Kamil Ru’ba is a tortured soul who hopes that writing the story of his life will help him gain control of it. Raised by a mother who fled her abusive husband and became overbearingly possessive and protective toward her young son, he has long been isolated emotionally and physically. Now in his twenties, Kamil seeks to escape her posthumous grasp. Finding and successfully courting the woman of his dreams seems to promise salvation, until his ignorance of mature love and his fear and jealousy lead to tragedy. 
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  1. Print length
    480 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 14, 2012
  4. Dimensions
    5.19 x 1.09 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    030774258X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0307742582
  7. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

 “Mahfouz is a storyteller of the first order in any idiom.” —Vanity Fair

About the Author

Naguib Mahfouz was born in Cairo in 1911 and began writing when he was seventeen. His nearly forty novels and hundreds of short stories range from re-imaginings of ancient myths to subtle commentaries on contemporary Egyptian politics and culture. Of his many works, most famous is The Cairo Trilogy, consisting of Palace Walk (1956), Palace of Desire (1957), and Sugar Street (1957), which focuses on a Cairo family through three generations, from 1917 until 1952. In 1988, he was the first writer in Arabic to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died in August 2006.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; Reprint edition (February 14, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 030774258X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307742582
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 1.09 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

amateco
5.0 out of 5 stars winding way to the end
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
It is a great story where maternal love lives a print in the boy who grows under submission. His life is the one that only could be led by somebody unable to rebel and this blind submission cause more damages than advantages until the climax of this sitaution slaps the character and he wakes to reality.....
2 people found this helpful
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M. C. Buell
4.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Psychological Study
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2013
The Mirage is a powerful psychological study of a man incapable of coping with the realities of the world. Our narrator and protagonist, Kamil Ru'ba Laz, is not likeable. He is pathetic, infuriating, narcissistic, and a great character. Kamil has been raised by his domineering mother, a woman so afraid that he will be taken from her by her ex-husband, like his older siblings were, that she holds him too tight. Growing up Kamil is not allowed to play with other children, barely allowed out of his mother's sight, and is fed sweet lies about how special he is. His mother fears not only that Kamil might be taken from her, but that he might form bonds with others and leave her in favor of them. Consequently through passive-aggression, she sabotages her son's life. Kamil grows up to be a man of little worth; uneducated, unambitious, and unable to communicate on a meaningful level with anyone outside his immediate family. Interestingly Kamil is aware of his shortcomings, yet still has an inflated picture of himself. This is because he refuses to accept responsibility for his life; all his failings, all his problems, all the obstacles to his happiness are the fault of others. When Kamil falls in love with the woman of his dreams (whom he has never met or spoken to) his deadly shyness and ignorance of worldly matters prevent him from making his feelings known. He stews in anguish while watching her from afar. When he miraculously manages to marry her his dreams of a life of normalcy and happiness seem to be fulfilled. But Kamil is not let off the hook so easily; he has little understanding of, or experience with, interpersonal relationships, and this lack of knowledge will lead to tragedy. This novel can at times be a little repetitive, and some scenes drag a bit, but all-in-all this is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional rollercoaster
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2019
Love hate this book. It took me through all the emotions from happiness to anger. Anger at the timidness of the protagonist, his Norman Bates like relationship with his mum, his weird Jerry Springeresque marriage and the vicissitudes in his life. This book was well written and extremely descriptive. I was transported to Cairo through this book. A melancholic tram ride with a semi happy ending maybe?
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Top reviews from other countries

Shilpi Roy
3.0 out of 5 stars Conspicuous fold of the cover flap and fore edge
Reviewed in India on January 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
The cover flap, and the fore edge have crease and conspicuous folds, maybe due to binding or packaging negligence! Yet to start reading; delivered today; only stated its physical condition; would provide a book-review after I have finished the read up.
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Shilpi Roy
3.0 out of 5 stars Conspicuous fold of the cover flap and fore edge
Reviewed in India on January 11, 2021
The cover flap, and the fore edge have crease and conspicuous folds, maybe due to binding or packaging negligence! Yet to start reading; delivered today; only stated its physical condition; would provide a book-review after I have finished the read up.
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