Sugar Street

Es en este libro donde uno dimensiona cómo el tiempo pasa y pasa siempre tan igual y como a veces las cosas no se resuelven, solo suceden. Nombe que buen final.

This is the third and final installment of the Cairo Trilogy, taking place around 10 years after the conclusion of the previous book. In my previous reviews of Palace Walk and Palace of Desire I indicated that book 1 used the short chapters each following a single character, whereas book 2 seemed to change. These are back in book 3, although Kamal has a larger share of chapters, often two consecutively.

This is a difficult review without introducing spoilers, but it is reasonable to suggest there is a stronger political involvement in this book than the previous, and Kamal as probably the most central character demonstrates (via inner monologue mostly) his change in personal philosophy and the direction of his life in general.

Where the books are named for the streets where they are primarily set - Palace Walk being the family home, Palace of Desire being the home of Yasin, Sugar Street is the location of the apartments of the families of the two daughters Khadija and Aisha. Largely this books traces the formative years of Khadiaj's sons, Aisha's daughter, and Yasin's children. We also see the (not unexpected) further reduction in the patriarchs role in the family, including his increasing frailty.

For me this was a great series. In retrospect, book 1 is the stronger for me, but it has the easy road, as it introduces us to the characters. I will probably bump that up to 5 stars now that I have read all three. Book 2 I also enjoyed a lot. Other reviewers noted the more sordid nature of the many sexual relationships which cross over, and indicate that was a negative for the book. While a little improbable, I actually found them amusing, and didn't detract from the story for me. This third book has the more political and religious backstory, and doesn't really draw to a conclusion with the family - perhaps Mahfouz was leaving the door open for a follow-up?

A highly recommended series, excellently woven.