Nagib Mahfous - Rihlat Ibn Fattouma
(Kilias traduction)
In a parabolic voyage (the title translates to "the journey of the son of fattouma"), a man named muhammad el-innabi ibn fattouma travels through unique regions, seeking the mysterious land of Gabal.
This plot serves as a metaphorical pretext for Mahfous' philosophical assessments of the world at large. Much more careful than "the children of our district" (indexed by el-Ashar U. for "heresy"), but largely also much too tame for my taste.
Narratively very stereotypically "arabic" (cf. Shota, Shamee, ..), which needs some getting used to. A hint of knowledge about critical developments in arabic history helps, but it's generally very easy to see what he hints at.
Overall, solid, but somewhat mediocre.
3/6pts