If you have sincerely loved the world, the Afterlife will love you warmly, reads a quote taken from Naguib Mahfouz s work, Echoes of an Autobiography. This is one of the nuggets of wisdom that can be found in the latest tribute to the late Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz to hit bookstore shelves: Life s Wisdom – from the Works of the Nobel Laureate compiled by Aleya Serour.
As a member of the American University in Cairo Press, Serour first began working with Mahfouz in the 1970s when the author signed his first contract with the press to have his novels translated. Though currently retired, Serour worked closely with the author for over twenty-five years, licensing foreign-language editions of his work.
He was the most modest person I have ever met, before winning the Nobel and after. He didn t change, recalled Serour. He s very quick-witted, very wise. He s full of wisdom. He has a sense of humor which is always present.
The book was intended for release to commemorate Mahfouz s 95th birthday. Though he passed away before getting a chance to review the book, he wrote a forward thanking Al-Sitt Aleya for her efforts. This is the first time anyone has undertaken such a compilation from my writings, and I feel sure her gleanings, based on her point of view, will form an intriguing summarization of my thoughts and world-view over sixty years of writing, wrote Mahfouz.
Though familiar with his work, she had not read more than four or five of Mahfouz s novels, and only a number of his short stories. It was only when she started working on the collection of his quotes, that Serour spent a year reading and re-reading his works, highlighting choice excerpts as she read.
Quite an achievement given that Mahfouz has written over thirty-five novels and over fifteen collections of short stories.
I was astounded and fascinated by what I read. Not only by the different forms and styles, not only by his brilliant descriptions of places, and his extraordinary portrayal of characters, writes Serour in her introduction, but by the philosophical content of his writings.
Serour added that it wasn t easy selecting the quotes, and there were many that didn t make it into the book. Of course, that provided her with the ideal opportunity to publish a 2007 diary featuring photos of Mahfouz throughout the years along with a few quotations. (Though given his recent death, it seems a little too soon to be commercializing his work.)
If you are not familiar with Mahfouz s work, the quotations can offer an introductory glimpse into the insightfulness and truth that is characteristic of his work. It s disappointing, however, that the book only notes the work from which the quote is taken. They are pulled from their context, in some cases, when it is not known which character spoke those words. Though it does not diminish from the beauty of Mahfouz s insight, it strips a layer of its richness. Serour countered that each reader will have their own interpretation and understanding.
The best way to read this little, big book – as the editor refers to it – is to keep it close by, and every once in a while, pick it up and read a few quotes. Classified into chapters -dedicated to topics like Death and the Afterlife and History and Politics – reading each quote will evoke an emotional response. To read through the book in one sitting, will not do it justice.
Naguib Mahfous: Life s WisdomEdited by Aleya SerourAmerican University in Cairo Press, 2006Hardback edition
