God's World Explained

Author:Naguib Mahfouz
God’s World (Dunyā Allah)
Language:Arabic/English
Country:Egypt
Genre:Short Stories
Published:1962
Publisher:Egyptian publishing house and distribution
Translators:Akef Abadir and Roger Allen
Pages:197

God's World (Dunyā Allah) is a short story collection by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. The collection consists of fourteen stories, long and short. In his collection, Mahfouz takes the reader through Al-Ḥusayn suburbs and Al-'Abbasiyya streets before stopping on Alexandria’s beach and passing through the cemeteries before taking them to a wedding, leading out of a mosque, and finally heading to a bar. This short story collection acts as a lens, clarifying reality. He presents the lives of people from all classes, using aesthetics and concise language.[1] The stories in the collection were published separately in Al-Ahram newspaper between 1961-1962,[2] and they present causes and visions relevant to the 1950s and early 1960s.[3] ‘God’s World’ was published after 25 years after the publication of Mahfouz's first short story collection ‘Hams Al-Junun' or ‘Whisper of Madness.’ During the period between these two collections, Mahfouz had already established himself as a novelist, for some of his most notable novels were published during that period, like ‘Autumn Quail’ and ‘Medaq Alley.’ It is believed that his becoming a member of Al-Ahram's editorial team drove him to pick up his interest in short stories once more.

About The Novel

One of Mahfouz's most popular works, the collection gained traction amidst thinkers, readers, and critics, as well as common people. The collection became a bestseller during its publication,[4] and its popularity persists today. It is considered to be one of Mahfouz's most symbolic works, and this was verified by the Nobel Prize committee in 1988. The committee stated that the collection is an artistic work navigating existentialist questions.[5] Additionally, the Syrian writer Georges Tarabichi dedicated a whole chapter in his book (God in Naguib Mahfouz's Symbolistic Journey (Allah fi rihlat Najib Mahfuz al-ramziyyah)) to analyzing and explaining of the stories in the collection, “Zaabalawi.” Tarabichi and other critics state that “Zaabalawi” is the core story of his popular nove (Children of Gebelawi).[6]

Stories in The Collection

The collection consists of 14 short stories:

References

  1. Book: Mahfouz . Naguib . Dunya Allah (God's World) . 1962 . Egyptian publishing house and distribution . Cairo . 6 June 2022.
  2. Web site: Al-Ghaith . Nasima . 30 August 2006 . Al-Aʿmāl Al-Qiṣaṣiya Li ʿAmid Al-Riwaya (Short Works by The Pioneer of The Novel) . 6 June 2022 . Okaz.
  3. Web site: Dunya Allah . 6 June 2022 . Goodreads.
  4. Web site: Abdelrahman . Mohammed . 11 December 2020 . 100 Majmuʿa Qiṣaṣiya... "Dunya Allah" Lawḥāt Naguib Mahfouz ʿan Al-Ḥayatul Bashariya (100 anthologies... "God's World" Naguib Mahfouz's Portraits of Humanity . 6 June 2022 . Youm7.
  5. Web site: Al-Wakeel . Mohammad . 21 January 2021 . Abraz Al-Majmuʿāt Al-Qiṣaṣiya Li Naguib Mahfouz (Most Notable Short Story Collections by Naguib Mahfouz) . 6 June 2022 . Arageek.
  6. Web site: Trabichi . Georges . 27 April 2016 . Al-Naqid: Georges Trabichi (The Critic: Georges Trabichi) . 6 June 2022 . Kitabat.
  7. Web site: Al-Ghubairi . Yasir . 11 December 2020 . Qira'a Fi Qiṣit Al-Qatil Li Naguib Mahfouz (A Reading of Naguib Mahfouz's 'The Killer') . 6 June 2022 . Dar El-Hilal.

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