The Automobile Club of Egypt
Alaa Al Aswany · b. 1957 · Egypt
Originally Nadi al-Sayarat (Arabic) · translated by Russell Harris
Why it matters
A Cairo garage serving King Farouk's inner circle becomes a microcosm of tyranny, class, and stirrings of revolt in 1940s Egypt. Al Aswany's widest-lens novel, tracing one family's slide from servility toward rebellion.
At a glance
historical fictionfamily sagapolitical novel
Difficulty 5/10medium pace480 pagesA large multigenerational cast and shifting narrators spread across a longer historical canvas.
Where to go next
Alaa Al Aswany · 2002The Yacoubian BuildingLvl 4Fast paced
Alaa Al Aswany · 2007ChicagoLvl 4Medium pace
Naguib Mahfouz · 1956Palace WalkLvl 4Medium pace
Elias Khoury · 1998Gate of the SunLvl 7Slow burn
Ghassan Kanafani · 1963Men in the SunLvl 5Medium pace
Nawal El Saadawi · 1975Woman at Point ZeroLvl 3Fast paced