Khufu's Wisdom
 | |
| Author | Naguib Mahfouz |
|---|---|
| Translator | Raymond Stock |
| Language | Arabic |
| Genre | Fiction, historical fiction |
Publication date | 1939 |
| Publication place | Egypt |
Published in English | 2003 |
Khufu's Wisdom (Arabic: حكمة خوفو, romanized: Hikmat Khufu) is the first novel by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz.[1][2] It was originally published in 1939 in Arabic by Salama Moussa, who renamed it 'Abath al-Aqdar (Arabic: عبث الأقدار, lit. 'The Absurdity of Fate'), as a separate issue of the magazine Al Majalla Al Jadida.[3]
It is Mahfouz's first novel and the first of what would later be referred to as his pharaonic trilogy, which also includes Rhadopis and Thebes at War.[4]
History
After beginning his literary career in the mid-1930s writing short stories published in Arrissalah, Mahfouz made his foray into writing novels in 1939 with 'Abath al-Aqdar.[4] It is one of several novels that Mahfouz wrote at the beginning of his career with Pharaonic Egypt as the setting, employing what would become his signature historical realism.[4] Rhadopis of Nubia (1943) and Thebes at War (1944) completed Mahfouz's pharaonic trilogy.[4]
Translations
An English translation of by Raymond Stock published an English translation under the title Khufu's Wisdom in 2003. The complete pharaonic trilogy was published in English in one volume under the title Three Novels of Ancient Egypt (Everyman's Library, 2007).
References
- ^ "'Abath al-Aqdar". www.litencyc.com. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ Book page at Complete Reviews
- ^ Moosa, Matti (1995). "Naguib Mahfouz: Life in the Alley of Arab History". The Georgia Review. 49 (1): 224–230. JSTOR 41401631. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d للكتاب, الهيئة المصرية العامة (2023-01-19). "نجيب محفوظ.. رحلة الانطلاق من الجمّالية إلى العالمية.. ودور فريد شوقي في رواياته". الهيئة المصرية العامة للكتاب الموقع الإخباري الرسمي (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-01-27.