Shahhat, an Egyptian

by Richard Critchfield

Book Overview

The story of a young peasant man from the upper Nile reveals the cultural and psychological turbulence of a country being thrust into the twentieth century.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815601514
• ISBN13: 9780815601517
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

closeup of peasant life in an ancient land

Richard Critchfield denied he was an anthropologist, claiming to be only a journalist, but his methods and his works prove otherwise. Perhaps he did not tie his writing to any theoretical framework or to the body of existing anthropological studies, but this book, at least, lies right in the heart of what I think anthropology is supposed to be about, revealing the nature, the tone, the nuances of another society, giving us understanding of why other people act in other ways. SHAHHAT is a penetrating study of the rhythms and contents of Egyptian village life in the 1970s. The profound picture painted of the young peasant farmer, Shahhat, his mother, his uncle, and several other friends and relatives, can be compared to Oscar Lewis' studies in Mexico and Puerto Rico, the wonderful study of Iranian women done by Erika Friedl, Ruth Behar's "Translated Woman", and perhaps a few others. Everything is covered; work, family life, relations between the sexes, health and healing, religion, festivals, food, entertainment, economic relations, and the effects of development at the grassroots level. Critchfield writes in a style half literary, half journalistic, with knowledge gleaned from living with the people concerned over a long period of time. Whether his methods were "kosher" in terms of anthropological technique is hardly the question. The book resounds with the truth, with the unexpected details that can only come from real life observation. Village life is anything but idyllic-in Egypt, as in Mexico, India, on South Sea islands, and everywhere else, village life often consists of endless struggle and quarrels within and beyond the family. Village life is unending hard work for small reward. The description is presented more by the author than by the Egyptians, but he often has them speak, including conversations that resemble fiction more than university-inspired texts. While the black and white photographs of the principal characters are fine, the book might have been improved with at least one map. Beyond everything I have already said in praise of this excellent book, I would like to add one more comment. In this day and age, it is common in certain quarters to tar Islam and Muslims, particularly Arabs, with one brush, a brush that paints them all as one, all fanatics, all thinking with one mind. With some personal knowledge, I have long known that this is extremely far from the truth. The world of Islam is as varied, if not even more varied, than the Western world. There are so many realities, even within the Arab societies. SHAHHAT brings to life just one of those realities, a world far, far removed from the austere pieties and rigidity of Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, but also equally far from urban Cairo, Istanbul or Jakarta. It brings men and women to life, real men and women, not caricatures of some politician's or oil man's creation. I liked this book deeply because it is a solid brick in the foundation of understanding that we,

Explore Ancient Egypt through modern Egypt

I happen to stumble upon this bopok through all my reserch of Ancient kmt. The book explores rual Egyptian life and writes from a perpective of a Egyptian chjild named Shahhat. One interfesting this is that many people are often unaware that Rual Egyptians still hold on to their ancient heritage,unlike the city dwellers who live in places like Cairo and Alexzandria. Foreigners never completly penetrated deep into Upper Egypt,and much of the cultural heritage downb to physical phenotype of the original Egyptians is still there. I like the way the author unfolds and combines the fact that many ancient traditions exist in the life of rual Egyptians which goes back to the time of the Pharoahs,and this can be clearly seen in everything from relgious traditions to funerals. Many readers often ask where have the Ancient Egyptians gone after all these years,and this book provides the answers and fills in the gaps. The book is so realistic and potrays saeedi life to an exact. Definatley one of the best books I have read all year.

Modern Egyptian Life

Richard Critchfield wrote an absorbing book about two years in the life of an Egyptian "fellah" or peasant. This subject may not be appealing to everyone, but imagine poking around in all but the most intimate details of an extended family--as we're seeing more and more on TV-and think of all the insights to be had. That what Critchfield's great interest, learning about the ordinary lives of ordinary people, recording everything and shining a light on otherwise unknown lives for the rest of us to see. Shahhat and his family are forced to face severe changes in the way they live their lives, thanks to the arrival of technology. For thousands of years, the Egyptians of the Upper Nile had lived unchanging lives. But the damming of the Nile to stop the flooding brought unexpected changes; how Shahhat and his village cope forms the basic outline of this story. We get to see a young man growing up, dealing with the pressures his Islamic culture put on him. Critchfield produced anthropology for the layman-he simply writes about everything he sees, and allows his subjects to do the talking. He didn't bury what he found in academic lingo; the book is simply well done writing put onto the page for our own examination. I recommend this book to anyone who wats a realistic look at another culture, minus stereotypes.

A young man gives us insight into another culture

In the book, Shahhat is a young man in 1970's Egypt living in a village by the Valley of the Kings. He is torn between his desire to be a respected member of the community and his natural impulsiveness. This book describes a world where djinns are real and the flawed human beings do not always live up to the precepts of Islam. Through Shahhat's eyes we can see how ordinary people live in a part of the world the media tends to portray as threatening or hostile. The author, Richard Critchfield, wrote about life in third world villages for many years so Shahhat's story is the most detailed chapter in a long project. The books _Villages_ and _The Villagers_ provide updates on Shahhat. Critchfield's books are better than any I have read for sensitizing Western readers to the value of village life. However, if there is one thing that Americans longing for a simpler way of life want to avoid, it is crime. The shocking incidents of violence in this book show that village life is no paradise.