The Open Door

By Latifa Al Zayyat

Book Overview

Winner of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature

A Top 100 Literary Work of the Twentieth Century (The Arab Writers Union)

"Absorbing . . . Superbly translated . . . . Arguably the best modern Egyptian] novel not written by Nobel laureate Mahfouz."--Kirkus Reviews

A landmark in women's writing set during the struggle for Egyptian independence

February 1946: Cairo is engulfed by demonstrations against the British. Layla's older brother Mahmud returns, wounded in the clashes, and the events of that fateful day mark a turning point in her life, an awakening to the world around her.

Latifa al-Zayyat's acclaimed modern classic follows Layla through her sexual and political coming of age. Her rebellious spirit seeks to free itself from the stifling social codes that dictate a young woman's life, just as Egypt struggles to shake off the yoke of imperialist rule.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9774168275
• ISBN13: 9789774168277
• Release Date: March 2017
• Publisher: Hoopoe
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent read

The Open Door provides an interesting look at a girl coming of age in 1950's Egypt. She has to reconcile her love of country with her commitment to her family and its morals; her desire to embrace feminist ideals of equality; and whether she has a right to pursue a life full of love brought on by desire, or whether she should stick with the 'fundamentals' that would provide her with loveless security. There are periods when the book reads like a romance novel, but they move along quickly and are replaced with something much greater and socio-politically interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested women's political involvement in the Middle East and how the political turmoil of 1950's Egypt affected the average family.

Insightful and intriguing

Very good book, well written and well translated. I'd recommend it for anybody that is interested in learning about the Egyptian culture and an Egyptian woman's internal struggle with freedom. Times may have changed in Egypt, but many of the thoughts and realities within this book remain the same to date.

Love Story - modern teenage girl discovers herself

Beautifully written story of an Egyptian girl but applicable to any culture in the way it describes emotions about love and understanding oneself. Even though their culture of parent's selecting the spouse is so foreign to us, still young girls need to knows their own goals and their own personalities, less they be heavily influenced by their "love" when they marry young and then wake up years later thinking they have never really lived. The idea of "following rules" and expectations of parents versus following one's heart is an important part of Laiyla's journey. The setting at the time of the Revolution 1952, also provides an understanding of how difficult this time was in the life of the ordinary citizen.