Palace of Desire (The Cairo Trilogy #2), 1957 by Naguib Mahfouz

At long last I am finally done with this novel. Last two years I read the first part of the trilogy which I thoroughly enjoyed, please click here. In Palace of desire, the family saga continues. Al-Sayyid Ahmad is done mourning the death of one of his sons who died in the first sequel, he went back to his life of alcohol and women, though he realised he has aged. He decides to keep a young mistress. 

Kamal his youngest son falls in love with a

Palace Walk (The Cairo Trilogy #1), 1956, Naguib Mahfouz *****

Palace  Walk is a story set in the beginning of the 20th century. The story of Ahmad Al Jaawad and his house hold in a continuously evolving Egypt. He has a son, Yasin, with his first wife. Their marriage is quickly followed by a divorce because she is a woman of her own ways and wouldn't tolerate her husband's control.

Ahmad marries for the second time to Amina, a submissive woman in every sense of the word. Together they have Khadidja, Aisha, Fahmy and Kamal. Ahmad rules his household with an iron hand and instills fear in his children and wife. For instance, he asks his wife to leave when he finds out that she left the house without his permission in his absence.

However, what his family does not know is that Ahmad is a totally different character when he is with his friends, he loves music, women and wine. Yasin, his oldest son, soon discovers his father's other facet and realises where his own

Disgrace, 1999, J.M. Coetzee *****

David Lurie (white South African) has sexual intercourse with one of his students, Melanie. To say it is consensual is hard, due to the unequal power relationship between both parties. Professor and student. He is expelled. Following the scandal, he visits his grown up daughter in the country side, where she "farms". While he is there, they are attacked by some black South Africans in their own house, something terrible happens. Another scandal, How will he survive this time? The two of them alone in

The Bluest Eye, 1970, by Toni Morrison ****

I have really forgotten when I read this book and how it fell into my hands. Yes... it was from a book fair. I decided to read it. My reviews in 2009 were registered and below it goes. I really liked it, not my favourite though.

"a very sad book... tragedy upon tragedy and mixed with tragedy.. just so bitter.. referring to the story.. but to be sincere the languages and the way this lady wrote this book.. just made me so tired reading it.. you can find it slow sometimes.."

As I reviewed years back, the story narrated is just so sad and bitter. The way the story was told , from my point of view is too slow. There was a point I wanted to drop the book I could remember. This is not a book I highly recommend but if it happens to fall into your hands just give it a try. Toni Morrison was the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1993.

The Novel narrates the story of a young black girl named Pecola who felt inferior due to her skin complex and the colour of her eyes. She suffered from racism, child molestation and incest. The story took place in Ohio, USA.