The Beggar

Hello Gentle Reader

Do to some unforeseen circumstances last week I was unable to post a blog. However I was able to maintain reading in order to post a blog this week, if circumstances permitted me to get back to a computer with internet in order to post this review of a short novel I had the interesting enjoyment of reading by Naguib Mahfouz Noble Prize Laureate of 1988. Many will recognize the name Naguib Mahfouz from an earlier review of his novel "Palace Walk," which is the first novel in a trilogy of novels which is respectfully called "The Cairo Trilogy." "The Cairo Trilogy," is perhaps Naguib Mahfouz's most famous work of literary output, however his lesser known works, are just as good, in their own ways.

"The Beggar," a novel that is both dour and sad, and it wasn't even written by other novelists noted for dour and sad novels, of nihilistic bent or in some cases existentialist bents such as Thomas Bernhard, Kenzaburo Oe, Yukio Mishima, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Elfride Jelinek, and the list can go on. However here is an interesting tid bit of information. "The Beggar," is a novel that deals with some rather existential themes, but Naguib Mahfouz himself, was also one of the first Arabic writers to deal with existential themes.

What does that mean? To me it sounds like Naguib Mahfouz was/is one of the first contemporary authors in Egypt and writers in the Arabic language, which dealt with more themes of the age. In the 20th century themes of Existentialism, Absurdism, and Nihilism were kind of at their peaks of thought. Jean-Paul Sartre was the head of the Existentialist movement, while another French writer and philosopher of the 20th century headed the Absurdist philosophy thought. Neither one of these two writers and philosophers necessarily came up with the ideas. Both of which may have brought the idea's to a greater attention, but both did not necessarily come up with philosophies in which they promoted. However during the 20th century these philosophies were gaining wide recognition and wide thought. Playwrights like Samuel Beckett (who was also a novelist and short story writer) and Eugene Ionesco proudly presented the absurdism of modern life. While Jean-Paul Sartre in his plays like "No Exit," ("Hell is other people.") "Nausea." or Patrick Süskind and his short novel "The Pigeon."

Naguib Mahfouz was born in the year 1911, perfect timing to grow up in a world where these philosophical ideas were taking hold. Would it come to a surprise to many that Naguib Mahfouz may have written about some of these idea's in his writing career that had enveloped seventy years of his ninety-four long life? To me no.

So all that dribble leads us to this short novel by Naguib Mahfouz called "The Beggar."

"The Beggar," if I could describe it really simple terms, is a short novel about the failure to find meaning in existence, and its consequences. Meet our main character Omar, who is suffering from a "illness." This illness we learn as the reader, is sucking the enjoyment from Omar's life. Yet Omar has everything. He has a family, friends, a successful career as a lawyer, and yet he finds no enjoyment or happiness in life. Omar goes to the doctor -- and why shouldn't he? He's a man who can afford a doctor, but also has sense enough to see that something is not "right with him," and so a consultation with a doctor wouldn't hurt. So the doctor tells Omar, that he needs to go on a diet, and gets some proper excerise, and hey a vacation wouldn't hurt right?

Unfortunately Omar, does all that his doctor had suggested, but still feels the meaningless void of life, sucking him dry slowly and surely. Seeing as the doctor was unable to help him, Omar, decides that he'll self-medicate. Through illicit love affairs which at first begin to ease the pain of his existince, he soon finds himself, once again in the same old place that he was only a short period before. Omar then returns home, to his wife who through this entire ordeal of Omar facing a existential crisis, has stayed by him -- a devoted wife or a foolish woman? Anyhow returning home, Omar finds himself suffocated and estranged from his family, and friends but they are also happy to see him to a degree, knowing he is safe and alright. Things get interesting when we an old friend and compatriot by the name of Othman Khalil re-enters the life of Omar, this is when we learn of Omar's political past. He was a poet (something that was spoke about in the beginning) but also a socialist in his younger years. However Othman went to jail for his socialist political ideologies, and Omar did not, and even though Othman was tortured (most likely brutally) he did not reveal that Omar was also one of them. One can now only imagine what Othman feels to see his friend, reduced to an empty shell of what he once was, and also his once strong socialist ideologies, gone with his former self.

The novel ends with Omar once again leaving his family. He moves out to the country side, and lives there. Now this part of the novel gets a bit confusing. Omar is now in a state of delirium and delusions. So what is being said in these states of oddities like a bouquet of flowers which are not flowers but the heads of his family and friends, that chase him, among other interesting dreams create for a bizarre ending. At first I must admit that I thought the translation had just gotten really poor, but after perseverance, and re-reading all is set straight.

The ending leaves one with a sense of hope that Omar is going to be alright going back to his life in Cairo, but that is a fine line. There is a sense of optimism there, but as the novel had shown us before, he once feel that great feeling before, and then it was lost on him in no time. Yet it depends how the reader wishes to see it. Is Omar's life finally going to be alright or will he simply spin out of control, again and again?

"The Beggar," felt like an interesting novel for me at this current moment. At the moment I feel like I myself am facing a difficult feelings of inadequacy and wondering if my life will ever have meaning or what will I do with my life. Though I don't have the luxuries that Omar himself had, a family, a stable roof, money et cetera, there was a feeling that even with the basic necessities of life met for him, it wasn't enough. There was something missing. And though at the moment I have some of these basic necessities of life, and yet still able to enjoy the wonders of reading, writing and blogging, there still feels like there is something missing. What am I going to do with my life? Why does my life feels so incomplete? Will I ever see my life fulfilled, and lived for myself? All these questions and ponderings are something I find myself going through over and over again. Part of me tells myself that Omar and myself are not the only people feelings the nihilistic void around our lives. Facing existential crisis, and watching the absurd march of everyday life. Naguib Mahfouz with his novel "The Beggar," has written a tale of the hopeless account and desperation of a man trying to find meaning in his life.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
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And As Always
Stay Well Reader
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M. Mary