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The Map of Love
The Map of Love: A Novel | Ahdaf Soueif
14 posts | 15 read | 19 to read
Booker Prize Finalist "Sweeping and evocative--. An unconventional love story."--The Times (London) With her first novel, In the Eye of the Sun, Ahdaf Soueif garnered comparisons to Tolstoy, Flaubert, and George Eliot. In her latest novel, which was shortlisted for Britain's prestigious Booker Prize, she combines the romantic skill of the nineteenth-century novelists with a very modern sense of culture and politics--both sexual and international. At either end of the twentieth century, two women fall in love with men outside their familiar worlds. In 1901, Anna Winterbourne, recently widowed, leaves England for Egypt, an outpost of the Empire roiling with nationalist sentiment. Far from the comfort of the British colony, she finds herself enraptured by the real Egypt and in love with Sharif Pasha al-Baroudi. Nearly a hundred years later, Isabel Parkman, a divorced American journalist and descendant of Anna and Sharif has fallen in love with Omar al-Ghamrawi, a gifted and difficult Egyptian-American conductor with his own passionate politics. In an attempt to understand her conflicting emotions and to discover the truth behind her heritage, Isabel, too, travels to Egypt, and enlists Omar's sister's help in unravelling the story of Anna and Sharif's love. Joining the romance and intricate storytelling of A.S. Byatt's Possession and Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, Ahdaf Soueif has once again created a mesmerizing tale of genuine eloquence and lasting importance.
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review
Shemac77
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Panpan

Boring.

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Shemac77
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Next up.

Slajaunie Beautiful flower, your garden? 1y
Shemac77 Sure is! It‘s potted. But thriving. @Slajaunie 1y
31 likes1 stack add2 comments
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rmaclean4
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Mehso-so

Read this slowly over the course of a month. Told in 2 timelines, 1900 and the late 1990's. I much prefered the 1900 time line. Slow plot with lots of political discussion. Loved the settings. 2.5 🌟

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GatheringBooks
Map of Love | Ahdaf Soueif
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Pickpick

#ShowSomeLove Day 9: I was fascinated by a White woman‘s perceptions on the veil (and her decision to wear it), the many struggles and prejudices that she had to endure with her deciding to marry outside of her culture, with her husband looked down upon by her snooty and high-handed British compatriots despite his being born from a noble, educated, and highly respected family. Perfect for #WorldMarriageDay. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-l5j

TheKidUpstairs Sounds like a fascinating book, definitely a different perspective on love, life, marriage. 4y
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
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theladygreer
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"This is one of those books I want to buy and hand out to people because it's so amazing and deserves for its praises to be shouted from the rooftop. The writing is lyrical and stunning." Chanel Cleeton raves about this one for #read99women: http://www.greermacallister.com/blog/2020/3/6/read99women-chanel-cleeton

charl08 It is a lovely book! 5y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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GatheringBooks
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#AyUpAugust Day 20: Today‘s #temptation is brought to you by Swensen‘s sizzling dessert. Paired with a book from Egypt for #WomenReadWomen2019.

Cathythoughts Wow 😮😋 5y
squirrelbrain Yummy! 😋 5y
gradcat Omigod—That looks decadent! 😋 5y
Cinfhen I‘ve had my eye on this book and now I‘m eyeing the dessert 😋😋😋when‘s the move???? 5y
hgrimes nice skillet 🍳 5y
78 likes5 comments
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Travelinglibrarian
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4 likes1 stack add
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CocoReads
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Bailedbailed

This was my book group book for February. Not my pick but my best friends pick. After hearing her talk about it, it sounded like maybe it got better but after a little over 100 pages into a 500 pages book, I just couldn't anymore. I had a hard time following the plot lines, and just generally couldn't care about any of the characters. In short, I was bored. Maybe another time, but probably not.

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CocoReads
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Have any Littens read this? I'm supposed to be reading it for book group next Monday but I've only made it to page 38 and I have no idea what's going on. My bestie picked it so I'm going to keep plodding forward but it's tough.

Smangela Hope it picks up! 8y
CocoReads @Smangela thank you. My sisters on pg 100 of 500+ and says it so far hasn't but we are hoping it does too 8y
42 likes2 comments
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batsy
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Cinfhen
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These are all currently listed in my GoodReads as WANT TO READ #LoveintheTitle #17BookLove

Zelma Love is a Mix Tape ❤️ 8y
Cinfhen @Zelma I REALLY can't wait to get to this book. I'm such an 80's girl💞 8y
Zelma @Cinfhen it is very raw and honest and will punch you in the gut (in a good way).i listened to the audio and the author reads it, making it seem very intimate. (edited) 8y
Cinfhen @Zelma good to know because I'm looking for new #audiobooks 😘 8y
91 likes4 comments
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CocoReads
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I fail at the no extra book buying resolution. But I'm still using Christmas money and being extra picky so I'm counting it as a win. 5 books (one borrowed, one for February book group) plus 1 DVD (to enhance my reread of Lonesome Dove)

Suzze Which one is for book group? 8y
CocoReads The Map of Love for Feb. January is The Pearl That Broke it's shell which I bought months ago. 8y
50 likes2 comments
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BrownGirlReading
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"How can it strike so suddenly? Without warning, without preparation?Should it not grow on you, taking its time, so that when the moment comes when you think 'I love', you know - or at least you imagine you know - what it is you love? How can it be that a set of shoulders, the rhythm of a stride, the shadow of a strand of hair falling on a forehead can cause the tides of the heart to ebb and to flow?" (p. 48) #manbookershortlist1999 #egyptianlit

6 likes3 stack adds
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readingcities
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Mehso-so

A nice poolside novel, and I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a try, but I wish it was a little meatier