Playing Cards In Cairo: Mint Tea, Tarneeb And Tales Of The City

by Hugh Miles

PLAYING CARDS IN CAIRO is a fly-on-the-wall account - like THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL - of life (for western readers) in a strange and exotic environment. Hugh Miles lives in Cairo and is engaged to an Egyptian woman. Twice a week he plays cards with a small group of Arab, Muslim women and through this medium he explores their lives in modern Cairo, the greatest of Arab cities. It is a secretive, romantic, often deprived but always soulful existence for the women as they struggle with abusive husbands and philandering boyfriends. The book is a window onto a city - and a way of life - which is at a crucial juncture in its history. Hugh Miles, who knows the Arab world intimately, is the perfect guide.

Genres: Egypt, Nonfiction, Middle East, Memoir, Cairo

279 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2008

Reviews

[Diptychal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had such high expectations for this novel but it turned out to be just another stereotypical and limited view of Egypt from an expat point of view. The book had its moments - maybe about three to be exact - but most of the characters were cartoonish, the explanations of Arabic phrases or traditions inaccurate and the general attitude of the author overly-condescending and even smug at times. I would only recommend not bothering with it.

[Gurgs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, Miles' observations on the Egyptian social and to some extent, political landscape, were spot on. This book was written way before the Arab Spring was realized in Egypt, and Miles astutely and repeatedly highlights the suffocating social and economical climate under which many Egyptians have been living in. Miles especially hones in on the difficulties faced by the young (early 30s) and highly educated group of women he played tarneeb with. However, these women were portrayed quite simplistically and without a lot of depth, especially when describing how they dealt with complex issues ranging from religious obligation / guilt, inter-religious marriage, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, severe familial restraints and the various coping mechanisms that come with them. I realize that Miles likely compressed a lot varying themes and issues into a small group of women to keep the book manageable and accessible, but in doing so, Miles created a poorly executed cast of stereotypical characters. That aside, I thought Miles' observations into Egyptian society and culture were very interesting, especially his foreshadowing of the social, economical and political factors that lead to the Arab Spring in Egypt - those observations alone made the book a worthy read.

[Sheena Shore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read and a good insight into the faith and culture of Muslim women in Cairo.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nominally this is a novel but it feels like an autobiographical piece. The story line, such as it is, isn't what drives this; rather it is the observations about Egypt.

Despite having spent eight months in Cairo, I don't speak Arabic and know little about Egyptian society - nonetheless, this book struck me as likely being a reasonable portrayal of Cairo today, albeit a narrow part of middle class society and from the perspective of an ex-pat (but an ex-pat whose main connection is with Egyptians, not other ex-pats). Also the focus is entirely the lives of women he meets, not on Egyptian men with whom the main character, a young British male journalist, apparently feels little affinity.

I'm sure it would be easy for an Egyptian to quibble with many of the author's observations about Egypt, but a foreigner always makes generalizations and his or her observations will be through the lens of his or her own culture - that doesn't make the observations any less valid, just different than what an Egyptian would think. And this collection is probably not the most original collection, either, but the book flows along well and is moderately entertaining. It's an easy way to learn something about Egyptian society.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to modern Egyptian society. Having been an expat in Cairo myself - incl. a love story that ended in marriage and later divorce - I had the feeling I had lived a very, very similar story. The story didn't contain any news for me, but I would recommend it to anyone, people who lived there (for old times' sake) and people going there, for whatever reason.

Another thing I really liked is the fact that the narrator seems to have the same sentiments about Cairo: fantastic place that never leaves you (and keeps drawing you back), with a fantastic side, and an absurdly horrible side that for some reason you simply accept.

I'll stop now, but really strongly recommend this book together with alaa al aswany's books as a modern comprehensive guide to egyptian society. If you are an expat living in Cairo, or an Egyptian, don't bother reading it, as you probably know most of it already....

[Yazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing that really bothered me about this book was the cover with the picture of a woman with her face covered - too orientalist for my liking and a bit of a turn-off.

On the whole, it's an interesting read - more for a foreign audience than an Egyptian one. It is at times insightful and informative, but, as a piece of literature, it lacks heart and conviction. The story of the narrator and his lover get lost in the stories of her friends, and the main plot line gets drowned out and feels a bit imposed. The characters are potentially very strong - even if they are caricatures at times - but it ends up feeling like an expats guide to Egyptian society.

That said, there are a lot of interesting historical and cultural insights that are not entirely inaccurate, but I would rather have had more genuine moments with the narrator & Roda, who end up not being very relatable.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reads like a novel, and yet is non-fiction and gives a thorough account of life in middle class Cairo before the Arab Spring. I was hooked from the first page. The writing is good, easy to read, and full of insight into Islamic culture, confirming some of the worst aspects. Since the author grew up in the Middle East and speaks fluent Arabic, and is now married to an Egytptian woman, he is privy to the inner workings of the society and the result is a story both fascinating and informative. The fact that my parents were married in Cairo during World War II gives me a subjective interest in the city but I think it is a book well worth reading.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the recent upheavals in Egypt, this book, written right at the cusp of the Arab spring, is enjoyable and illuminating. The author, a male British journalist, joins a women's car playing circle and over time falls in love with one and gets to know the intimate stories of the others, which he tactfully and sensitively retells in this book.

It gives a real sense of Egyptian society and women's lives in modern Cairo. This is a great book for any student of Arabic to read as a step towards understanding the culture and the private lives of women in the Arab world.

[Sarah Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. I love the minutiae of people's lives and the book was made up of this. I also appreciated the opportunity to read a fly on the wall account of life before the demise of Mubarak's regime and Hugh Miles' insights regarding the precarious social, political and religious tightropes negotiated by people from all walks of life. Reading it in fairly recent hindsight was particularly illuminating. I was disappointed by the rather abrupt end however. I minded about the characters and would like to know how they fared.

[Nedda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miles manages to seamlessly fuse personal narrative and social commentary in this book. He perfectly captures the noisy chaos of Cairo as well as the suffocating social climate. We are shown how ubiquitous religion is in Egyptian society and how much it influences people's lives and attitudes. He also exposes some little-known but uniquely Egyptian social problems and phenomena, like the illicit plastic surgery industry and 'urfi' marriage, which was interesting to read about. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in modern Egypt.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is light reading but interesting nonetheless. The narrator lived on Zamaluk, an island in Cairo, where we were staying. He provides an interesting brief history of Zamaluk but it is the main focus of the book that takes place in present day that fascinates. An English reporter hangs out with a female Egyptian friend in a coed relationship that is almost unheard of in modern Egypt. Spoiler alert: eventually they marry.

[Ellie Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a great insight in Cairo (disappointing - I always imagined it to be an incredible city but the picture the author paints is grim) and also the life of women in the city. That too was quite depressing in that it showed how little autonomy many women have, controlled as they are by husbands, brothers and fathers. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating read and definitely recommended.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A semi-fictionalized story about the life of women in Egypt. Overall I enjoyed reading their stories. The one negative aspect of this book was that while the author wrote about many characters, he didn't write much about the life of Doctor Roda, the woman he married. We didn't learn what she did all day, nor what type of doctor she was. Perhaps this will be covered in a future book?

[Maggieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seemed more like a novel than an account of real events, which is a plus. It kept me interested in what was going to happen next to the many people whose lives Miles writes about. There was also sufficient information about the socio-economic climate in Cairo at the time to make it very interesting and relevant. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

[Asha KRISHNA · Rating 3 out of 5]

a well written work that offers an interesting insight into the lives of egyptians. A great view of egyptian way of life and their issues as the writer goes through his own experiences and bonds with the local people in an irreversible way.

[Lubna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this book are very insightful , but other parts are really misguided. By observing the lives of six women it is not enough to judge lives of women in Egypt , what we have here are generalizations that do not represent the entire society .

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in a very factual way. This book was easy to read and it took me less than a day to finish. Enjoyed it and would like to read his first book Al Jezeera, but unfortunately "Playing Cards in Cairo" does not make my top 100 books list!

[Kari Mcarthur Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel makes me appreciate the freedom I enjoy as a Canadian woman. Fascinating reading about the women of Cairo set against the historical, political and religious backdrop. I wish it was safe to travel to Egypt, I so want to visit there.

[Foreign]

UK: trade paperback original

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly interesting. Not all that informative, having been to Cairo. But an interesting look at the private lives of Egyptian women. A decent read-- not heartily encouraged, but ok.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a sense of the lives of modern Egyptian women in Cairo. It also got me thinking about human relationships - particularly family relations and cross-cultural relationships.

[Zabetta Camilleri]

A very easy read about an amazingly complex subject. Very enjoyable.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

09/28/2009 This was an interesting and colourful introduction to the city of Cairo. I liked the characters` stories.

[Valerie Proctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you are going to live in Cairo!

[Nevine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too superficial... An outsiders view of a small part of Egypt..

[Ghada]

highly disappointed, it was a promising idea that had lots of potential but poorly executed. I couldn't even finish it.

[Flyss Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evocative and insightful account of the life of a foreigner in predominantly Muslim Cairo.

[Christy Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A view into the true Cairo, Egypt.

[Eman Adel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ugly truth about cairo!

[Suraya WH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. I learned so many new things! it's also really well researched.