"The other time/other era/age-depends on how one would translate the title-" is Edward Al-Kharrat's chef d'oeuvre hands down. He definitely was targeting a Nobel while writing this one. Its a sequel to "Rama and the Dragon", where we witness the reunion of Mikhaïl and Rama, when they reached mid age, after the disastrous events that had lead to their break up in "Rama and the Dragon".
This novel is slightly different from "R&D" in that its less symbolic and abstract, here the writer fleshes out their encounters, relationships, events and experiences. Though it still has its non linear and collage style of stream of consciousness, I found it less abstract.
We also find a lot of the writer's commentary on politics-especially his critical take on the Sadat era-, leftist militants and activism, revolution, terrorism, change etc.
What was absolutely mind boggling was how Rama in this novel is more human and 3 D character than the mythical figure we found in "R&D" and yes it was made on purpose. Because now, Mikhaïl is getting to know her more, respect her and understand her in a way that he couldnt do in his youth when he was idolising her. Here the writer makes us, with the protagonist, know Rama, in the same way that he made us in the previous novel see her as a mythical entity.
Intertextuality in the novel man is just poignant. Well, Al-Kharrat's whole schtick was intertextuality but really, I couldn't help but think of the grand inquisitor in the political terrorism debate sequence.
And the end pages man, when the protagonist was having an ecstatic spiritual vision of Marina the monk was just ....