Black Magic

by Hamdy el-Gazzar

As a fourteen-year-old, Nasir was entranced by his father's gift of a camera, finding in it the means both to possess beauty and to assert himself. Now a hack working for state television, Nasir meets Fatin, an independent woman older than himself who has escaped a suffocating marriage and is
secure in taking what she wants from life. An affair begins that quickly pulls Nasir into a whirlwind of incandescent erotic and emotional obsession. In a world of superficiality, materialism, violence, and sexual hysteria seen through the unforgiving lens of his camera, Nasir's life is in limbo. A
yearning for escape and a fear of loneliness propel him into a relationship in which he is at once enraptured and non-committal. The resolution of this volatile mix lies in a violent confrontation between repulsion and desire. Black Magic was awarded the prestigious Sawiris Foundation Prize in
Egyptian Literature in 2006.

Genres: Egypt, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Sarah Yasin · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, this new translation of Black Magic is difficult to read, yet after getting used to it, the reader is carried along by its surrealism and beauty. The author uses magnificent imagery and symbolism throughout the book, and carefully layers character development, plot, and themes of existentialism with great skill.

The story is about Nasir, a bachelor photographer in Cairo and his love affair with an older divorcee. The book is full of passion, but told with a vacant voice reminiscent of Camus' L'Etranger. The translation is stunning, and I do wish I could read Arabic because the words Humphrey Davies uses are captivating.

The narrative voice shows a keen understanding of relationships and speaks with brutal honesty. The reader is taken with his insight into the blossoming stages of a new romance and the carefully managed thoughts and plans Nasir makes in order to preserve his heart from pain. I especially liked his understanding that we often project qualities onto new lovers that they may not possess at all, simply because we are swept away by ourselves.

There are some steamy passages in this book and I'm amazed by the author's clear interpretation of the folly of carnal behavior. The author is at times overly descriptive, but while my attention span can only take so much of water boiling over, another reader might draw great philosophical significance from it.

Clearly this is a debut work. The author's treatment of minor characters lacks wholeness compared to the honesty with which the protagonist is depicted. I believe that el-Gazzar will become a great writer (not that Black Magic isn't great - it won the 2006 Sawiris Foundation Prize for Egyptian Literature), and he will look back on this book and cringe at its sophomoric style.

There is an evolution in the book with just enough foreshadowing to show the decline of Nasir's infatuation with the divorcee. He begins describing her as supple, firm, and beautiful, but by the end of the story she is wrinkled, grey haired, and beautiful. This layering of story-telling, coupled with the existential themes packed into the story (among many existentialist passages there is an incredible scene of a weaver who un-does his day's work every evening only to begin again the next day - an Egyptian version of the myth of Sisyphus), makes the book valuable for literary scholars and students of philosophy.

I recommend this book for its wonderful imagery, symbolism, and irony. Overall, the book is well crafted, with a beautiful ending that rings with those questions posed therein about the human condition.

[Banusha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't quite understand everything at all times. I was confused a lot. About who the character spoke about, where he was, what he was doing. It made the reading experience very, well, confusing.
Another thing was that there were a couple of awful scenes. One of the scenes were basically a rape scene. Now I don't mind rape scenes in books. But what did bother me (mind you, it drove me crazy) was that it was never mentioned that it was a rape scene. It was brushed of as something romantic and amazing. That was not okay. At all. Rape is rape. Fictional or not.

Besides all that, the way the writer wrote was poetic. Adjectives were used well and such. But the mentions above made it difficult to like the book.

[Jehnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will wholeheartedly admit that my appreciation for this book went up upon meeting and talking to the author today. A very interesting man with a lot to say.

[Dixie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into it.