Voices from the Other World - Suara-Suara dari Dunia Lain

by Naguib Mahfouz

Naguib Mahfouz mengajak 'kembali' ribuan tahun ke masa lampau di zaman firaun di tanah asalnya Mesir, dalam koleksi cerita yang memikat dan membuat dunia Mesir kuno berhadap-hadapan dengan zaman kita.

Dimulai dari Periode Pre-dinasti ketika komplotan rahasia penguasa yang berurat-akar membuang kebaikan sebagai pembelaan atas status mereka. Lalu ke Dinasti Kelima ketika seorang firaun kembali dari pengasingan panjang, kemudian hanya menemukan anjingnya yang setia, hingga ke abad 20 di mana sesosok mumi dari Dinasti Kedelapan Belas bangkit dari kubur dengan marah menghukum seorang bangsawan modern Mesir yang arogan dan semena-mena pada rakyat kecil.

Lima cerita dalam karya ini menekankan kebenaran yang tak lekang oleh waktu, meski ribuan tahun. Dengan memaparkan kekuatan dan misteri peradaban yang legendaris, cerita-cerita itu menjadi contoh kesenimanan yang membuat Mahfouz termasuk penulis paling dipuja dalam kesusastraan dunia.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Egypt, Historical, Fantasy, Egyptian Literature

132 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Naguib Mahfouz (Arabic author profile: نجيب محفوظ) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie scripts, and five plays over a 70-year career. Many of his works have been made into Egyptian and foreign films.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He also spoke with the servants and the slaves, leaving n his wake a deep and powerful influence
that stirred defiant revolt in their souls, around which disputation and mutual hostility grew ever stronger".

Voices from the Other World: Ancient Egyptian Tales by Naguib Mahfouz



This is a collection of short stories on Ancient Egypt.

Given that I love reading about Ancient Egypt, I thought this might be a good pick and it was.

It is four short stories with all of them dealing with pretty heavy subjects, death being just one. I enjoyed all the stories. I knew very little about this author..next to nothing frankly..before I read them. But he appears to be very much loved so I will have to read more by him.


I can't say which story I enjoyed most. I quite liked all of them and all made an impression on me. And they all take place in Egypt.They absolutely did not want for atmosphere.

Any fan of Ancient Egypt should add this to their collection. It is a short book and each of the stories are relatively short so this can be read in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.

[Jonfaith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My arrogance has been tested this weekend and my reading has been restless. I spent a hundred pages each on a couple of books before tossing them aside. I still feel whole.

I was alerted to a good book sale Friday evening by the server at my favorite artisan pizzeria and awoke yesterday to record Manchester United before venturing out. I bought 25 books and my aching biceps are testament to my delight. Amongst this haul was Ahdaf Souef's Cairo -- her account of Tahrir Square and its promise and collapse. I am eager to read that but thought I would broach other Egyptian texts beforehand.

Voices contains a number of historical fiction pieces Mahfouz wrote in the 1930s and 40s which had been unavailable to Anglophones until the last 20 years with their translation to English. Each reveals the timeless traits which befall humanity. Each is relatively brief but rich in detail. I admit I know very little about ancient Egypt and I would like to remedy that. My deficit didn't appear to hamper my enjoyment.

[Eylül Görmüş · Rating 3 out of 5]

1988 Nobel Edebiyat Ödüllü Necib Mahfuz ile tanışma kitabım oldu Mumyanın Uyanışı. Yazarları öyküleriyle tanımayı seviyorum ama beş kısa öyküden müteşekkil bu minik kitap pek bir fikir vermedi Mahfuz hakkında. Tamamı Antik Mısır'da geçen yahut Antik Mısır'la bir biçimde ilişkilenen beş öyküden oluşuyor kitap.

Kitaba ismini de veren Mumyanın Uyanışı sürükleyici ve ilginç bir metin ancak içlerinde en sevdiğim Kutsanan Kötülük adlı ilk öykü oldu. Dünyanın düzeninin düzensizlik oluşuna, kötülüğün ortadan kaybolmasının, işi kötülüğü kontrollü biçimde gütmek olan birilerinin (iktidar sahipleri tabii bu birileri) işsiz kalmasına sebebiyet vereceği gerçeğine dair yazılmış bu küçük öykü, kitaptaki en akılda kalıcı ve özgün metindi bence.

Öykülerin hiçbiri kötü değil ama hiçbiri de çok iyi değil, o kadar nötr ki kitaba duygum, açıkçası ne yazacağımı bile bilemiyorum. Bazı öykülerdeki kıssadan hisse tadındaki mesaj kaygısı beni biraz uzaklaştırdı, bazılarındaki masalsı dili, kutsal kitaplardaki ve kadim metinlerdeki anlatılara benzeyen üslubu ise sevdim.

Sonuçta ziyadesiyle ortada kaldım. Mahfuz'a dair bir şey söyleyebilecek durumda değilim ama henüz, erken. Daha çok romanlarıyla tanınıyor zaten kendisi, romanlarıyla da biraz haşır neşir olayım da, sonra bakalım anlaşabiliyor muyuz.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A peculiar feeling pervaded me that I had left life behind, that I had ceased to dwell among the people of the world.....
What could not be doubted is that Death is neither painful nor terrifying, as mortals imagine. If they knew the truth about it, they would seek it out as they do well-aged wine, preferring it over all others. For it is not regret or sadness that grips the dying person. Rather, life appears as something paltry and unimportant when one intuits on the horizon that divine and joyous light. I was shackled with fetters, then they were smashed. I was trapped inside a vessel, then I was set free. I was intensely heavy on
the earth, then I shed my bonds and was rid of my weight. My form was narrow, then I stretched everywhere outward without any bounds. My senses were limited, then each faculty changed utterly; I could see all and I could hear all and I could comprehend all, and I could perceive all at once what was above me and below me and around me—as if I had left my body sprawled before me to take from Creation an entirely new one."

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

A lovely little collection of short stories from a brilliant writer! I'm glad I finally got around to reading these. Most of them feel like fables or fairytales, with twists and messaging that still feel relevant more than half a century later. If you haven't read Naguib Mahfouz before, I would recommend trying this collection out. They are all stories inspired by Egyptian history and give a nice flavor for his writing style, but in a very brief volume.

[Büşra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Değerli bir arkadaşım tarafından hediye edilmesiyle bu yazar ve öyküleri ile tanışmış oldum. 5 Öyküden oluşan bu kitabın son 3 öyküsü beni etkiledi diyebilirim.
Gücün ne kadar geçici olduğunu, hırsın sonucunda nasıl pişmanlıkların olabileceğini gördüğümüz alt metinde öyküler vardı.
Mısır ile ilgili fazlaca bilgiler olması bazı zamanlar beni yorsa da öykülerin alt mesajına odaklandığım için beni rahatsız etmedi.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read (2h - 3h at most). Nice stories, varied and interesting.

[Amrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short, very well written stories relating to ancient Egypt.
The last story - A voice from the other world - was by far my favourite one from the collection.
It's a very unique tale about the life after death of a person.

[mesal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd already read one of these stories a very long time ago, so accidentally discovering a collection of similar ones from an excellent writer made for an engrossing way to spend my time.

[Mayk Can Şişman · Rating 3 out of 5]

ilk öykü ‘kutsanan kötülük’ü çok sevdim ama diğer öyküleri yalnızca okudum ve geçtim. “ilk öyküdeki sek tat diğerlerinde de olsaydı keşke” diye düşündüm.

[Burak Kuscu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yıllardır kitaplığımda bir sürü Mahfuz var ama bir türlü elim gidip de başlayamamıştım. Sonunda Can Yayınları'ndan başladık Necib Mahfuz'a.

Eser yanılmıyorsam beş adet antik Mısır öyküsünden oluşuyor. Hepsi de ustaca kurgulanmış ilginç hikâyeler. Beni en çok sonuncusu etkiledi zira o öyküde yaşam, ölüm, bireyin ölümünden sonra çevresinde yaşananlara ilginç bir bakış açısı var ve bu oldukça ilgi çekici.

Yazarın diğer kitaplarını da biraz öne çekip özellikle roman dalında neler yaptığını okumam gerekiyor buna emin oldum.

Tavsiyedir.

[Mohammed Abdikhader Firdhiye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to start reading this important writer with an early collection.

I wondered how good he was as young writer, what he did with ancient Egyptian history. Of the 5 short stories only the conventional supernatural story "The Mummy Awakens" was somewhat weak. The other stories like "Evil Adored" was very smart, social critique and strong retelling of how life was then.

[Wendelle]

how can language so enchanting, dreamy, ethereal, create impact of political insight that is so penetrating, scathing, almost cynical? only in the hands of a master like Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz. Here we read a story of police and judiciary, just men on earth, conspiring the return of incited crime and turmoil in a peaceful province to justify the security of their careers; a ruler who learns that all loyal followers prefer the victor, and he must keep friends at arm's length; a ruler who learns that all conquerors concede to the tradewinds of fate, and what is master in one millennium is slave in the next, and all hubris of power mummifies and decays to dust. A short book, a sideways work of Naguib Mahfouz that is still able to provoke thought in readers for a long time.

[osqhe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Necip Mahfuz’un kaleminden okuduğum ilk kitaptı. Yazış biçimi ve yalınlığı hoşuma gitti.
Ancak kitabın Antik Mısır ile alakası yok. Tamam, her öyküye bir iki firavun ve mumya figürü katmaya çalışmış ancak antik mısır hikayeleri denilince daha ütopik kurgu beklemiştim. Kurgu daha çok siyasi, kültürel, toplumsal eleştiri içeren öykülerden oluşmakta. Son öyküsü olan “Öteki Dünyadan Bir Ses” biraz daha antik mısıra yakın. Onda bile İslamiyet ile Antik Mısır dini arasında kalmış gibi yazmış yazar. Yine de içlerinde en sevdiğim öykü oldu. Mısır’ın uzun yıllar İngiltere ve Fransızlar tarafından içinin boşaltılmasına atıfta bulunulması gerekirken, eleştiri konusunda Türk milleti olarak bu kitapta da nasibimizi almışız. Üzdü.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories. Very thought provoking

[milo in the woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 stars, rounded down.

evil adored: three stars
king userkaf’s forgiveness: four stars
the mummy awakens: four stars
the return of sinuhe: four stars
a voice from the other world: three stars

[Erin Livs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, short, classic Egyptian myths

[Çisel Aktimur · Rating 2 out of 5]

İlk öykü olan Kutsal Kötülük’ü sevdiğimi söyleyebilirim.
Öykü, kötülükle mücadele edenlerin aslında kötülüğün yaratıcısı olabileceğine dair güçlü bir fikir sunuyor. Bu, bana Saramago’nun Ölüm Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş romanını da hatırlattı. Saramago’da ölüm ortadan kalktığında kiliselerin eteklerinde zil çalıyor ve sigorta acentalarıyla cenaze levazımatçıları işsiz kalıyordu. Benzer şekilde, Kutsal Kötülük’te de kötülük ortadan kalktığında, tahakküm kuran üst yapı kendilerini boşlukta ve güçsüz hissediyor; bu boşluğu doldurmak için kötülüğü yeniden üretmek zorunda kalıyorlar.
Burada öne çıkan nokta, kötülüğün yalnızca bireysel bir olgu değil, aynı zamanda toplumsal ve yapısal bir yaratım olduğu. İnsanlar ve kurumlar, kendilerini tanımlayan, kontrol sağlayan ve gücü meşrulaştıran bir referans noktası olarak ne yazık ki kötülüğe ihtiyaç duyarlar. Kötülük ortadan kalktığında, egemen güçler kendi varlıklarını ve yetkilerini sorgular hale gelir; bu da onları yeni yollarla düzeni yeniden kurmaya, yani kötülüğü yeniden icat etmeye iter.

[Natacha Pavlov · Rating 5 out of 5]

"O Lord, no matter how the soul suffers and is tortured, it goes on inventing and creating just the same."

These 5 short stories rooted in ancient Egyptian culture by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz are a lovely treat. I can hardly believe it's been nearly 2 decades since I first read his most famous Cairo trilogy (as a curious high schooler), and a decade since 'The Travels of Ibn Fattouma' in college.

These early short stories were overshadowed by the success of his Cairo trilogy saga set amidst the British occupation, of which I unfortunately mostly recall the hypocrite, terrorizing father and the servile women. Unsurprisingly, these wonderfully translated tales offer a different flavor, with my favorite being 'The Mummy Awakes' with its clash-of-civilizations undertones, followed closely by 'A Voice from the Other World' with its fitting afterlife angle.

This was a welcomed reminder that he remains an author whose writing and insights I'm bound to enjoy, at least in part thanks to his appreciation for ancient Egyptian history (also reflected in his first three Pharaonic novels). In 1988, he became the first Egyptian and the first writer with Arabic as his native tongue to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

[Ahmed Rashwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would've taken a lot of effort from Naguib Mahfouz's side to stop me from giving a short story collection set in Ancient Egypt a 4/5 rating! These stories were so deliciously good I can hardly believe it! It is not hard to understand why Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arab to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature. He so eloquently blends his brilliantly imaginative fiction with our magnificent historic times!

Naguib Mahfouz is a literary master, sowing our modern day plights into the cloth of glorious history and characters. The parallels drawn in some of this collection and the literary genius displayed in others will leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Naguib Mahfouz is one the best writers of Egypt and of our time on a wider scale.

I must say that my passion for Ancient Egyptian history, myth and folklore make me a bit biased towards these beautiful short stories but I am a hard critic usually and Naguib Mahfouz was able to weave these stories in such a way that transported me back to the times of the Pharaohs, and that most certainly deserves a 4/5 rating!

[Robert Knowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

These short stories offer brief glimpses of their author's emerging talent, but, when these were written, Mahfouz was not yet at his best. While the tales are not without moral value--they function well as modern fables--there are moments when they feel flat. This is not the first book I would recommend to readers interested in Mahfouz. The edition is not well edited: there are a few grammatical errors and typos.

[Seda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This random purchase turned out to be one of the most unforgettable reads I've encountered. I had never heard of the author before, despite the fact that he was a Nobel laureate and one of the most prominent figures in modern Arabic literature.

`Voices from the Other World' is a collection of five stories, most of which are set in Ancient Egypt—except perhaps `The Mummy Awakens, which, while not set in that period, remains thematically connected. The first story, `Evil Adored', is allegorical and strikingly relevant. It explores how virtue, justice, and peace threaten those who thrive in chaos. `King Userkaf’s Forgiveness' reveals the profound loneliness of power—showing that, in positions of authority, no one is truly trustworthy, not even your loved ones. In `The Mummy Awakens', the protagonist is villainised due to his ethnic origins. The narrative implies that the Ottomans' rule over Egypt led to the mistreatment of its native sons—an implication that ignores the broader history of imperialism before and after the Ottoman period. `Voices from the Other World', the title story and my personal favorite, presents not only a deeply human tale about the desire to resist death, but also offers remarkable insight into funeral customs, grief, bereavement, and posthumous rituals like embalming. Mahfouz captures the gradual fading of grief with striking poignancy: "This germ (of forgetfulness) would grow larger and spread wider until it covered the heart entire."

This collection has left a lasting impression, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more of Naguib Mahfouz’s work in the future.

[Aysegül Güngör · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mumyanın Uyanışı Necip Mahfuz’un öykü kitabı. Kitap 5 öyküden oluşuyor. Ben en çok birinci ve beşinci öyküyü sevdim. Birinci öykü “Kutsana Kötülük” iyilik ve kötülük algısı üzerine. Öykü boyunca karakterler ahlaki ikilem içinde kalarak seçim yapıyorlar. Mahfuz bu öyküsünde insanın kendi ahlaki değerlerini keşfetme ve sınama yolunun ne kadar zorlu olduğunu anlatıyor. Bu öykü ile iş dünyasını çok bütünleştirdim.

Kitabın son öyküsü “Öteki dünyadan bir ses” çok etkiledi beni. Ölüm anını yaşayan bir insanın ölüm sonrası başına gelenler ve hissettikleri üzerine. BU öykü hem edebi hem de felsefi açıdan çok katmanlı.

Öykü, ölmüş bir adamın ruhunun bakış açısından anlatılıyor. Ruh, bedenini terk ettikten sonra öte dünyaya geçiyor, ancak hâlâ dünyayla bir bağı kalıyor. Öykü boyunca, ölünün bilinci aracılığıyla hem geçmiş yaşamına hem de geride bıraktığı insanlara dair bir iç hesaplaşma izliyorsunuz. Ölüm sonrası bilinç hâli, pişmanlık, yalnızlık ve anlam arayışıyla iç içe geçiyor.

Mahfuz burada ruhun kendine yönelik sorgulamasını felsefi bir anlatımla çok gerçekçi olarak sunuyor. “Ne yaptım?”, “Nasıl yaşadım?”, “Neydim?” gibi sorular insanı kendi içinde düşünmeye yönlendiriyor. Bu arada kesinlikle karamsar bir öykü değil.
Necip Mahfuz’u ilk defa okudum. Çok yakın bir dili var. Öyküler kısa ama çok derin. 1001 gece masalları gibi bir akışı var.

[annapi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of five short stories from one of the most prominent authors of Arabic fiction. These were originally published in 1936, '38, '39, '41 and '45, before they were translated in 2000 to 2003. The stories are inspired by ancient Egypt and read like folk literature.

Maybe it's because of the time they were written, but I was a bit disappointed to find them rather lacking in substance. Some read like they could have been expanded into a longer form, but were just cut short. The first story felt like a fable but any "lesson" that could be learned from it was not very edifying, it seems to me. The last and title story might be a bit gruesome to most because it details the steps taken in preparing a body for mummification.

Overall an interesting read, but a bit flat to me.

[hllreka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rate : 4.25⭐️


Kali kedua membaca karya mendiang Naguib Mahfouz, termasuk buku ini.

Terinspirasi dari cerita rakyat Mesir kala itu, pesan dan makna yg disampaikan dlm kisah2 pendek Voices from the other world pun masih sangat relatable dengan kehidupan masa sekarang. Cerita kedua & terakhir adl cerita favorit saya, tapi secara keseluruhan semua nya memuaskan!

Dengan gaya tulisan beliau yg cenderung "smooth dan compact", hingga saya pikir cerita rakyat begini bakalan berat dan jenuh, tapi justru tidak sama sekali. Bahkan saya gak sadar tau2 udah tamat aja bacanya. Tipikal buku yg bisa kamu baca sekali duduk aja, tapi rasanya saya gak kepengin cepat selesai ketika baca buku ini 😁

[Truly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ada 2 hal yang menjadi alasan kenapa saya membeli buku ini. Pertama adalah keterangan bahwa penulis merukana pemenang penghargaan Nobel Sastra, setelah saya cek ternyata diperoleh tahun 1988. Kedua, apalagi jika bukan karena harganya yang terjun bebas he he he.

Meski hanya terdiri dari 5 cerita pendek, tapi karya ini benar-benar menunjukkan kelas seorang peraih Nobel. Bahkan juga terdapat informasi mengenai Kronologis Mesir Kuno.Menariknya, pada
bagian belakang terdapat Daftar Istilah yang membuat pembaca bisa semakin menikmati kisah yang ada dalam buku ini.

[Alexis]

Amazing Tales of Ancient Egypt!

These five short stories each approach the Ancient Egyptian culture from a different angle, and each one is lovely in its own way. I enjoyed reading about the lost lovers reunited, a pharaoh's loyal dog, the afterlife of an Ancient Egyptian man, and all the others. Mr. Mahfouz is extremely talented and these stories have interested me in his other works.

[Emirhan Mutlu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beş kısa öyküden oluşan bu derlemeyi okuyunca net olarak görünüyor ki Necib Mahfuz daha uzun metinlerde kendini daha iyi gösteriyor. Romanlarından aldığım keyfi öykülerinden alamadım ne yazık ki. Tamamı Antik Mısır'la ilişkili olan bu beş öykü akıcı olsa da bence vasat denebilecek seviyede. Güzel değil ama kötü de değil. Ayrıca alttan alta hissedilen didaktik olma çabası da okuma keyfini biraz azaltıyor. Alın okuyun demem ama okusanız da çok pişman etmez.

[Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The sun was slanting toward the western horizon, the endless expanse of the realm of shadows. The flickerings of its fading rays shook with the shiver of Death upon the surface of the sacred Nile. I continued on my accustomed way, across from the sycamore tree at the southern edge of the village where my lovely house lies.”

[Old Man JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book of five short stories all loosely based on the age of the Pharaohs. My favorite stories were King Userkaf's Forgiveness in which the Pharaoh questions his peoples loyalty and love for him and so he tests it and The Mummy Awakens in which a Pharaoh awakens when his tomb is disturbed. One of Mahfouz earlier books but very enjoyable.