I Do Not Sleep

by Ihsan Abdel Kouddous, Jonathan Smolin (translator)

A story of betrayal, desire, and family drama, written by a giant of Egyptian popular fiction who shocked readers in the 1950s when this Lolita-esque novel first appeared and whose work has never before been available in English

Sixteen-year-old Nadia had been raised by her father, after her parents divorced when she was only a baby. Indulged and petulant, she remained the only female in her father’s life. But when she returns from boarding school to find that he has remarried without her knowledge, she conspires to restore her rightful place, creating misery, confusion, and a flood of unexpected consequences in her wake.

Written as a letter, a confession, by now twenty-one-year old Nadia, Ihsan Abdel Kouddous’s classic novel of revenge and betrayal challenges patriarchal norms with its strong female characters and brazen sexuality, and continues to speak to the complex human condition. It dives into middle-class life, and lays bare the repressed desires, seething jealousies, and complicated dramas of family.

Abdel Kouddous’s masterpiece I Do Not Sleep was adapted into a classic of Egyptian cinema in 1957, and its publication for the first time in English is an international publishing event.

Genres: Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Ihsan Abdel Kouddous (Quddous) was born in Cairo in 1919. His mother was the Turkish-Lebanese journalist Rose al Yusuf. Kouddous studied law but gained fame as a novelist, journalist, and editor, beginning in 1944 to write film scripts, short stories, and novels. He became a distinguished journalist in the Al Akhbar newspaper, where he worked for eight years. He then worked in the Al-Ahram newspaper and became its editor-in-chief. He often criticized important personalities, which got him imprisoned three times throughout his journalism career.

Ihsan regarded women as symbols of sacrifice in the Egyptian society which was why women were the central theme of his literary works. His works influentially contributed to bring change in the conventional concepts in Egypt. Contrary to his literary works, he was a very conservative person and a strict husband and father in his own house.

He wrote more than 60 novels and collections of short stories. Of his novels, five were dramatized, nine were used as radio series scripts, ten had television miniseries adaptations, and 49 had film adaptations. His works have been translated to several foreign languages including English, French, German, Ukrainian, and Chinese.

Reviews

[Abdul Aziz Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love It, and I think you will too.

[ه · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 Great book! Conflicted feelings of the main character towards the end of the novel. Did she get what she deserved, sure. Please read this!

[Gillian K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two words: victim complex.

[Dede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was crazy never read a book with a main character that has this much of a complex, misunderstood, and overall crazy psyche. It’s incredibly well written as well, despite being a translated book. Ihsan’s writing is really good. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this book and its ability to frustrate and infuriate the reader especially with Nadia.

[adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

after reading this i am not sure if i support women’s wrongs anymore!!?! this book was a really fascinating character study. i was curious as to how nadia would grow as a character but she kind of just. doesn’t. which felt a little strange to me but i didn’t mind it once i finished.

[Reem Azar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, suspenseful, engaging, teenage angst enveloped in a traditional Egyptian society, where every thing is a secret.

[Far · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cant say it was a masterpiece but it defiantly had something that made me keep reading it.

[majda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not really sure how I should feel about this protagonist. She’s evil, yes, but I kind of feel bad for her. Just a little bit.

I really want to read this in Arabic though!

[youya · Rating 4 out of 5]

a favvv for sure , the craziness peaking thru