Sugar Street discussion

Will this book make sense if I read it without having read the first two books in the trilogy? I picked it up in a bookshop somewhere, can't remember why I skipped over the first two (not in stock?) Should I read now or wait until I get my hands on the others?

Hi Serene --
I don't know if it's too late to answer this (I only just saw your message), but I've read the whole trilogy and I think you must read all three, starting with Palace Walk. The reason is that the personalities of the family members change over time. Part of the power of the trilogy lies in the chronicle of that change, and Sugar Street is best understood and enjoyed if you know what the family members were like during the first two books.

Not too late as it's still sitting on my bookshelf, unread. Thanks for your comments. I'll try to get a hold of Palace Walk then (as soon as I read the other books piled up on my end table. :)

It is essential to read the the three parts of the trilogy, as part of the work deals with TIME and the deep marks it leaves on all the characters, in fact some critics say that Time is the true hero of many of Mahfouz's novels.

I agree. Read them in order.