Status Updates From Sandpiper

'Melody' & 'The Water-Heater' stand out from the 4 i've read so far; captivating plotlines, interesting perspectives & a key disturbing emotional twist–in comparison I found 'Sandpiper' narratively flat & stationary, 'Chez Milou' hard to follow w/ SO many characters/relationships/time shifts

Soueif writes such tantalsing English prose as a female Egyptian writer (vs translated El Saadawi & Rifaat; Helal's poetry)

The sea unceasingly shifts and stirs and sends out fingers, paws, tongues to probe the shore. Each wave coming in is different. It separates itself from the vast, moving blue, rises and surges forward with a low growl, lightening as it approaches to a pale green, then turns over to display the white frill that slides like a thousand snakes down upon itself, breaks and skitters up the sandbank.