Mark Rizk Farag > Recent Status Updates

As a 'Moor' myself, the fact we get no mention in the book until it's time for the white men to plan grotesque violence against a 'Moorish' woman is kind of disgusting.

Also, are we supposed to relate to the main character who is devoid of passion, personality and morals?

Genuine nonsense so far? Am I missing something?

It seems that the second half of Maalouf's books struggle to focus on the characters of the first half, and inevitably descend into a grand sociopolitical plot (which isn't very good story telling).

Muhammad Ali Pasha 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Me: I need some hope

Pope Shenouda: don't worry about God never forgiving you for all the horrible things you've done

Me: I wasn't really thinking about that

Also me: now I'm thinking about that

What a petty patriarch 😂😂😂

Similar to historical accounts of Copts, it's interesting that influential Lebanese Christians threatened to convert to Islam or Western Christianity if spurned (in the story anyway).

Interesting setting, strange plot thus far...

I had no idea Uncle Fyodor's love life was so tragic. But what else can you expect from the guy who wrote White Nights!

So fascinating so far.

Getting stuck in a blizzard and feeling an intense hatred for Leo Tolstoy (who wrote about making it out of a blizzard) is hilarious 😂😂😂😂

I often wonder why Bulgakov isn't as highly regarded as Chekhov, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy...

Something about Tolstoy's writing style really bores me 😭

Whether it is feeling the presence of dead relatives, the presence of God in thr liturgy, or his absence, or first love, Tolstoy describes the spiritual so wellm

Brilliant mix of informative and funny. Really appreciate the dad specific information and advice.

Tim Vivian is excellent at writing about Egyptian Desert Fathers 👌🏽

Never would have dreamed that a story about bird fighting could have had me so invested!

I love that the stories are written by, and focus on a Native Hawai'in perspective.

The amount of pain and intergenerational trauma channeled into this book....

The mix of historical fiction, Blackfeet mythos and violent horror make this so deeply compelling.

'In essence, neocolonial society and colonial society do not differ in the least. Thus, we saw the colonial administration replaced by a neocolonial administration identical to it in every repect. The colonial army was replaced by a neocolonial army with the same characteristics, the same functions, and the same role of safeguarding the interests of imperialism and its national allies...'

Somewhat similar to 'The Consolations of Philosophy' by Boethius, inasmuch as the author has lost power, status, influence, comfort, friends and family and is seeking consolation and understanding. The difference of course being that Chrysostom focuses on faith as opposed to philosophy.

Thought I'd be put off by the 'horror' aspect but loving this so far. Weirdly reminds me Quentin Tarrantino.

For cultural invasion to succeed it is essential that those invaded become conivinced of their intrinsic inferiority. Since everything has its opposite, if those who are invaded consider themselves inferior, hey must necessarily recognize the superiority of the invaders The values of the latter thereby become the pattern for the former...'

Very compelling and unique prose and perspective so far!

Shout out to Keir Starmer's Labour Party lmao:

'In a situation of manipulation, the Left is almost always tempted by a "quick return to power," forgets the necessity of joining with the oppressed to forge an organization, and strays into an impossible "dialogue" with the dominant elites. It ends by being manipulated by these elites, and not infrequently itself falls into an elitist game, which it calls "realism."

The idea that revolutionary leaders must maintain their links and dialogue with the people, and that education must be revolutionary is very interesting. It runs in stark contrast to 'revolutionary' leaders like Gaddafi and Abdel Nasser, who were ostensibly leftists but seem to have lost their link to the common people and run very autocratic education systems.

',For the Master is not outmatched by the difficulty of these things, even if everything is brought to the verge of destruction. For he is able to raise up those who have fallen, and to set aright those who have gone astray, and to correct those who have been ensnared, and to set free and make righteous those who have been filled with a multitude of sins, and to give life to those who are dead... '