Maryam’s Maze

A Modern Arabic Novel from Egypt
By Mansoura Ez Eldin

Maryam’s Maze is an enigmatic novel by one of the most promising authors of a vibrant new generation of Egyptian writers. Set in the house of Yusuf el Tagi, Maryam’s Maze relates the story of a woman struggling to find her way through the confusion of the world around her. Using the literary device of the ‘double,’ Maryam’s Maze narrates a story that on one level touches on universal human emotions, while on another level the inner maze of dreams and memories in which the young Maryam finds herself stirs greater resonance in issues of modern Egyptian life. Echoing themes found in her earlier short fiction, Mansoura Ez Eldin has woven a haunting allegorical tale that reveals its true meaning to the reader only at the end. With its precision of language and distinctive personal vision, Maryam’s Maze represents a unique contribution to the corpus of contemporary Egyptian fiction.

Mansoura Ez Eldin was born in the Egyptian Delta and graduated with a degree in journalism from Cairo University in 1998. She has published a collection of short stories, and presently runs the book review section of the literary magazine Akhbar al-adab. Maryam’s Maze is her first novel.

Paul Starkey is head of the Arabic Department at the University of Durham, England. He has published widely in the field of modern Arabic literature and was co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature (1998). He is the translator of Edwar al-Kharrat’s Stones of Bobello (AUC Press, 2005) and Mahdi Isa al-Saqr’s East Winds, West Winds (AUC Press, 2009).