In the following essay, El-Enany examines the East-West theme in two Idris stories, “Madame Vienna” and New York 80 in order to discuss his “preoccupation with this theme at various stages in his career.”

In the following essay, Allen traces Idris's development as a short fiction writer and assesses his contribution to modern Arabic fiction.

In the following essay, Mikhail finds parallels in the portrayal of sex and love in the short stories of Idris and Naguib Mahfouz.

In the following essay, Salti elucidates the sociopolitical implications of Idris's depiction of homosexuality in A Leader of Men.

In the following essay, Kurpershoek traces the development of the short story genre in Egypt and locates Idris's place within that tradition.

In the following essay, Kirecci contends that “Innocence” and “19502” “strongly reflect the author's perception of Egyptian political life.”

In the following essay, Wise investigates the Islamic influence on Idris's short fiction.

In the following essay, Mikhail offers a thematic and stylistic examination of Idris's short fiction.

In the following essay, Allen maintains that Idris's short fiction effectively conveys his social and political concerns, especially his focus on the urban poor.

In the following essay, Cobham examines the theme of sex in Qā'al-Madīna, contending that Idris “discusses sex because it is such an important part of the differences in culture between different social groups, not for the sake of his own erotic fantasies.”

In the following essay, Somekh considers acoustic and rhythmic elements of Idris's short stories.

In the following essay, which was originally published in 1989, al-Naja considers the main thematic concerns of Vision at Fault.

In the following essay, Somekh explores how silence plays a key structural role in “House of Flesh.”

In the following essay, Cohen offers a psychoanalytical interpretation of “The Journey.”

In the following essay, Elkhadem views Idris's treatment of homosexuality in “Abû al-Rijâl” as pioneering.

In the following essay, Crofoot argues that by examining the rhythm of three Idris stories—“Summer's Night,” “Daood,” and “Sunset March”—illustrates “how consciousness or a sense of self depends on the interplay of the body and discourse.”

In the following review, Allen asserts that the publication of an English translation of A Leader of Men “is of great benefit to students of modern Arabic and especially Egyptian fiction.”

In the following review, Boullata provides a reading of the story “Abû al-Rijâl.”