Point of View

Naguib Mahfouz's novel Miramar uses four first-person versions to provide a complex and detailed vision of a single chain of events. Each of the narrators, Amer Wagdi, Hosny Allam, Mansour Bahy, and Sarhan al-Beheiry tells his own independent version, reflecting unique perspectives created by age, social standing, and occupation. Two discuss side issues that simultaneously complicate and clarify the main narrative. Each comments on all of the other personalities and the central events, particularly the soirée held on the occasion of singer Umm Kulthum's radio concert. They all agree that politics are an unavoidable subject but everyone shies away from speaking too clearly, for fear of spies.

The younger narrators universally dismiss octogenarian Amer Wagdi and the somewhat less ancient Tolba Marzuq, whose views and attitudes are seen only through others' eyes. When given a chance by the history-oriented Mansour, Amer is an attractive character...