FIRST published in Arabic in 2000 as “Tuyur Al Ambar,” Ibrahim Abdel Meguid’s latest novel, set in Alexandria, has now been translated into English. Alexandria has always been a holiday resort during the hot summer months for Egyptians, especially Cairenes, as well as foreigners. Its unique location on the Mediterranean Sea and its rich history have understandably inspired many authors, both Egyptian and non-Egyptian. Who wouldn’t immediately think of Durrell’s celebrated quartet set in the city?
Ibrahim Abdel Meguid was born in Alexandria and published his first novel after graduating with a BA in Philosophy from the University of Alexandria. He was awarded the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature for his novel, “The Other Place” published by the AUC Press in 1997. Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz, a Nobel Prize winner, who also set one of his novels “Miramar” in Alexandria considers Ibrahim Abdel Meguid one of Egypt’s major authors.
Unlike Lawrence Durrell who focused mainly on foreign communities living in Alexandria, Abdel Meguid uses Egyptian Alexandrians in his novels. This began with “No One Sleeps in Alexandria,” published by the AUC Press in 1999, which is set during the World War II. It continues with “Birds of Amber” which takes place during and after the 1956 Suez War — or the Tripartite Aggression as it is known in Egypt. Both novels include a strong blend of documentary and fiction.“ In the novels, I tried to show how Alexandria has changed — how it was and how it is today. All the events in the book have had a profound effect on the city’s inhabitants. Alexandria is another city today,“ explained Abdel Meguid.
In the first chapters of “Birds of Amber,” the reader is forced to jump between so many characters that it becomes difficult to follow the story. At the same time, it is equally difficult not to fall in with the book’s formidable movement which carries the reader steadily through to the end. It is soon clear that the book does not reflect a city or a country but a series of layers, like a fingerprint of memories echoing centuries of foreign invasions that have created a unique multi-cultural way of life. “Alexandria is a city beloved by its invaders and also a city that loves its invaders. Alexandria has a big heart,” says Sulayman, one of the novel’s main characters. The novel records, through the minds and eyes of ordinary working-class and middle-class Egyptians, the abrupt end of the city’s cosmopolitan nature. As the government began to implement a nationalization program, foreigners began to leave Alexandria, taking with them much of the city’s unique character.
The novel’s tone is bitter-sweet, humorous, ironic, sad, nostalgic and even, in one instance, hilariously funny. It teems with characters and each one is described in a memorable way. Khayr Al-Din, suffering with tuberculosis, explains in his own words the meaning of love: “One glance from her in winter makes you feel warm all over and a glance in summer makes you feel as if you’ve drunk a whole pitcher of carob drink from Bab Sharq. “And when Abdel Meguid brings to life the crowds of people clogging the working-class neighborhoods during the Eid celebrations, the reader is drawn into their midst; it’s surrealistic and yes, pure magic! “Their loud voices filled the air with laughter, jokes and a cacophony from percussion instruments… There were middle-aged men and women, young men and women, boys and girls and children, wearing all kinds and manner of dress — gallabiyas, dresses, shorts, trousers, shirts, caftans, and pajamas. Some were barefoot; others wore sandals, shoes, or slippers. They had white, black and ruddy complexions. They had eyes that were black, green, blue, and honey-colored and heads of hair that were black, blond, brown, white and gray. They were tall and short, thin and fat and slow; a wondrous mix and a ceaseless chaos. The cars and taxis honked loudly and proceeded at a tortoise pace through the midst of this sea of humanity.“
When I asked the author to explain the meaning of the novel’s title, his answer also gave me a clue to his own final message. Abdel Meguid explained that the bird of amber was a mythical bird found in the Maldives and an Alexandrian perfume merchant sailed to the Maldives to trap this precious bird of amber. When he reached the islands, he built a house and waited for the bird of amber which never came. Finally one day, strong waves came along and swept him away in the ocean. “A bird of amber means that there is no hope,” says Abdel Meguid. I asked him if he felt there was no hope left for the characters of the book. “Several characters in this novel are mythical like the bird of amber. Some of the others are able to keep their hopes alive and others fail,“ he concluded.
