Azazeel

Azazeel by Youssef Ziedan

Set in the 5th century AD, Azazeel is the exquisitely crafted tale of a Coptic monk's journey from Upper Egypt to Alexandria and then Syria during a time of massive upheaval in the early Church. The monk, Hypa, embarks on a journey both physical and spiritual, encountering, the devil, Azazeel, and the hardship of severe temptation. At times able to resist, while at others bending to the strengths of his desire, Hypa learns that physical pleasure and spiritual enlightenment can be two sides of the same coin. Winner of the Arab Booker Prize, Azazeel highlights how the history of our civilization has been warped by greed and avarice since its very beginnings and how one man's beliefs are challenged not only by the malice of the devil, but by the corruption with the early Church. In sparse and often sparkling prose that reflects the arid beauty of the Syrian landscape, Azazeel is a novel that forces us to re-think many of our long-held beliefs and invites us to rediscover a lost history.

An utterly absorbing readThe vividly observed historical and geographical setting provides fascinating proof of how East and West were already clashing within Christianity more than 1,500 years ago. -- James Walton * Spectator *
Azazeel takes 5th century quarrels in the Coptic Church as the ground for an ambitious investigation into good and evil, faith and doubt. -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *
A believably human and universal tale of a man, racked with doubt and temptation, on a journey to find himself... the writing is unflashy and sincere, neatly matching the monasticism at the book's heart. * Observer *
In Jonathan Wright's supple translation there are memorable passages, from a monkey shaking dry dates from a palm, to the perilous pleasure of swimming in the buoyant sea rather than the crocodile-infested Nile... [the novel's] strength lies in its ingenuous narrator and the resonant play of ideas... Ziedan explores humane views of sexual passion and women's learning, and exposes violence perpetrated in the name of dogma. As for dogma, the novel suggests how seemingly immutable doctrines are shaped by the beliefs they purport to leave behind. -- Maya Jaggi * Guardian *
An astonishing feat of imaginative fiction... Azazeel might be the most compelling and inventive novel published this year. A triumph. * Irish Examiner *
An unusually powerful work of historical fiction with a memorable and engaging protagonist -- Nick Rennison * BBC History Magazine *
An original, profound and shocking book * Metro *

Youssef Ziedan is an Egyptian scholar who specializes in Arabic and Islamic studies. He is a university professor, a public lecturer, a columnist and a prolific author of more than fifty books.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781848874275
ISBN 10	1848874278
Title	Azazeel
Author	Youssef Ziedan
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Atlantic Books
Year published	2012-04-01
Number of pages	320
Prizes	Winner of International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2009
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable