"A huge cloud surges all over existence, plunging through space. Everything pulses with a strange cosmic presence. Nothing like it has ever been, breaking living beings down into their basic elements, menacing all with destruction - or perhaps a new creation."
"The Seventh Heaven" was described as a collection of supernatural stories, mostly set in contemporary Egypt. Naguib Mahfouz didn't indicate a year, which would reveal a particular period in Egyptian history. I would suspect that the author believed his homeland's downfall happened a long time ago. It might be Cleopatra's death, which marked the annexation of Egypt to the Roman Empire. Mahfouz, the first Arab Nobel laureate in literature, still loved Egypt to pieces without comparing his Motherland to the other civilizations of antiquity. All mighty communities have their humble origins in the riverbanks, and a certain character would rise above the crowd and transform a small community into an empire. The reasons behind its decline and demise would be the same, more or less.
Mahfouz's collection seemed to be told in a dreamlike trance, which would make modern-day Egypt more bearable to look at. Patriotism wouldn't be a matter of choice, and artists like Mahfouz might be hoping to live long before they saw Egypt reclaim its long-lost glory. It wouldn't happen before they passed away.
Some shorts went like a breeze, while others made me have another look. Here's a short list:
The Disturbing Occurrences. It reminded me of "Witness for the Prosecution", but Mahfouz didn't acknowledge Agatha Christie. It might be a coincidence. Then again, it was impossible for the likes of Mahfouz not to be curious about English literature. (And British authors in particular.) Inhabitants of Cairo's al-Khalifa quarter have conflicting accounts of a certain Makram Abd al-Qayyum, who may (or may not) be responsible for the horrific incidents in that area. The narrator, a police officer in charge of investigating these occurrences, had the gut feeling that Mr. Makram was THE man. Alas, he doesn't have substantial evidence (to file a charge against him). In an ironic twist, the narrator was made a scapegoat (and resigned from his post). The loopholes in the case prompted him to study law, and Mr. Makram hired him (to be part of his legal team). The author would imply three things: Justice would favor the ones with deep pockets. Different people have different perceptions, and the sum won't be enough at times. There would be little hope for the current generation of Egyptians. The last could leave a bad sting.
Forgetfulness. Some have the ability to have dream telepathy, while others could foresee into the distant future. This short described how a well-to-do man dreamed of witnessing a road accident. He couldn't tell if he would be the victim. The same vision appeared (during his unconscious state) twice, and he was too late to acknowledge it. Mahfouz wouldn't tell much except two things: There would be some things in this world that need to be explained in great detail; and it would be better that these things be left unsaid.
The Haunted Woods. The desert would be Egypt's vision of paradise, while the oasis could be hell in disguise. This was the message of this hair-raising short tale, which left me scratching my head. Did Mahfouz survive the desert? Did he have nightmarish visions? If he didn't do it at all, then this may be an old wives' tale.
The Only Man. Satan was the narrator of this short story, but don't let it frightened you. Mahfouz would describe how Satan's attempts to tempt a virtuous judge fell flat many times, which would leave his wife and children resentful of his good ways. The path to righteousness may be hard, but it was the only way. I don't think Mahfouz wasn't suggesting something about Christianity, but some (Christian) readers would take this short with a grain of salt. In this post-9/11 era, they couldn't be faulted for this mindset.
The Rose Garden. This was a delightfully wicked tale, yet I would suspect Mahfouz didn't intend it. A corpse was uncovered, and there was no lead. No one could think that a police officer, who was investigating the case, would be behind it. The dead man's spirit made sure that he won't forget it. Justice could be served in mysterious ways.
