The Hedgehog

My mother went to visit our neighbor, Umm Bahaa, but refused to take me with her, on the pretext that women visit women and men visit men. So she left me alone, promising not to be gone more than a few minutes. I told my cat I was going to strangle her, but she paid no attention and continued grooming herself with her tongue. Thus we meet the five-year-old narrator of "The Hedgehog", who introduces us to his world: his house (with the djinn girl who lives in his bedroom), his garden (where he wishes to be a tree), and his best friend the black stone wall. This tightly told novella confirms that Zakaria Tamer remains at the height of his powers. The short stories that follow were first published in the collection "Tigers on the Tenth Day". Economical and controlled, they deal with man's inhumanity to man (and to woman) and showcase the author's typical sharply satirical style.

ISBN 9774162552   Pages 168 ISBN13 9789774162558 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher The American University in Cairo Press   Weight (grammes) 250 Imprint The American University in Cairo Press   Published in Cairo Format Hardback   Height (mm) 212 Publication date 15 May 2009   Width (mm) 135 Translator Brian O'Rourke, Denys Johnson-Davies   Spine width (mm) 12 DEWEY 892.736   Academic level General DEWEY edition DC22

		The Hedgehog		1
		Short Stories
		Summer		45
		Small Sun		50
		Death of a Dagger		57
		Tigers on the Tenth Day		63
		A Summary of What Happened to Muhammad al-Mahmoudi		68
		Sun for the Young		72
		Snow at the End of the Night		76
		The Family		84
		The Stale Loaf		87
		The Water's Crime		93
		A Lone Woman		97
		The Enemy		102
		Hasan as a King		105
		City in Ashes		108
		Nothing		114
		Sheep		122
		An Angry Man		126
		The Face of the Moon		129
		Genghis Khan		135
		The Day Genghis Khan Became Angry		139
		Room with Two Beds		143
		No Raincloud for the Trees, No Wings above the Mountain		147
		Death of the Black Hair		150
		The Smile		153
		Death of the Jasmine		155
		The Ancient Gate		159
		My Final Adventure		162

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