The Yacoubian Building is definitely one of my favourite books. First published in 2002 - it was translated into English in 2004 - the book is a portrait of modern Egypt. Using the lives of the residents of the Yacoubian Building as the vehicle, the author- Ali Al Aswani- weaves a tale incorporating Islamic extremism, vote-rigging, corruption, police brutality, secret second marriages and homosexuality.
It is a book of intense realism and very beautifully written.
The Yacoubian Building really exists in Cairo (you can see a picture below) and it is located in central Cairo.
Recently a movie has been made out of the book and I know that it has been a success in the Arab world.
Pic 1. The Yacoubian Building
Pic 2. The Book
Pics from the movie
You can see a trailer of the movie here
