Description
Book SynopsisTucked away in a rundown quarter, just out of sight of downtown Cairo, a group of intellectuals gather regularly to smoke hashish in Hakeem’s den. The den is the center of their lives, both a refuge and a stimulus, and at the center of the den is the remarkable man who keeps their hashish bowls topped up—Rowdy Salih. While his former life is a mystery to his loyal clientele of writers, painters, film directors, and even window dressers, each sees himself reflected in Salih; but without his humor, humility, or insight, or his occasional passions fueled by hootch. And when the nation has to face its own demons during the peace initiative of the 1970s, it is Rowdy Salih who speaks for them all. This is a comic novel with a broken heart, very like Salih himself, whose warm rough voice calls out long after we have recovered from the novel’s painful conclusion.
Trade Review“The Hashish Waiter has action and plot aplenty. It is also a fascinating visit to a world about which the Michelin Green Guide has been sadly silent.”—Rain Taxi
“An entertaining read as well as a new—old lens on life in contemporary Egypt."—M. Lynx Qualey, Al-Masry Al-Youm
“The Hashish Waiter, the third of Shalaby’s novels to appear in English translation, showcases the author’s brilliant storytelling, his humor and his gift for portraying a broad spectrum of Egyptian life including that of 'the street' and the marginalized. The translation by Adam Talib is zesty and enjoyable; Talib is resourceful in rendering into English the author’s rich prose style peppered with dialect, slang and hashish-related jargon.”—Banipal Magazine
