Vertigo Report

Vertigo, the thriller by Ahmed Mourad, came out in Egypt in 2007. It was a bestseller, which is saying something in the Arab World where reading fiction is not as popular as it is in Europe, for example. Curious, I added it to my to-read list, and just finished it. We had a group discussion here with the MENA Lit Group on Goodreads. Marcia Lynx Qualey (of Arablit.org) moderated, and English translator Robin Moger contributed.

This novel’s broad appeal can be attributed at least in part to the plot and the style. The plot: an everyman character stands up against corruption, representing a network much bigger than any single individual.

The style reminds me of that of American John Grisham. It is close to television scripts in language (incorporating 3ammiyya spoken language and familiar turns of phrase). I’m not at all bothered by the presence of cliches: one person’s cliche is another’s lovable street talk. The primary purpose of this book is entertainment, which I certainly value. I would recommend this book to both native speakers and learners of Arabic who are looking for a thriller about the search for ‘the good life’ in the midst of corruption and crime in contemporary Egypt.

I read the book in Arabic on the kotobi app.