In An Antique Land

The Story

Ghosh begins his account in Lataifa, the little Egyptian village where he stationed himself as an Oxford University graduate student in anthropology. Doctor Aly Issa; a professor at the University of Alexandria, has brought Ghosh to the home of Abu-'Ali, and it is there that he rents a room during his stay in Egypt. Ghosh does not especially relish living there, since Abu-'Ali, in his mid-fifties, is a somewhat overbearing small-businessman. In fact, Ghosh describes him as “profoundly unlovable” (23), but recognises him as someone who prompts a rather fearful respect from the villagers. After a while, Dr. Issa arranges for Ghosh to move out of Lataifa to Nashawy, a larger town.

Another of the major players in the village is Shaikh Musa, also in his mid-fifties, who runs a government-subsidised shop for retailing essential commodities at controlled prices. Ahmed and Jabir are his sons; Sakkina, their age, is Shaikh Musa's second wife (as Ghosh awkwardly discovers). She is the daughter of Ustaz (“teacher”) Mustapha; and is Abu-'Ali's great grand-niece. The names begin to proliferate; and the reader begins to experience the disorientation that must have been Ghosh's, as well. As things develop, Mustapha – and a good many other people – seems to be interested in converting Ghosh to Islam.