Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf book club! During the month of June, we are reading God Dies by the Nile by Nawal el Saadawi. This book was originally written in Arabic. The copy I am using was translated by Sherif Hetata and published by Zed Books Ltd. El Saadawi was an author, feminist, activist, and physician born along the banks of the Nile. She rose to the position of Egypt's Director of Public Health but was dismissed from her post in response to the publishing of her book, Women and Sex in 1972. She founded the Arab Women's Solidarity Association and co-founded the Arab Association for Human Rights. Although she was fluent in English, she made a point of writing in Arabic before allowing her work to be translated because of the connections between the English and French languages and the "colonial, capitalist, racist, patriarchal mindset of the super-powers." She passed away in Cairo in 2021 at the age of 89.
God Dies by the Nile is a work of fiction which discusses the intersections of oppression, race, gender, colonialism, religion, and the exploitation of power through the story of Zakeya and her family of poor farmers living in a small, rural village along the banks of the Nile. If you are having trouble finding this book at a library or bookstore near you, it is available as an ebook (including an edition for people with print-related disabilities) through InternetArchive or as an audiobook through OpenLibrary. WorldCat and LibraryLink are also useful tools for searching for the nearest library that carries this book.
I'll check back in throughout the month with prompts to help us discuss this book. In the meantime, happy reading! If you've read this book before, I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments.
Discussion Prompt 1:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf book club! During the month of June, we have been reading God Dies by the Nile by Nawal el Saadawi. This book is a work of fiction which discusses the intersections of oppression, race, gender, colonialism, religion, and the exploitation of power through the story of Zakeya and her family of poor farmers living in a small, rural village along the banks of the Nile. Today's discussion prompt is as follows:
Image Description: The front cover of God Dies by the Nile by Nawal el Saadawi. The author's name is in large, black text at the top of the cover. "Author of Woman at Point Zero is written under it in small, green text. The book title is written in medium, black text above an abstract illustration of a woman's face with straight, black hair, a long nose, and red lips. Her head rests on a folded arm. Below the image is a quote from Women's Review: "A graceful classic."
In God Dies by the Nile, el Saadawi uses the third person omnicient point of view, showing the inner thoughts and motivations of each character as well as their actions, even actions done in secret. El Saadawi's decision to do this is undoubtedly intentional and calculated. In a book like this, which highlights the abuses of women in a small Egyptian village, why is it important to lay the thoughts and actions of every character bare through the use of this writing style? What does it do for the story and for the person reading it?
Discussion Prompt 2:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf book club! During the month of June, we have been reading God Dies by the Nile by Nawal el Saadawi. This book is a work of fiction which discusses the intersections of oppression, race, gender, colonialism, religion, and the exploitation of power through the story of Zakeya and her family of poor farmers living in a small, rural village along the banks of the Nile. Today's discussion prompt is as follows:
In God Dies by the Nile, el Saadawi discusses the corruption of powerful men and the words, deeds, and thoughts of men who are in close proximity to the powerful. Why is it important to show the inner workings not only of the powerful, but also the people who are near it?
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