Recently, the Angry Arab was dismayed about the continued ban in Egypt of Najib Mahfuz's "Awlad Haratina". The book may not be published in Egypt, but Dar al-Adab's printing is on sales there. I am not sure how accurate is the Angry Arab's statement about "the Book burners of al-Azhar"

The author is partially to blame over this. At one point, Mahfuz denied the obvious, namely that his novel is allegorical. Later he said as much as "if the ban on the publishing of the book in Egypt is for the good of the country, I welcome it."

I don't think of Awlad Haratina as his best work (the Trilogy and Zuqaq al-Midaq are more superior) or his worst (Liyali alf Laylah or Amam al-3Arsh both contorted and self indulgent)