Globalisation is a dubious concept, rife with dangers and contradictions.
It is, however, paradoxically an instantly engaging read. It invites as much speculation on the meaning and value of being Egyptian at the turn of the 21st century as it does on the thin line that separates popular literary appeal from mediocrity. This, it should be emphasised, is the same line that separates a writer's commendable sense of belonging to a culture from his unjustified profession of possessing spurious popular wisdom, which invariably finds expression in that culture's most banal symbols and representations. The novel's readability largely derives from Ibrahim's sensational plot, an uninspired take on the typical detective novel that nonetheless manages to be unpredictable. The action proceeds through a framework of multiple viewpoints, and, in this, frustratingly, not only facts but also their interpretations are repeated by different characters.