Chicago

Histology, the study of tissues, is said to be fundamental for recognizing all diseases and thus the possibility of their treatment, as mentioned in Chicago, the new novel by Alaa al-Aswani. What could be more fitting than to set a novel that showcases all possible intercultural behavior patterns—both "healthy" and "sick"—in a histology institute? Alaa al-Aswani chooses the one at the University of Chicago, where he himself earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. A colorful group gathers there: men and women, Americans and Egyptians, students and faculty. They love Egypt and despise the USA, or vice versa, and they cope with the foreignness in varying degrees. Yet, the shadow of the Egyptian state follows them in the form of the intelligence apparatus. They have always suspected it. They gain certainty with the arrival of a high-profile visitor from the Nile.