The Republic of False Truths

Praise

“The novel is filled with drama both historical and intimate . . . Full of surprises . . . Funny and even sweet in parts, but increasingly violent.”—Los Angeles Times

“The novel seethes . . . Mr. Al Aswany conveys the mixed lessons of the revolution.”—Wall Street Journal

“The Republic of False Truths is a lively record. Aswany pulls no punches”—Foreign Policy

“Brave, sobering, provocative, and thoroughly absorbing . . . A gripping chorus of voices . . . In today’s splintered and partisan political and media landscape, this is a stark lesson for democracies everywhere: Whomever controls the narrative, controls the outcomes.” —Booklist (starred)
 
“It goes places that no nonfiction account could . . . Sweeping, nuanced.”—Seattle Times

“Ambitious and hard-hitting.” —Kirkus Reviews

U.K.

“Masterly…Alaa Al Aswany’s novel puts him in the company of writers such as Joseph Conrad or Mario Vargas Llosa as an outstanding fictional confronter or authoritarianism.” —Sunday Times

“A glorious, humane novel.” —The Observer

“Blistering, bold…A multi-voiced work of elation and dispair.” —Financial Times

“A gorgeous novel…Moving…Al Aswany is a beautiful writer.” —The Independent
 
“Effervescent…An evocative and informed account of an important moment in Egyptian society…Exhilarating in its storytelling and devastating in its societal critique.” —Irish Times


France

“Extraordinary storyteller Alaa Al Aswany pulls off the great novel of the Egyptian revolution.”—Télérama

“A breathtaking and suspenseful novel, built like a saga and inhabited by splendid characters…It will move readers across the whole world.” —Le Point

“Al Aswany is a writer of great talent, a rare man whose courage is not merely literary.” —Le Figaro Littéraire

Denmark

“Totally phenomenal.” —Weekendavisen

“An exceptionally important account of the Arab Spring.” —Information

“A monumental piece of fiction.” —Literatursiden

Germany
 
“In literary terms, Al Aswany is at the summit.” —Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“Perhaps the greatest strength of this novel is that, despite its ruthless analysis of Egypt’s failed revolution, it never ignores the human aspect.” —DLF Büchermarkt

“In the tradition of epic realism, elevated to mastery by Naguib Mahfouz, Al Aswany presents the Egyptian revolution as a monumental drama of a failure…[The novel features] a cleverly balanced choreography of characters, an exciting plot, and long stretches of reading pleasure. It’s a film in words.” —Badische Zeitung