El Hakim: Roman iz egipatskog života

1,490 El Hakim is a thrilling and moving novel about life, ambition, and identity, set in Egypt in the first half of the 20th century. Swiss writer John Knittel (1891–1970) masterfully tells the story of Ibrahim, a boy of Coptic origin who grew up in extreme poverty along the banks of the Nile. From an early age, he carries within him the dream of becoming a hakim – a doctor and healer – and, despite all social and material obstacles, with incredible willpower, he makes his way to medical school in Cairo and further to European metropolises.

The novel follows his dramatic rise from the poor streets and villages, through the struggle with disease, ignorance, and colonial society, to the glittering salons of London and Paris, where he becomes a sought-after doctor in high society. But success also brings difficult questions: can a man remain true to himself when the world begins to celebrate him? What is the price paid by those who break away from their world?

Knittel paints the Egypt of that time with great vividness - the contrast between old and new, East and West, rich and poor. The novel is full of emotional love stories, internal conflicts and deep humanism. El Hakim is not only a story about success, but also about the price of that success, about love, loyalty and returning to the roots.

The book will especially delight fans of classic novels about strong personalities and exotic cultures (with a similar atmosphere to the works of Knut Hamsun or Pearl S. Buck). Dynamic style, rich description and universal theme make El Hakim a novel that can be read in one breath and remembered for a long time.