The pleasure of reading is not complete, I think, until one finds a list of books that he considers the most beautiful that he has read, and dedicates to them a prominent and ostentatious shelf in his library, or he may be afraid and push them to a hidden inner shelf, or he goes further and keeps them outside his entire library if he wants to protect them from curious hands The voyeur, of course a lot!
It may happen that one, contrary to what is expected, seeks to postpone reading another work by the same writer, despite his longing for it. his current book.
To the extent that one surrounds this group with generous care as if it were a hidden treasure, the more he liked to talk about it whenever he was able to do so. It is pure pleasure when one of these addresses happens to be mentioned in front of him, and his eyes may sparkle like lovers, whether he is a listener or a speaker. I remember how a friend put his hand on the left side of his chest when he passed by mentioning the works of the Hungarian novelist Agota Kristof, and I don't blame him, of course! Perhaps one of these readers goes to each new book with the hope that the reader will contain what he might raise to be a new member in the list of favorite books, but he often addresses any reading disappointment by returning to that list and re-reading one of its titles with renewed pleasure.
From one person to another, the reasons that determine the form and nature of the list vary, but they are necessarily and ultimately very subjective, that is, they touched in one something that belongs to him that is more than the book, such as being his first reading, or came at a specific time, or answered an urgent question, Or it dispels bewilderment or a dark feeling, or leaves behind an unforgettable pleasure. The two things may happen together, so the attachment to a book on its quality is something like consensus, in addition to the subjective aspect of it. I do not know if it is possible for there to be an amendment to that list, such as a title leaving it with the passage of time and the maturity of the individual, or a change in his mood and view of himself and life. The idea seems logical and plausible, but on the other hand it scratches the individual's relationship with his memory, or with himself, which he yearns for at a different time.
It may happen that one, contrary to what is expected, seeks to postpone reading another work by the same writer, despite his eagerness to do so. On the one hand, he is still under the influence of the overwhelming feeling of the book he read, and on the other hand, he fears that the new book will not have the same effect, thus disturbing the situation in which he lives with his current book.
When I go through my favorite list, the story series "The City of Infinite Walls" by the Egyptian Tarek Imam, issued by the Egyptian Lebanese House in 2018, comes out in about 260 pages. I loved this book because I did not forget the feeling that accompanied me while reading it from its first page to its end. It was a mixture of joy, surprise, and even sadness, when I suddenly realized that all that beauty had an end, even though I was scarce in passing through the pages and trying to absorb every sentence in them to the end because the writing was pure, intelligent and deep. I remember how I used to close the book every time to contemplate the written and drink it, how the stories shook me in terms of their genius and their high sensitivity to language and content. This habit, the habit of closing the book and stopping repeatedly at its content, is almost a feature of all the books on my list.
I loved the book because I was very surprised by Tariq Imam's ability to be so generous and creative over 260 pages, containing dozens of short stories.
But the writing here was flowing upwards non-stop against all the ordinary.
It is, therefore, one of the few beautiful times in which abundance achieves the highest value, and not scarcity according to the known law.
This book, like a list of favorite books, has given me the opportunity to have a permanent and ready answer for anyone who is looking for a beautiful book with me.
I say City of Infinite Walls with confidence, which always grows when a new lover joins this work as soon as he reads it on my advice.
That is why my conviction has become that Tariq Imam's book is as self-containing as an explanation of my attachment to it. Many readers share that love with me, and perhaps more.