A few weeks ago, up-and-coming writer Omnia Fawzy celebrated the launch of her first book, Etgawezni, Shokran (‘Marry Me, Thank You’). A book-signing took place at Zamalek’s Diwan book store.
The book begins with the author describing a sunny afternoon at the club, where she overhears two girls chatting about how hard it’s become to get married over the last ten years.
Fawzy then goes back 20 years and reminisces over the love story, engagement and marriage of the book’s protagonist, Ghadeer, an upper-middle-class woman in her early twenties. She lives in Alexandria with her family of four, which is headed by her mother. The father is a quiet and passive man, overtaken by his controlling wife. Her brother’s character, however, remains ambiguous.
The mother forcefully introduces her daughter to the world of arranged marriages. Details about her family, friends and social circle–along with the French words that she casually uses in conversation–imply she’s from a wealthy family.
After a few awkward meetings with would-be grooms, Ghadeer meets Khaled–her knight in shining armor–at a Rotaract event in Maamoura. Khaled is a handsome, half-Yugoslav stud living in Cairo. A few months later, Khaled proposes, and the messy fiesta of fatha, engagement, trousseau, furniture and wedding begins.
For more than a year, the young couple struggles with their respective families–and the world–to reach the long awaited day. The love birds finally get married and the author bids her readers farewell with a promise to meet again in her next book, Tala’ani, Shokran (‘Divorce Me, Thank You’)!
In terms of cover design, Etgawezni, Shokran is highly unsuccessful. The book cover, depicting the luscious, glossy lips of a woman accompanied by a thought balloon reading “Marry Me, Thank You,” deploys the aesthetics of the world of Abeer and Zohour –cheesy love stories from the 80s. Furthermore, the text font is way too small and hurts the eyes.
After an uninteresting introduction about the main topic of the book and the author/protagonist–who seem to be the same person–Ghadeer moves on to her first groom-to-be. A series of disasters follow, in which she dumps–and gets dumped by–random strangers, some of whom she had envisioned as potential hubbies.
Etgawezni, Shokran is clearly derived from Ana Ayza Atgawez (“I Want to Get Married”) by Ghada Abdel Aal, which was made into a television series and screened on Egyptian television during last Ramadan. Abdel Aal seems to have unintentionally inspired a new genre of “I’m-single-and-frustrated” books, with which readers are now bombarded on an almost monthly basis.
It is, nevertheless, admirable that Fawzy admits that Etgawezni, Shokran was inspired by the success of Abdel Aal’s book. It was hard for readers to sympathize with the evil protagonist of Ana Ayza Atgawez, Ola, who came off as a desperate, frustrated bridezilla. Ghadeer, by contrast, is a naive, sweet and helpless young girl, who finally finds her way to happiness–or at least temporary fulfillment.
Etgawezni, Shokran is a good story for passing time on a train or plane. One cannot deny that the title of Fawzy’s upcoming book, “Divorce Me, Thank You” is provocative. It will be sure to readers of the first book, who will want to know how the story ends. But on a scale from one to ten, Etgawezni, Shokran comes in at no more than a six.
