First published in Arabic in 1933, Return of the Spirit is a foundational work of modern Egyptian literature, combining domestic comedy, social observation and political awakening in a portrait of Egypt on the brink of revolution.

Centred on a young man, Muhsin, and the extended household in which he lives, Al-Hakim moves between the intimate and the national, allowing the tensions of a single household to reflect the larger question of Egyptian identity.

His characters are affectionate, argumentative, totally ridiculous and deeply human. Beneath the humour lies an argument about collective consciousness: how a fragmented society might rediscover a common political and cultural purpose. The novel's domestic conflicts gradually open onto the Egyptian Revolution of 1919, connecting all these enmeshed and private desires with the emergence of a national movement.

Edition/Condition: Penguin Classics, 2019 paperback edition. Translated by William Maynard Hutchins, with a foreword by Alaa Al Aswany. Good condition, with light wear to cover and edges. Interior appears clean and unmarked.