Whisper of Madness

Whisper of Madness is Naguib Maḥfouz’s first short story collection. It consists of short stories taking place in Cairo, following the scandals of Cairo's elite and its underbelly, with nationalism persisting throughout the collection. The stories were first published separately in newspapers and magazines in the 1930s. The short story The Price of Weakness is considered to be Maḥfouz’s first short story, and it was published in August 1934. Maḥfouz clears some misconceptions about the collection by saying “readers might not be aware that Whisper of Madness was not published in 1938, as is stated in my bibliography, but actually after the publication of my novel ‘Midaq Alley’’.

Stories in The Collection

Whisper of Madness, Falsehood, Betrayal in Letters, From The Diaries of a Young Man, Delirium, The Mummy Awakens, Women’s Snares, Gardens of Relief, This Century, Hunger, The Prisoner’s Suit, We Are Men, The Worshipped Human, The Deadly Paper, The Price of Happiness, An Hour’s Dream, The Price, Renege on Motherhood, A Life for Others, Crossroads, Reformation of Graves, The Exchanged Malady, A Clown’s Life, Aristocratic Futility, A Doctor’s Illness, Pepper, An Unfamiliar Sound.