The Buried

An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution

De: Peter Hessler

Narrado por: Peter Hessler

A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist

"Extraordinary...Sensitive and perceptive, Mr. Hessler is a superb literary archaeologist, one who handles what he sees with a bit of wonder that he gets to watch the history of this grand city unfold, one day at a time.” —Wall Street Journal

From the acclaimed author of River Town and Oracle Bones, an intimate excavation of life in one of the world's oldest civilizations at a time of convulsive change

Drawn by a fascination with Egypt's rich history and culture, Peter Hessler moved with his wife and twin daughters to Cairo in 2011. He wanted to learn Arabic, explore Cairo's neighborhoods, and visit the legendary archaeological digs of Upper Egypt. After his years of covering China for The New Yorker, friends warned him Egypt would be a much quieter place. But not long before he arrived, the Egyptian Arab Spring had begun, and now the country was in chaos.

In the midst of the revolution, Hessler often traveled to digs at Amarna and Abydos, where locals live beside the tombs of kings and courtiers, a landscape that they call simply al-Madfuna: "the Buried." He and his wife set out to master Arabic, striking up a friendship with their instructor, a cynical political sophisticate. They also befriended Peter's translator, a gay man struggling to find happiness in Egypt's homophobic culture. A different kind of friendship was formed with the neighborhood garbage collector, an illiterate but highly perceptive man named Sayyid, whose access to the trash of Cairo would be its own kind of archaeological excavation. Hessler also met a family of Chinese small-business owners in the lingerie trade; their view of the country proved a bracing counterpoint to the West's conventional wisdom.

Through the lives of these and other ordinary people in a time of tragedy and heartache, and through connections between contemporary Egypt and its ancient past, Hessler creates an astonishing portrait of a country and its people. What emerges is a book of uncompromising intelligence and humanity--the story of a land in which a weak state has collapsed but its underlying society remains in many ways painfully the same. A worthy successor to works like Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon and Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines, The Buried bids fair to be recognized as one of the great books of our time.

Another Excellent Journey With Peter Hessler

Peter Hessler again paints intimate images of new and interesting places. While in someways different from his earlier works in China, “The Buried” explores Egypt and the effects of the 2011 Arab Spring. The book is very well narrated by Hessler himself and the charm and intelligence of his writing draws you in. He surprises you, enchants you and uses the same narrative structure of his older works while exploring Egypt. This book cannot be missed by anyone wanting to see new places with Hessler or by anyone who is a fan of his writing.

Fabulous book!! Inspired me to read all his books!

I loved this book!! I was so impressed by this book and the author that I bought all 5 of his books and have listened to all of them in succession since in the last 6 months. I am so grateful for the thoughtful, personal writing and humanist telling of world events. Blending history current and past is a trademark of all Peter Hessler books and this book exemplifies that quality of his writing. I couldn’t put it down and frequently found myself sitting in my car at the end of my commute to void “putting down” the book!

A treasure of personalized humanity

A personal, interesting, and amazingly thoughtful book about personal experiences of a journalist with egyptians. This book is more "Un-earthing of Egyptians" than about the fact that many people are living a smaller life than a westerner would want. It gives a great glimpse into poor administration where promises and signs lead no-where, male-dominated societies where woman have no power except with each other or foreigners, where leadership is even more blunt than in the west, where personal interaction is more true than hopes, conjecture, and fears, and where its ancient history when un-earthed reveals very different history.

When dusting off the people in this book I feel the sadness of lives that could be more fruitful with more kindness, support, regulation and focus. A book worth reading. The humanity is spell-binding.

A beautiful error. When I bought the book I thought it was going to deal with how archaeology was changing by virtue of the revolution (teaches me a lesson about reading a bit deeper) and I am so pleased with the story line - weaving people and history and current events and cultures.

Unearthed

That is what Peter Hessler accomplished
Outstanding audio production
Peter’s reading is perfect. So much historical And political insight.so much humanity an humor
. It is Peter Hessler at his best.
Zeljko Zic

Must Read...

Beautifully written and read. The author weaves the story into unique chapters that captivate and amaze you.

Maybe Peter Hessler's best book

I am a long-time fan of Peter Hessler. I purchased this book soon after it was available on audio, but for some reason put it aside, feeling unsure if I wanted to read about Egyptian Archeology. In preparation for a trip to Egypt next month, I began listening to the book and had a difficult time putting it down. And then I reread part of the title of the book: The Archeology of the Egyptian Revolution.
Hessler writes about his encounters with the many and varied people he meets during his time in Egypt as a reporter from 2011-2016 when he moved to Cairo with his family. What is unforgettable are the portraits he writes of the local garbage collector, his language tutors, his gay reporter friend, and many, many other Egyptians in the context of the tumultuous Arab Spring and a culture and country that is thousands of years old. Instead of plumbing the depths of Egyptian History and ruins, Hessler explores the complex humanity of the Egyptian people living through revolutionary times. It is a perspective I don't think I could find in any other book.
To continue to write superlatives about this book would do it a disservice. And the fact that it is read by the author with his frequent discussions of Egyptian Arabic and the nuances of that language makes it all the better. This is a great listen.

Peter Hessler never fails readers

This is the fifth book I read about from Peter Hessler.
I’ve got four works of his stories in China. This is the first one that describe his experiences and observations in other country, definitely the place he lived and worked in.
The most impressive part is his learning experience of the Arabic language. It reminds me of my learning experience in Dubai. His description has a magic which will attract you to follow and resonate with his words.
I will get the paper version soon.

A great experience

My favorite of all Peter’s books. I think the stories are more catching partly because, ironically, it’s not set in China where the author writes more often and it becomes a cultural context. The book is read by the author himself which ensured all the Arabic phrases were pronounced accurately, which was such an upgrade.

Peter and the People

I have been a fan of Peter Hessler's books since he first wrote about his time in China. In this book he writes about his interactions with the every day Egyptians in their neighborhoods and the good and not so good of this very complex society.

Egyptology in breadth!

Wonderful weave of ancient history, archaeology, recent political events, and every-day life among "ordinary" Egyptian families, with particular emphasis on elder-male domination, the subservient role of women, and the struggles/dangers facing gays.
From amcient pharoahs to modern dictators to marriage, strongmen maintain their grip. Intimate Hessler-style observations, incites, and story-telling from his five-year stay in Egypt.