Review of Mériam Belli’s An Incurable Past: Nasser’s Egypt Then and Now in Arab Studies Journal 23, 1 (2015), 404-407. (original) (raw)

Mériam Belli’s "An Incurable Past: Nasser’s Egypt Then and Now" explores the impact of Nasser's historical legacy on contemporary Egyptian politics and society. Utilizing Bakhtin's concept of "historical utterances," Belli examines how the past is invoked through various expressions in daily life, emphasizing the discrepancy between popular memory and governmental narratives, particularly in the context of education and significant cultural events. Despite its thorough investigation, the text raises questions about the author's biases and the implications of her interpretations on the subjectivity of historical narratives.