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Author's name: Naguib Mahfouz

A unique psychological novel among Mahfouz's works, it delves into the depths of the human psyche, exploring its hidden recesses. The story centers on the character of Kamel Rouba Laz and the psychological and social environment in which he grew up, resulting in his psychological and behavioral crisis. This crisis begins in his childhood with his relationship with his mother, who was divorced from his dissolute father and lost her two other sons, who were placed under her ex-husband's guardianship. This led to an unhealthy attachment to Kamel, making him a prisoner of his relationship with his mother, marked by extreme shyness and social phobia, lacking confidence, and unable to face society and the demands of life. The novel was published in 1948 and adapted for the screen in 1970.