Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa
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Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa (Arabic:ما وراء الطبيعة) is the title of a series of novels written by Ahmad Khaled Towfeq. As of March 2007, 69 novels were published.
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[edit] Storyline
The stories are narratives, told in a first person view, where refaat is currently nearing seventy, and is telling tales about his adventures starting when he was in his late thirties and up. All of the events are related to the metaphysics in a way or another, and most often are caused by supernatural phenomena, although some are caused by culprits who are faking the events. Refaat usually solves the mystery, and always gets out alive whether or not he has fully understood the phenomenon. He is accompanied by many friends and characters throughout the stories, some stories are more centered around them than him, and some are totally narrated by them.
[edit] Style
The stories are noted for the character's sarcastic attitude towards almost everything in life, although he is kind-hearted inside. He usually disbelieves everything until its proven, and rarely pretends to be smart, as he always thinks that there is nothing that he could do about problems. The writer's style is always renewed, with more than once the story told through newspaper clippings and retellings by other characters, who are given each a distinct point of view and different telling of the story. One very good example of this is #7 (Ostoret allahab alazrak), the legend of the blue flame, where each character is telling a part of the story in a distinctive style. One thing relates them all, however, which is the sarcasm, a characteristic of the writer that does not change with any line of stories he writes.
[edit] Horror circles
Each nine books, the tenth is made in a special episodic way called the horror circle. The horror circles are series of short stories narrated by different characters (exception #60, The black museum) and are related by a bigger plot. As of June 2007, they were:
10. The horror circle.
20. The tarot cards.
30. The legend of after the midnight.
40. Behind the closed door.
50. In the side of the stars.
60. The black museum.
70. The lost episodes.
[edit] Characters
- Refaat Ismael: The permanent protagonist of the series, even though he is sometimes absent through a few.
- Ezzat: Refaat's neighbor whom he met in the 3rd story, he was thought to be a cannibal but he turned out to be innocent. Ezzat is a sculptor, a little famous in Egypt, loves Alexandria and is awake all night. He has Addison disease which weakens his health and shape.
- Maggie Mackilob: She is Refaat's first love, she is the daughter of Refaat's Scottish professor, sir James Mackilob, she studies physics
- Adel and Seham. Adel is his school friend who now works in national security, he is ill-tempered and almost always busy and asked for Refaat's help in metaphysics/related security problems, he has witnessed some of those phenomenons but still finds them hoaxes and never believes refaat. He lives in Alexandria and is married to seham who introduced him to Howaida.
- Howaida: She was Refaat's somewhat-ignorant fiancee who broke up with him later. She always pretended to be fragile and feminine while she was only dumb. She later got married to a man who appeared with her, pregnant, in the legend of the end of the night.
- Dr. Ramzy: An Egyptology professor who knows all about the pharoahs and appeared in the legend of the pharaoh's curse, the horror circle, the boring legend, the legend of the mummy and the alphabet (Special Editions)
- Dr. Samy: Refaat's psychologist friend who was the host of lots of creepy stories in his haunted villa, until he sold it and after that he only participated in the ghoul club. Has a lovely wife who is so sociable and always invites Refaat to the social events she hosts.
- Dr. Camilia: A philosopher Refaat first met in book 21, it was a replica of her but he finally met her after that and they became friends. She's participated in a different legend and some others.
- Harry Sheldon: Refaat's reckless American friend who is always ready two fight. He has a wife, Linda and has been with Refaat almost every time he went to the USA, famous stories he took part in: The blue flame and the doll.
- Sam Colby: who's not his friend but a main character in lots of legends as he's a 'magician', he is Jewish, and while Refaat doesn't have anything against non-Zionist Jews, he dislikes Sam and thinks he's an impostor. Colby has a persistent prostate problem and as he 'distrusts' American surgeons, he always constantly goes to the toilet. He was the one who introduced Dr. Lucifer to Refaat.
- Dr. Lucifer: Is Refaat's main rival. As it appears from his name, Dr. Lucfier is a demon or a devil who always visits Dr. Refaat Ismael in the form of a human being that is characterized by being clothed in perfectly neat and clean black clothes and wears gold; also famous for his extremely charming eyes. He doesn't appear in all of Refaat's stories, but when he does show up, he always decives him in many ways like in the issue "The Pandora Box" and "The Tarot Stories" when he made his first appearance. Though being his main rival, he has saved him at some other times. He is also known to be of high authority at the "Side of the Stars" World, a world formed in another dimension, where monsters, demons and the damned live, which has also been visited by Refaat before.
