London: Jonathan Cape, 1959
When Edgar Perry returned to England to set up a school for foreign students, he might reasonably have felt that his Egyptian experiences were behind him, particularly as his assistant, Waldo Grimbley, had insisted that no Egyptian should ever be accepted as a student. Neither could have expected that their old pupil, the eccentric and patriotic Muawiya, would be invited to London by the government.
At a time when the maritime powers were busy inventing the Suez Canal Users Association, Muawiya jeopardized Anglo-Egyptian relations still further by his maddening conduct. But Muawiya with his lunatic logic was only one of Edgar Perry’s preoccupations. There are many strands woven into a story that is nonetheless serious for its light-hearted telling. A Guest and His Going is a shrewd comment on foreign relations, and reveals Mr. Newby at his entertaining and perspective best.
“An admirable comic creation.”
“Another subtly elegant piece of writing.”
