The variety of subjects dealt with by Soueif in In the Eye of the Sun opens it to a comprehensive analysis addressing issues as diverse as love, desire, and sex; friendship and trust; meanings of home and exile; duty and obligation to one's family; the ultimate value of education; the gulf between husband and wife, rich and poor, and younger and older generations; and, of course, politics at its coldest and most brutal reality. The following are among numerous possible questions that can help a reader better comprehend and elaborate on the exact nature of the novel.

1. What do you think could be the main reason Asya and Saif's marriage deteriorates, despite the fact that they love one another?

2. How does Asya herself regard her adulterous relationship with Gerald Stone?

Does she try to justify it at any point in the course of the narration?

3. What...