Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded up

Everyone, no matter their looks, their socioeconomic status, or their talents, has got somethin' to carry that just won't quit hurting them. In Omar Sharif Jr.'s case, it was a lot of things based on expectations he was not going t meet and things he simply couldn't see how to fix or avoid. Yes, his life was privileged compared to most lives; yes, he had a lot of advantages that he seems to shrug off as unimportant; but in the end he was a damaged gay kid who fell for traps and snares that did him harm.

The happier part of the story is the gentleman's QUILTBAG advocacy in a country very much on the bubble socially. Egypt's neighbors are not especially stable democratic societies and that has an impact on the country's ability to deal effectively with its unpopular minorities fairly and equitably. To his credit, Sharif is in the trenches swinging his ax at the offenders and working his hardest to fix his chosen corner of the world. Very clichéd writing doesn't dull the gleam of his message of hope and his call to act, to support our QUILTBAG siblings around the world.

DNF at 8%. Not the right book at the right time for me. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Counterpoint Press for the ARC!

Picking up this book, you recognize the name of one of the greatest actors of the 20th century and one whose name is featured in famous films like Lawrence of Arabia and Hidalgo (the two films that first came to mind for me personally). Then, you realize the name continues and the book actually includes the perspective of Omar Sharif’s grandson, the junior recipient of his name. This book tells the story of both individuals from the perspective of someone who lived in the later years of Omar Sharif’s life and as someone who simultaneously lived at the intersection of two worlds without giving up either.

Two things first attracted me to this book ; the gorgeous cover and the name Omar Sharif. A name , that since I was a teenager (30 years ago) evoke , in my mind , one of the most attractive , virile , human male specimen of all time.

A Tale of Two Omar is an interesting and very intimate story of growing up in a culture and world were your life and sexuality has been pretty much planned out from the start.

I enjoyed reading it.

I just reviewed A Tale of Two Omars by Omar Sharif Jr.. #ATaleofTwoOmars #NetGalley
https://www.netgalley.com/book/226704/review/500133

Reviewed for Out in Print:

Omar Sharif, Jr. grew up under the shadow of his world-renowned grandfather, an acting legend and a hero in his home country of Egypt and beyond. The fact the younger Omar is gay will likely be sufficient to pique interest in his memoir from LGBTQ+ readers, and being in the closet, living a double life, and coming out are indeed major themes. More than that, Sharif has a heart-rending and at times surprising story to tell about how he became a global spokesperson for tolerance and intercultural understanding.

Sharif begins his memoir with his 2012 letter in the Advocate, through which he came out as both gay and half-Jewish and urged a reckoning in Egypt on the unfulfilled democratic goals of the 2011 revolution. Sharif considers himself a proud Egyptian, and he spent a good portion of his childhood there after his parents’ divorce. Sharif’s memoir includes his political observations and his hopes for Egypt and the greater Muslim world. But his approach is personal, sharing his own stories about how homophobia, racial prejudice, and religious condemnation challenged his ability to live an authentic life and ultimately shaped his humanistic convictions.

Sharif’s childhood was one of change and contrasts. His parents divorced soon after he was born, and he spent the school year in Montréal with a close-knit family that included his Jewish mother, his aunt, and their parents who were Holocaust survivors. A gentle, pretty boy, he was the target of anti-gay name-calling and bullying at school, while at home, he experienced vicarious trauma as he witnessed the lasting impact of the Holocaust on his grandparents Bubbie and Zadie. Then each summer, he took unchaperoned transatlantic flights to stay at his grandfather’s luxury properties in Egypt and Europe. In Montréal, his life was complicated, tough and introspective. In Egypt, it was carefree and indulgent, and since Omar Sharif, Sr. was a star, no one would dare make fun of his grandson.

Fame and fortune did not protect Sharif from life’s worst discontents, however, and his story demonstrates how homophobia is the ultimate equalizer. Childhood peers taught him to hate his gayness, and he knew intuitively his mother and father would disapprove of him (and they did for years after he came out). He contemplated suicide. In his teens, his only outlet was furtive and sometimes dangerous sexual encounters with older men. Though gifted with good looks and an easy sociability, he struggled to find romantic companionship in his young adulthood and suffered from depression. Later, he stumbled upon an opportunity to work for a wealthy and powerful Sheik, which turned out to be a nightmarish psychological and sexual imprisonment from which he could seek no aid from family members for fear of their stern judgment of his sexuality. These are harrowing tales of gay survival that need to be told, and they are no less courageous coming from a young man of privilege, a circumstance that Sharif acknowledges.

Furthermore, one appreciates the high stakes for Sharif in telling his story. After coming out in the Advocate, he received death threats, and for the sake of his personal safety, he could not attend his grandfather’s funeral in Egypt three years later. In Egypt, homosexuality is criminalized and reviled. His countrymen campaigned to revoke his citizenship. Interestingly, in the 1960s, his grandfather was also a target of expulsion from the country due to his Catholic Lebanese heritage and his affair with Barbara Streisand (the elder Sharif converted to Islam when he married the Egyptian actress Faten Hamama).

Sharif credits his grandfather with instilling him with the values of tolerance and inclusion as well as a love of languages and being the life of the party. There’s some complexity in his characterization of Omar Sr. however, as he does not shy away from mentioning his grandfather’s infidelities nor his mental decline late in life. Sharif’s reflections on his grandfather’s dementia are some of the most affecting passages in his memoir.

His purposes get muddled a bit as he jumps around to adventures in fashionable districts of London and his arrival in Hollywood, which come across as name-dropping moments to authenticate the author’s insider status. But overall, Sharif’s memoir succeeds where it needs to the most. By the end of the book, one feels like they know him. As a reader who knew next to nothing about the younger Omar, I can say he’s gained a fan.

Growing up the beloved grandson of Omar Sharif and living a life of privilege would be an entertaining tale on its own, but Omar Sharif, Jr. poignantly and beautifully writes here of his struggle as a half-Jewish gay man in Egypt, and his continuing work for LGBTQ rights. He also shares some terrifying situations that are difficult to read, but his strength and continuing advocacy are inspiring. 4 stars.

Thoroughly enjoyed this open account of his still young life.
I look forward to what this man will bring to the future.

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it felt as if the author was spending a lot of time telling his experiences without showing them. I felt like I was reading a particularly long transcript of someone's memories with some visual modifiers thrown in as necessary to make it work. The relationship between Omar and his grandfather is undeniably written with a tenderness that is felt through the pages, and for this, I have a soft spot for the memoir.

This open hearted book is a revelation. Omar Sharif Jr. opens the door to his life: the privilege and joy that comes from being the handsome grandson of one of the world’s most famous (& handsome) actors and also the heartbreak of coming out as gay in largely homophobic Egypt. Omar Jr is a courageous, articulate, inspiring man and writer. I recommend this book with great enthusiasm.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. Indeed it is a "Tale of Two Omars". A person who grew up in a well known and very wealthy family. And. of course, realizing the differnce of being a Jewish gay man with his roots in Egypt. Some chapters show his intense struggles to cope with life and find his way to accept who he is and what he wants to achieve. Personally and professionally. The most difficult time of his life arises when he comes out in The Advocate. It is a well written book I highly recommend reading

This is an important read, and one I highly recommend.

Omar Sharif Jr. laid himself completely bare in this memoir, opening up entirely. He shares details of his upbringing, his relationship with his parents, the most difficult times in his life, and of his advocacy work for LGBTQ rights. While it's obvious from the book that Omar comes from enormous wealth, and it can be quite overstated at times with talk of Hollywood, private nannies, and the world's most exclusive restaurants, I still felt I could relate to his story in a more down to earth manner.

His prose is vividly descriptive, taking the reader to wherever he is at the particular moments he discusses in the book. He does so with such accuracy at times that I feel as though I could be seated next to him, even in the most tragic of situations. While it might seem from the outside that he lives a life of luxury with access to all the things in the world, it seems it couldn't be further from the truth. I believe what he seeks most, is acceptance.

I found parts of the book difficult to read for a few reasons. Mostly because I couldn't imagine what it was like for Omar to go through what he did, which you'll read about in the book. I was shocked at some points, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. But despite it all, he seemed to come out stronger, at least on the outside.

I appreciated reading about the work Omar is doing when it comes to advocating for the rights of others, despite not initially being accepted by the LGBTQ community. He was facing death threats from Egypt then told by the queer and activist communities, “He’s just privileged, what could he know about struggle or sacrifice?” Reading this memoir, I was able to see that despite his privilege, he has suffered just as much as anyone who identifies as LGBTQ and struggles to come out.

Despite all of this, I believe he has done what he can for LGBTQ rights in Egypt, and is still fighting for his own freedom and the freedom of others. This memoir truly broke my heart, but also inspired me greatly. It's my hope that one day things will change in countries where people are forced to hide in the closet, where they seek nothing but freedom and the right to be who they are.