This collection of short stories is considered one of Naguib Mahfouz's most famous short story works. He wrote it during the sixties, and it came loaded with the concerns of the period and the state of despair that spread in Egyptian society at that time. Through nineteen short stories, Mahfouz searches for what is behind the apparent veneer of events, and reveals the state of frustration that gripped the majority of Egyptians due to defeat, which is deeply evident in the story "The Black Cat's Inn," the title of which was chosen for the collection as a whole, through a group of drunkards who escape from the horror of reality. They seek refuge in the world of wine, hiding behind indifference to reality, and immersing themselves in temporary happiness that quickly fades and disappears when reality attacks them with brutality and fear.