Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade
About the book
The novel interweaves women's voices with the history of France's conquest of Algeria.
Original title: L’Amour, la fantasia
Africa · A READING GUIDE
Algeria
Assia Djebar juxtaposes Algeria’s conquest with women’s voices and family memory. Kateb Yacine experiments with the novel’s form, while Mouloud Feraoun describes growing up in Kabyle poverty. Kamel Daoud revisits Camus’s The Stranger through the family of its unnamed victim. Boualem Sansal’s dystopia and Yasmina Khadra’s novels broaden the selection to religion, violence and political fanaticism.
WHERE TO START
- Fantasia: An Algerian CavalcadeAssia Djebar
- The Meursault InvestigationKamel Daoud
- NedjmaKateb Yacine
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
Women of Algiers in Their Apartment
About the book
Stories give voice to Algerian women during war and after independence.
Original title: Femmes d’Alger dans leur appartement
The Meursault Investigation
About the book
The brother of the unnamed victim in Camus's The Stranger demands a name and a history for the dead man.
Original title: Meursault, contre-enquête
Nedjma
About the book
Four men and Nedjma's intertwined lives connect love with colonial Algerian history.
The Poor Man’s Son
About the book
An autobiographical novel about poverty, education and life in Kabylia.
Original title: Le Fils du pauvre
2084 Koniec świata
About the book
The dystopian empire of Abistan maintains power through religion and control of thought.
Original title: 2084: La fin du monde
The Swallows of Kabul
About the book
Two couples' lives intersect in Taliban-ruled Kabul.
Original title: Les Hirondelles de Kaboul
The Attack
About the book
An Arab surgeon in Israel confronts a discovery about an attack and his wife.
Original title: L’Attentat
So Vast the Prison
About the book
Women’s memories and experiences of violence intertwine with Algerian history.
Algerian White
About the book
A literary remembrance of murdered friends and a reflection on political violence.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
- Autor i kontekst literacki / Author and literary context ↗
- Assia Djebar — University of Virginia Press ↗
- Kamel Daoud — Other Press ↗
- Kateb Yacine — University of Virginia Press ↗
- Mouloud Feraoun — University of Virginia Press ↗
- Boualem Sansal — Sonia Draga ↗
- Yasmina Khadra — Anchor ↗
- Yasmina Khadra — Nan A. Talese ↗
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