The meursault investigation book

The meursault investigation study guide from litcharts the. Harun, now an aging drunk, talks to an investigator who is interested in the crime. This response to camuss the stranger is at once a love story and a political manifesto about postcolonial algeria, islam, and the irrelevance of arab lives. It is a testament to daouds subtle, profound talent that his story works both as a novelistic response to camus and as a highly original story in its own right. The guardian uk nothingprepared me for daouds first novel, the meursault investigation, a thrilling retelling of albert camuss 1942 classic, the stranger, from the perspective of the brother of the arab killed by meursault, camuss. The meursault investigation is a subversive retelling of albert camuss the outsider. Its publication in france was followed by nominations for many prizes and awards. The meursault investigation cleverly builds on the. The meursault investigation study guide from litcharts. The meursault investigation is a response to albert camuss 1942 novel the stranger. Its author would rather not see camus as a representative of white.

Kamel daouds book, the meursault investigation, is a retelling of albert. Though harun was only a boy of 7 at the time of the murder. It does not seem accidental that the inescapable musa is a nearanagram of camus, or that the meursault investigation takes its forma rambling monologueconfession in a barfrom another camus novel, the fall. Harun makes it clear that he sides with meursault against organized religion. The meursault investigation, by kamel daoud the new york times.

It provides a thorough exploration of the novels plot, characters and main themes, including identity and society. Nothingprepared me for daouds first novel, the meursault investigation, a thrilling retelling of albert camuss 1942 classic. The meursault investigation by kamel daoud paperback. Although the novel was conceived in the shadow of camus the stranger, readers realize quickly that it haunts those shadows not because it lacks its own light, but because daoud wants to plumb the depths of that darkness to tell a story that. He has since written two more books, but they hadnt been translated into english yet, although a collection of his opeds has. The meursault investigation by kamel daoud, paperback. The meursault investigation is his first novel, for which he received the goncourt prize.

Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. He was the brother of the arab killed by the infamous meursault, the antihero of camuss classic novel. Along with the philosophy comes superlative writing, beautifully translated from the french by john cullen. The meursault investigation rejects the binary choice usually offered algerians, between militarised nationalism or religious internationalism, condemning both as meaningless. This prejudice is the key to understanding that, unlike camus book, the meursault investigation is a novel about a particular time and place. The meursault investigation by kamel daoud book analysis. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. Kamel daouds the meursault investigation, is just what i needed. The first edition of the novel was published in october 20, and was written by kamel daoud. Yes, as we have discussed before, people will believe all. The meursault investigation download pdfepub ebook.

It is a retelling of albert camus 1942 novel the stranger, which follows a man named meursault who casually murders a victim called only the arab and blames his actions on the midday heat. The meursault investigation by kamel daoud librarything. In the meursault investigation, the stranger is fully developed, at once resented, loved and mourned. Daouds novel lacks the solid, strong existential and absurdist underpinnings of camuss work. Review by janice tsang kamel daoud, the meursault investigation, trans.

Seventy years after that event, harun, who has lived since childhood in. Algerian journalist kamel daouds the meursault investigation, translated from the french by john cullen, explicitly tackles this ambiguous relationship. Daoud is is an algerian writer and, while the meursault investigation is his only novel, he is known for his popular newspaper column. In the meursault investigation, daoud has done exactly this. Other press 267 fifth avenue, 6th floor new york, ny 10016. The meursault investigation cleverly builds on the stranger by camus the events of the stranger are revisited, seen through the eyes of the brother of the once anonymous victim. This angry novel by an algerian journalist is a bold riposte to albert camuss.

Such scoresettling sits at the heart of the meursault investigation both that of meursault on haruns brother and that of harun on meursault. The meursault investigation audiobook by kamel daoud. The meursault investigation, by kamel daoud the new. The new yorker he was the brother of the arab killed by the infamous meursault, the antihero of camuss classic novel. Making meursault into a character in his own story, daoud examines this classic novel through a postcolonial lens. You drink a language, you speak a language, and one day it owns you. The meursault investigation by kamel daoud goodreads. The meursault investigation, algerian journalist kamel daouds first novel, winner of the goncourt firstnovel prize, and from now on an indispensable companion to camus, is narrated by the. The meursault investigation is a subversive retelling of albert camuss the outsiderbut there is far more to his book than a clever deconstruction of a canonical novelit is a penetrating inquiry into loss itselfit is a testament to daouds subtle, profound talent that his story works both as a novelistic response to camus and as a highly original story in its own right. Harun uld elassas has felt like he has lived in his older brothers place ever since his brothers murder when harun was only seven.

Meursaults book is analogous to the french author albert camuss novel the stranger, in which the protagonist, meursault, murders an unnamed algerian man. Best translated novel of the decade lit hub a new york times notable book of 2015 michiko kakutani, the top books of 2015, new york times time. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect. This book has been hailed as a loving tribute to camus masterpiece. Daouds story is told from the perspective of the arabs younger brother as he reflects on the. The meursault investigation book charlotte mecklenburg. He was the brother of the arab killed by the infamou. It turns the story around, to look at the situation from the perspective of the murdered characters brother. Ever since the middle ages, the white man has the habit of naming africa and. Although the novel was conceived in the shadow of camus the stranger, readers realize quickly that it haunts those shadows not because it lacks its own light, but because daoud wants to plumb the depths of that darkness to tell a story that demands to. Published in 20, the meursault investigation is a literary fiction novel by kamel daoud. Daouds story is told from the perspective of the arabs younger brother as he reflects on the murder later in life. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are. The meursault investigation is the first novel by algerian writer and journalist kamel daoud.

Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. It has also been recommended as a mandatory accompaniment to the stranger. John cullen is the translator of many books from spanish, french, german, and. The meursault investigation begins in a bar in oran, a place where, nowadays, you come when you want to escape your age, your god or your wife. Best translated novel of the decade lit hub a new york times notable book of 2015 michiko kakutani, the top books of 2015, new. Pdf the meursault investigation book by kamel daoud free. The algerian writer kamel daoud has answered this question in his rich and inventive new novel, the meursault investigation. The book has been listed by publishers weekly as one of the 150 best novels of the year and has been awarded the prix goncourt for first novels, one of the most coveted french prizes for literature. In the meursault investigation, the author builds on the algerian conceit that the stranger was not fiction at all, but rather a true story of a murder, a story written by the murderer, meursault. Where camuss vision is cold and stripped of emotion, daouds is sensuous. The meursault investigation, by kamel daoud financial times.

Humor erupts in the meursault investigation every time there is tragedy, and this recipe for the algerian absurd gives daouds book its literary stingfor daoud, the novel is above all an opportunity to engage with the legacy of algerian independence, half a century old, and to ask what the country has made of its liberation. Free download or read online the meursault investigation pdf epub book. Other books related to the meursault investigation. The meursault investigation is a complex and subtle reckoning with the legacy of colonialism and the silences it imposes. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 143 pages and is available in paperback format.

It is a retelling of albert camuss 1942 novel, the stranger. The story in that book of yours comes down to a sudden slipup caused by two great vices. The meursault investigation download ebook pdf, epub. San francisco gate for its incandescence, its precision of phrase and description, and its crosscultural significance, the meursault investigation is an instant classic. God, religion, faith and murder all mix in the meursault investigation by kamel daoud, a novel about belief and identity. A new york times notable book of 2015 a tourdeforce reimagining of camuss the stranger, from the point of view of the mute arab victims. The international new york times with the meursault investigation, kamel daoud has achieved the near impossible. Its premise is that the murder committed by meursault in 1942 was a. Many of the novels key elementssuch as haruns ambivalent relationship with his mother and his confrontation with an imam at the end of the novelmirror similar elements in the stranger. Praise for the meursault investigation nothing prepared me for daouds fi rst novel, the meursault investigation, a thrilling retelling of albert camuss 1942 classic, the outsider, from the perspective of the brother of the arab killed by meursault, camuss antihero.

It is a testament to daouds subtle, profound talent that his story works both as a novelistic response to camus and as a highly original story in its own. The meursault investigation is a homage to camus written in a spirit of thwarted exasperation and badly suppressed admiration. Daoud executes this enormous task nimbly, but there is far more to his book than a clever deconstruction of a canonical novel. The meursault investigation, algerian journalist kamel daouds first novel, winner of the goncourt firstnovel prize, and from now on an indispensable companion to camus, is narrated by the brother of the murdered arab. Yes, as we have discussed before, people will believe all sorts of things, but when its a cultural story. Meursault, contreenquete is the first novel by algerian. The french had invaded algeria in 1830 and made it an integral part of france in 1848. First published in algeria by barzakh editions in october 20, it was reissued in france by actes sud. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access.