A Bookshop in Algiers: Kaouther Adimi

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A Bookshop in Algiers: Kaouther Adimi

A Bookshop in Algiers: Kaouther Adimi

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Kaouther Adimi me transportó desde el primer párrafo a las calles de Argel. Me perdí entre callejones, deambulé por sus recuerdos, me mezclé con sus olores y me enamoré perdidamente. Me enamoré de ese increíble templo, de esa librería llamada ‘Las verdaderas riquezas’. Me enamoré de ese hombre que la creó, de toda la pasión que volcaba en su trabajo y de toda la lucha para que saliera adelante. Kaouther Adimi's novel is multilayered in its presentation: there are sections set in 2017, when the tiny storefront -- measuring only some seven by four meters -- has been bought by someone who plans on letting his nephew open a beignet shop in its stead; the engineering student Ryad travels from France to take on the job of clearing out the place and repainting it for the handover, while Abdallah, the longterm caretaker of the place warily watches what happens to the establishment. The is an old Arab man who worked in the bookstore for much of his life. He ‘stands guard’ across the street watching all the activities. He attempts to acquaint the young man with the rich history of the bookstore. I loved this novel for its timeless adoration of literature. Stories withstand throughout all and that is truly beautiful. “Literature, at least, will never abandon me” being a fantastic quote to stand by this. There is so much gorgeous writing in this book, a credit to the Adimi, but also to Chris Andrews, the translator. In 1994, she returned to Algeria, which was then under the influence of terrorism. Having very few opportunities to read, she started to write her own stories.

I am pretty much a pre-sold believer in any books about books, libraries and publishing and I was completely captivated by Adimi's world building here of Charlot's life and of present day Algiers. The translation by Chris Andrews was excellent and flowed smoothly.

Este pequeño universo humano, íntimo y empático emociona con su sencillez, claridad y cercanía; una auténtica declaración de amor a los libros y la literatura. Edmond Charlot, 1936’da 21 yaşındaydı ve bir kitabevi açmaya karar verdi: Vraies Richesses. Öyle hayalleri vardı ki.. Yeni kitaplar, ilk basımlar, yazar ve eser keşifleri, sergiler.. Por la mañana, cuando llego a la librería, me paro un momento delante del escaloncito que hay ante la puerta para contemplar el local que me pertenece. En ocasiones me quedo allí inmóvil tanto tiempo que el camarero del café de al lado se alarma y me pregunta si va todo bien. Pues claro que va todo bien: los libros están colocados por orden alfabético, las obras de arte colgadas justo encima, y aquí solo tienen derecho de ciudadanía la literatura, el arte y la amistad.”] The contemporary chapters, focused on Ryad and his efforts to clean out the small Les Vrais Richesses store as well as longtime caretake Abdallah, are a sad coda to this bit of literary history. The author was born in Algeria (1983) and now lives in France. This is her third novel and it was nominated for the Prix Goncourt.

All along, the Algerian struggle against the French loom over much of what happens -- and then more recent domestic struggles.

Author

Charlot was the one who ‘discovered’ and published the first books by Albert Camus and had close literary relationships with other writers of that era such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Andre Gide and Jean Giono. Charlot is portrayed as an idealist, humanist, dreamer, and bibliophile who strongly believed in the power of storytelling as a path to peace and unity. The novella won the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) and I think I'll look for more titles from this prize list. Review of the Serpent's Tail hardcover edition (2020) translated from the French language original Nos richesses (Our Wealth) (2017)



  • Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
  • EAN: 764486781913
  • Sold by: Fruugo

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