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The Meursault Investigation

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The Meursault Investigation

Written by: Kamel Daoud, John Cullen - translator
Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
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About this listen

He was the brother of "the Arab" killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus' classic novel. Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling's memory, refuses to let him remain anonymous: He gives his brother a story and a name - Musa - and describes the events that led to Musa's casual murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach. In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on his anger with men desperate for a god, and on his disarray when faced with a country that has so disappointed him. A stranger among his own people, he wants to be granted, finally, the right to die.

The Stranger is of course central to Daoud's story, in which he both endorses and criticizes one of the most famous novels in the world. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.

©2013 Editions Barzakh, Alger. 2014 Actes Sud. Translation 2015 Other Press. (P)2015 Audible, Inc. Classics European French Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Middle Eastern Psychological World Literature

Critic Reviews

"A tour-de-force reimagining of Camus’s The Stranger, from the point of view of the mute Arab victims." ( The New Yorker)
"Fajer Al-Kaisi's performance of this fascinating and disturbing book is crisp and beautifully articulated.... This audio production makes a striking novel of ideas a rich and human experience." ( AudioFile)
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Fantastic reading.

Writer Kamel Daoud deconstructs Camus' L'étranger. Dichotomy between Meursault-Moussa France-Algérie French-Arab can be observed.

Some interesting moments include the evokation of "Man Friday" and 2pm, or the description of the cover page "The other" with 'Meursault' in the top right corner.

As one listens along, one ends up feeling sorry for Haroun.

Superb deconstruction of Camus' work

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