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The Meursault Investigation

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The Meursault Investigation

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 Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Middle Eastern Psychological World Literature Fiction Heartfelt Crime Murder Middle East

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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a must read for anyone who is reading or who has read Albert Camus's The Stranger. a postcolonial mirror / companion piece giving voice to Camus' unknown Arab victim through his brother and providing great insights into Algerian politics and psyche pre and post independence. A fascinating read.

phenomenal.

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Just finished the book "Meursault Investigation" for my book club. Unfortunately, the themes of identity and belonging fell flat for me.

Learning about Algir independence

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Any additional comments?

If you are familiar with The Cure's song 'Killing An Arab', you will know that it is based on the incident in Albert Camus' 'The Outsider' in which the central character, Mersault, shoots and kills an Arab on an Algerian beach.This book, 'The Meursault Investigation', which has won several awards in France, takes the form of a first-person narration by the dead man's brother (who we find out was called Musa - he remains nameless in 'The Outsider'), putting across his version of events.This is a good idea, and well executed. I thoroughly recommend it - though it makes little sense unless you've already read 'The Outsider'.

'Publishing Sensation of the Summer'

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This reads like a speech of love and hate which has been brewing inside of Haroun for ever . Un-put-downable.!!

Quel monologue puissant

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Plagiarism and misogyny don't make literature, this book could have been so much better.

Plagiarism and misogyny

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