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Home > Translation > The World Bookshelf > Books > The Meursault Investigation

The Meursault Investigation

The novel that has taken the international literary world by storm.

He was the brother of ‘the Arab’ killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel, The Outsider. Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling’s memory, resolves to bring his brother out of obscurity by giving him a name – Musa – and a voice, as he describes the events that led to his senseless murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach in Algeria.

In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on Musa’s murder, 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.

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.

‘[An] extraordinary novel.’ London Review of Books

‘A scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus’s masterpiece.’ The Economist

‘[A] stunning debut novel … an intricately layered tale that not only makes us reassess Camus’s novel but also nudges us into a contemplation of Algeria’s history and current religious politics.’ New York Times, Michiko Kakutani

‘Clever … Daoud is in equal measure a thoughtful and provocative writer.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Daoud’s novel has the magnetism of its forebear, but its themes of voicelessness and vengeance feel utterly present day.’ Vogue

‘This debut novel reaped glowing international reviews, literary honours, and then, suddenly, demands for [Daoud’s] public execution.’ New York Times

Winner of the Goncourt du Premier Roman
Shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt
Winner of the Prix des Cinq Continents
Winner of the Prix François Mauriac

Author

Kamel Daoud

Kamel Daoud

Books

The Meursault Investigation

Kamel Daoud is an Algerian journalist based in Oran, where he writes for the Quotidien d’Oran – the third largest French-language Algerian newspaper. He has contributed weekly columns to Le Point, and his articles have appeared in Libération, Le Monde and Courrier International, and are regularly reprinted around the world.

A finalist for the Prix Goncourt, The Meursault Investigation won the Prix François Mauriac and the Prix des Cinq-Continents, and was shortlisted for the Goncourt du Premier Roman. A feature film is slated for release in 2017.

Translator

John Cullen

John Cullen

Books

The Meursault Investigation

John Cullen is the translator of numerous books from Spanish, French, German, and Italian, including Philippe Claudel’s Brodeck’s Report and Yasmina Reza’s Happy Are the Happy.

Published by

Oneworld Publications, 2015
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The novel that has taken the international literary world by storm.

He was the brother of ‘the Arab’ killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel, The Outsider. Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling’s memory, resolves to bring his brother out of obscurity by giving him a name – Musa – and a voice, as he describes the events that led to his senseless murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach in Algeria.

In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on Musa’s murder, 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.

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.

‘[An] extraordinary novel.’ London Review of Books

‘A scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus’s masterpiece.’ The Economist

‘[A] stunning debut novel … an intricately layered tale that not only makes us reassess Camus’s novel but also nudges us into a contemplation of Algeria’s history and current religious politics.’ New York Times, Michiko Kakutani

‘Clever … Daoud is in equal measure a thoughtful and provocative writer.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Daoud’s novel has the magnetism of its forebear, but its themes of voicelessness and vengeance feel utterly present day.’ Vogue

‘This debut novel reaped glowing international reviews, literary honours, and then, suddenly, demands for [Daoud’s] public execution.’ New York Times

Winner of the Goncourt du Premier Roman
Shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt
Winner of the Prix des Cinq Continents
Winner of the Prix François Mauriac

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