Kaouther Adimi

A Bookshop in Algiers

Marion R

Those Arabs. Those towelheads. Those rats. Those kebabs. Those turds. Those lice. Beat them. Slaughter them. Rub them out. Send them flying. Use batons. Use our police weapons. Use bricks. Kill as many as possible. Kill them by the dozen. Slaughter these people who have no right to be here in Paris, by the Seine, among our monuments, our trees, our women. Slaughter them. Beat them.

Throw them in the river. See the Algerian bodies sinking into the muddy water. Far away now, the brown bodies. Make them dis-appear. Quickly. Brutal charges. Arab-hunting in Paris. Paris!

Manned by Papon's police, Paris kills. Savage. Chases in the streets of Paris. Don't think twice: throw them over, into the Seine. Broken bodies. Beaten with rifle butts and batons. Bodies hung in the Bois de Vincennes. Seine full of corpses. Hate set free. Noise. Chaos.

Baton blows raining on bodies lying flat, on bloodied skulls, on unarmed. And the silence of the Parisians. Another charge. People on the ground. Blood everywhere. Ambulance sirens. More blows, and bodies in the Seine. A pogrom in 1961. Purify France of its Arabs. Disinfect the avenues. Slaughter the assassins. Repression.

Tragic. Starting in the morning, Paris kills. The police, the riot squad, and the gendarmes are reinforced by the Auxiliary Police Force: brigades made up of Harkis, who fought with the French in Algeria. Zero tolerance. The arrests began even before the demon-stration. Insults, blows, harassment. Made to swallow whole ciga-rettes. Water mixed with bleach. Brutal roundups. Blood on the Arab face. Broken legs. We hit, we unleash the dogs. We line the brownskins up against the walls. We pack them into police vans. We grab them in the street by their curly hair. We hunt the type. We throw stones. We drown them. For a whole month after, bodies will be pulled from the water. The killing will go on for days. Corpses in the Seine. Hands tied behind their backs. Strangled with their own belts. Bodies bound and fung into the water. When the families in Algeria are informed, they will not understand what has happened.

The Second World War has just finished. We know that we will soon have to take arms, and that France cannot stay in Algeria.

Do mints have an expiration date, or are they good forever, like books?

A homage to reading, literature and publishing industry. The book pays homage to French-Algerian publisher Edmond Charlot who founded a bookstore in Algeria and published the work of many French and Algerian authors like the highly esteemed Albert Camus, the story of he’s work as an important literary figure is told against the backdrop of world war 2, the war against French colonialism in Algeria and civil war in Algeria.

A truly delightful read

A homage to reading, literature and publishing industry. The book pays homage to French-Algerian publisher Edmond Charlot who founded a bookstore in Algeria and published the work of many French and Algerian authors like the highly esteemed Albert Camus, the story of he’s work as an important literary figure is told against the backdrop of world war 2, the war against French colonialism in Algeria and civil war in Algeria.

'If you're in a bookshop browsing, then A Bookshop In Algiers is for you, by definition. A beautiful little novel about books, history, ambition and the importance of literature to everyone, especially people who are trying to find a voice.' Nick Hornby In 1936, a young dreamer named Edmond Charlot opened a modest bookshop in Algiers. Once the heart of Algerian cultural life, where Camus launched his first book and the Free French printed propaganda during the war, Charlot's beloved bookshop has been closed for decades, living on as a government lending library. Now it is to be shuttered forever. But as a young man named Ryad empties it of its books, he begins to understand that a bookshop can be much more than just a shop that sells books. A Bookshop in Algiers charts the changing fortunes of Charlot's bookshop through the political drama of Algeria's turbulent twentieth century of war, revolution and independence. It is a moving celebration of books, bookshops and of those who dare to dream.

Beatrice

CW: this book contains mentions of police brutality, violence and discrimination.

A Bookshop in Algiers is a quiet little book that manages to pack in quite a lot, offering a snapshot of Algerian history, the rich life of bookseller and publisher Edmond Charlot, and a powerful celebration of books all in one.

I had actually never heard of Edmond Charlot before picking up this book, and I was rather surprised to discover that he had worked closely and published books by so many well-known authors, chief among them Albert Camus. It really got me thinking about easy it is for someone's work to be forgotten and their contributions ignored, and how many more "Charlots" are out there that I have never known before. I love learning something new and being challenged by books, so in this  A Bookshop in Algiers really hit the mark!

The narration was also interesting, as different chapters alternated excerpts from Charlot's (fictional) diary, snapshots of Algerian history, and young Ryad's work emptying the bookshop in modern Algeria. It took me a moment to get used to this format, but I soon got into it and really appreciated the extra depth it added without weighing down the book. The chapters on Algerian history, which were narrated in first person plural, were particularly interesting to me. I broadly knew of some of the events mentioned, but seeing them through the eyes of the Algerian people (which is who I interpreted to be the narrating "we") was completely new. The accounts of oppression and violence also took on special significance when read now, when so many similar conversations are happening in relation to other peoples (especially Palestinians).

It was also interesting to read about Charlot's experiences in publishing. I've never worked in the sector myself, so it was fascinating to read about everything that went on in the production of a book. Charlot himself was really compelling, a dreamer par excellence, and I really admired his perseverance and his ability to give the world so much despite facing so many difficulties. There was quite a lot of name dropping though and, with my limited knowledge of French authors, I actually struggled to keep up with everyone's names most of the time.

It's hard to go wrong with a book about books, and A Bookshop in Algiers is no exception. Masterfully bringing together the power of knowledge, the beauty of literature and books, and the importance of fighting for your dreams and your freedom, this is sure to appeal to lovers of history, historical fiction and literature, and all those who like to discover hidden little gems.

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Beth Bartholomew

A Bookshop in Algiers follows two timelines as we see the creation and then ruin of a bookshop that once felt like the heart of so many bibliophiles. Going between the 1930’s-1960’s and present day, we see two different characters and their relationships with books, and how books change them. 

I really enjoyed the way this book went between these two timelines, whilst also inserting cultural and political turmoil into the shaping of the plot. We saw a very personal insight into part of Algeria’s history, as well as a perspective offering a wider view on this political unrest. All the while not feeling daunting or like it was belittling the reader in anyway. This is a moment in history I don’t know too much about, but I now feel compelled to learn more. 

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. 

A beautiful book with a true respect for writing and passion. It was a delight to read and made me fall in love with reading even more. 

A Bookshop in Algiers

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