WY121 Bilingual Books (Historical Book Series): Kamel Daoud, The Meursault Investigation - REMOTE

The Algerian writer Kamel Daoud's retelling/reimagining of the 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus in his rich and inventive novel, “The Meursault Investigation.” Its premise is that the murder committed by Meursault in 1942 was a true crime, which catapulted him to worldwide fame after the publication of a book about it.

Daoud gives the Arab a name — Musa — and, along with it, a family, a home and a story. But like his Quranic and biblical counterpart, Musa (Moses) isn’t able to speak for himself, so his brother, Harun (Aaron), will do it in his stead. It is Harun who narrates the events of that fateful day, set in an Algeria on the brink of independence. 

"[A] scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus's masterpiece...The Meursault Investigation...is a biting, profound response to French colonialism. It is also a lamentation for a modern Algeria gripped by pious fundamentalism...The book's brilliance lies in the gradual way Mr. Daoud reveals Harun to be a perfect mirror: the tragic double of Meursault/Camus... Daoud's prose is propulsive and charged. The pages glitter with memorable phrases. This brave book is a vertiginous response to a century of trauma." --The Economist

About the Instructor: Tracy is a wordsmith with a love of both the written and spoken word. When she doesn't have her head in a book or isn't tapping away writing her next book, she can be found either shopping at a local farmer's market, wandering around a brocante looking for old cookware, vintage china and maps or chatting over a bottle of wine with friends in her adopted French homeland. After spending over 20 years in international project and risk management she moved to the French countryside and returned to her passion for writing and books. Her first short story collections were published in 2015 and 2016, and she is also a book coach, editor and writers workshop leader.