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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
#5
Book 3- The Mersault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
Finished: 24/02/2023
Rating :⭐️⭐️1/2
Great writing , the story was not for me but a good short one .
Book 3- The Mersault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
Finished: 24/02/2023
Rating :⭐️⭐️1/2
Great writing , the story was not for me but a good short one .
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Hij werd vermoord omdat hij van de zee hield, en er te levend vandaan kwam."
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
reflective
I didn't really know what to say about The Stranger. But reading it led me to learning about this book. In The Stranger, the turning point of the story is when the protagonist murders "an Arab." The victim remains nameless, and is more like a piece of scenery than a character.
Daoud wrote this book in response to that vacancy. Here, the victim's brother denounces The Stranger's version of events, relating his own life under the shadow of his invisibilized brother, in a story that comes to mirror Meursault's.
A remarkable and unique work. Some areas felt a little problematic (light fatphobia and some misogyny) and others dragged (some of the narrator's digressions), but overall the book was very artful. Crisp prose and sharp commentary on the original. The mirrored structure was well crafted and didn't feel forced. I was glad to read this in quick succession with Camus to best appreciate this book's artistry.
The writing is confusing and I’m the beginning seemed disoriented and annoying. An interesting story but ruined by the unclear narrative which included past, present, future and alternative versions.
This book has the same pacing as a snail. Boring af. Get to the point…I don’t got all day to listen to every minuscule detail of his pathetic life. And why is this longer than The Stranger ? Sh!t writing, 0/5!
Sadly I found this rather disappointing. It felt kind of all over the place and sooo repetitive. Daoud's writing is very elegant, but I couldn't seem to get to the crux of the story. So in the end it just felt like a monologue of the main character's mourning(and whining) and unfortunately, it just never quite achieved lift-off in that sense.
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Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Read it twice, think I wanted to like it more than I did... Found it rambling and the writing to be both overwrought and underwhelming.