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wetherspoonsgf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
This is some of the most beautiful prose ever written, which feels especially important given how much time Djebar spends thinking about the act of writing and of writing in French throughout the book.
Part 1 and 2 have something of the feel of documentary filmmaking as Djebar narrates her (our) encounter with the archive as much as the events of France's colonisation of Algeria itself, interwoven with her autofiction, before Part 3 starts on this iterative, looping, contemplative three part structure of recovery and feminist re-narration of anti-colonial work and different decolonisations. I adore this book, I think the epigraph to the Finale alone is one of the cleverest pages in all of literature.
If this book was only as intelligent and reflective on language as it is I'd love it, but the fact that it's so deeply interested in language while being so transcendently well written is once-in-a-lifetime sort of stuff. Get this back into print!
Part 1 and 2 have something of the feel of documentary filmmaking as Djebar narrates her (our) encounter with the archive as much as the events of France's colonisation of Algeria itself, interwoven with her autofiction, before Part 3 starts on this iterative, looping, contemplative three part structure of recovery and feminist re-narration of anti-colonial work and different decolonisations. I adore this book, I think the epigraph to the Finale alone is one of the cleverest pages in all of literature.
If this book was only as intelligent and reflective on language as it is I'd love it, but the fact that it's so deeply interested in language while being so transcendently well written is once-in-a-lifetime sort of stuff. Get this back into print!
gethenians's review against another edition
3.0
i feel so bad about how little i liked this book. i feel like it is a me problem honestly. i still haven't figured out what it is exactly that just made it such a drag for me?
the_batlix's review against another edition
3.0
While the prose is quite poetic, in the end the book is a bit of a slog to go through. The stories of the women, though very interesting, are very fragmented and while there's somewhat recurring themes in them there's no clear point made with them. It reads like journalistic articles instead of a book. The historic reports of the war in the beginning of the book can be skipped almost entirely. It's quite an unnecessary infodump.
merillupin's review against another edition
4.0
A challenging, complex read, particularly the first half (set in the 1800s), due largely to the history and many names, places, and words that I was not familiar with.
anabey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
screiley's review against another edition
4.0
Assia Djebar is one of the most eloquent writers i've ever read. Her language is absolutely enchanting. However, this book could be difficult for someone unfamilar with Algerian history and culture, as well postcolonial and postmodernist theory and literature.
timahoi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
beebliobibuli's review against another edition
5.0
L'Amour, la Fantasia est le genre de livre dans lequel on vit, on voyage, on rêve.. Au fond d'une Algérie ancienne, prise, violée, brûlée, Assia Djebar nous raconte des histoire qui peut-être ont échappé aux historiens, les misères, le courage, la solitude de tout un peuple..