Journal, 1955-1962: Reflections on the French-Algerian War
Feraoun never fit into a neat category in colonial Algeria. He was a Muslim who counted French intellectuals among his closest friends, including Albert Camus. Although an Algerian nationalist, he was a Berber who neither spoke nor wrote Arabic. As a result, his journal brings a unique perspective to what was perhaps the most brutal of the anticolonial wars. This is not a chronicle of the war itself; rather, it is an intensely personal memoir detailing how the savage conflict affected the daily lives of people on both sides of the divide. Feraoun is clearly sympathetic to the rebel cause, but he is no mere shill for their side. He passionately examines the human condition with all its flaws and nobility, yet he occasionally describes events with an eerie detachment. Since he was assassinated by a French terrorist group just three days before the cease-fire that ended the war, his account is especially poignant. An emotionally draining and important work.Jay FreemanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.