BAB EL-OUED

by Merzak Allouache ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1998

Predictably ""cinematic,"" this energetic novel by a famed Algerian film director deftly surveys the embattled populace of a poor section of Algiers ruled by a platitudinous and ingenuous ""Imam"" and rife with both sexual tension and militant Islamic political activity. The stories of teenaged ""baker's boy"" Boualem, ""trabendo"" (contraband) smuggler Mabrouk, neighborhood sociopath Said, and their several women and co-conspirators are efficiently juxtaposed in a briskly paced narrative adapted from Allouache's 1993 film version. Reading the book makes you eager to see the movie.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1998

ISBN: 0894108603

Page Count: 150

Publisher: Lynn Rienner

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998

Categories: FICTION