‘A breathtaking and effectively realized novel. The Outsider becomes a palindrome ... The Meursault investigation approaches the incredible, in that it reverses the perspective and point of view not without an emphatic ferociousness, all while playing with the prose and perspective of The Outsider.’
The Meursault Investigation
Kamel DaoudShortlisted for the Prix Goncourt
Winner of the Goncourt du Premier Roman
Winner of the Prix des Cinq Continents
Winner of the Prix François Mauriac
THE NOVEL THAT HAS TAKEN THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY WORLD BY STORM
He was the brother of ‘the Arab’ killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel. Angry at the world and his own unending solitude, he resolves to bring his brother out of obscurity by giving him a name – Musa – and a voice, and by describing the events that led to his senseless murder on a dazzling Algerian beach. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria, but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.
Reviews
La Croix
‘A remarkable homage to its model.’
Le Nouvel Observateur
‘Fiction with a strong moral edge, offering a Rashomon-like response to a classic novel.’
Kirkus
‘A superb novel … In the future, The Outsider and The Meursault Investigation will be read side by side.’
Le Monde des Livres
‘An intense and surprising story.’
La Montagne
'A labyrinth of dilemmas, absurdities and personal crisis. Camus started it and Daoud finished it. you’ll think of The Stranger in a different way after reading this book.'
World Translations Review
‘a scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus’s masterpiece.’
The Economist
‘Daoud’s novel has the magnetism of its forebear, but its themes of voicelessness and vengeance feel utterly present day’
Vogue (US)
‘[A] mesmerizing first novel … The Meursault Investigation has an inescapable topical resonance, given the role played by political Islam in Algeria in recent times … an absorbing, independent story and a shrewd critique of a country trapped in history’s time warp.’
Wall Street Journal
‘Humour erupts in The Meusrsault Investigation every time there is tragedy, and this recipe for the Algerian absurd gives Daoud’s book its literary sting.'
The Nation
‘Give Kamel Daoud credit for audacity. In his debut novel, The Meursault Investigation, the Algerian journalist goes head-to-head with a pillar of 20th century literature…The true measure of the novel…is that Daoud realizes critique is not enough…the power – and, yes, the beauty – of The Meursault Investigation is that it moves … to an unexpected integration in which we recognize that for all the intractable divides of faith or nationality, our humanity remains (how can it not?) essentially the same.’
Los Angeles Times
‘Mr. Daoud’s writing is like a live wire flowing with anger. It sparks fresh insights, raises important questions about the links between literature and politics, and challenges us to view the literary past and political present in new ways.’
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Kamel Daoud
Kamel Daoud is an Algerian journalist based in Oran, where he writes for the Quotidien d’Oran – the third largest French-language Algerian newspaper. He contributes a weekly column to Le Point, and his articles have appeared in Libération, Le Monde, Courrier International, and are regularly reprinted around the world. International rights to the novel have been sold in twenty countries.
Author page
