Fantasia

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In this stunning novel, Assia Djebar intertwines the history of her native Algeria with episodes from the life of a young girl in a story stretching from the French conquest in 1830 to the War of Liberation of the 1950s The girl, growing up in the old Roman coastal town of Cherchel, sees her life in contrast to that of a neighboring French family, and yearns for than law and tradition allow her to experience Headstrong and passionate, she escapes from the cloistered life of her family to join her brother in the maquis fight against French domination Djebar s exceptional descriptive powers bring to life the experiences of girls and women caught up in the dual struggle for independence both their own and Algeria s. New Read [ Fantasia ] by [ Assia Djebar ] – kino-fada.fr Fantasia is a book in two parts, which alternate before one narrative takes over The first is a retelling of the French conquest of Algeria and the following insurgency in the early 19th century The second is an autobiographical version of the author s life a century later, as she grows as a person and sheds the roles which are forced upon her from both colonizer and colonized Without conte...Assia Djebar wants you to write a term paper about her book She wants you to deploy trendy crit theory terminology to unpack her overtly symbolic and extremely self aware meta narrative of historical readings, elided autobiography and tiresome, italicized hinge pieces But she also wants you to learn about Algerian history, about life as an Arab woman and about the torturous process of forging an identity in the liminal space between a...1830 France invades Algiers 1962 Algeria gains independence 1936 Assia Djebar is born 1984 Fantasia An Algerian Cavalcade is written It s hard to call this a novel It s not I d call it an essay, except at 284 pages that s stretching it Orientalism aside, the quote on the front calling it a mosaic isn t far off Djebar mixes her own autobiography with historical sources from the 19th century and discussions with women who remember the struggle for independence, and what came before 1830 Fra... Fantasia An Algerian Cavalcade is not a novel, or a memoir or an oral history, though it shares characteristics with all three genres It s a piece of literature that defies easy categorization It is, perhaps, best described as a meditation on history Algeria s in this case , alienation and women based on sources from both the French and native sides of Algeria s recent, tragic history, including the author s own experiences she fought in the last rebellion that ended in Algeria s indep...L Amour, la Fantasia est le genre de livre dans lequel on vit, on voyage, on r ve. Au fond d une Alg rie ancienne, prise, viol e, br l e, Assia Djebar nous raconte des histoire qui peut tre ont chapp aux historiens, les mis res, le courage, la solitude de tout un peuple..This is a book about giving a voice to those who are silent And to those who have been silenced Many people s stories weave in and out of one another, a tangle of emotion that eventually forms the tapestry of a nation s soul The stories center on Algeria France s initial occupation of Algeria in the 1830s and Algeria s war for independence in the 1950s.Most of the voices heard in this book are those of Algerian women The author herself, older war widows, young brides, outspoken women held This is a book abo...My attempts to beworldly with my reading sometimes lead to great discoveries, and sometimes they lead me here Not that Assia Djebar is not a fine writer her prose is lovely, if a bit joyless I did not care for this book, however.One thing I would have appreciated would have been Djebar establishing a stronger narrative through line There are many first person narrators in this book, from all eras, and I couldn t keep them all clear Is the one who played with her cousins in the opening My attempts to beworldly with my reading sometimes lead to great discoveries, and sometimes they lead me here Not that Assia Dj...A Rich Mosaic of FragmentsThis is the first novel written by an Algerian, man or woman, that I have ever read I suspect that could be true for many readers As a new voice in my world of literature, then, it s an important book I saw FANTASIA as a kaleidescope, though, always producing patterns and colors, always arranged, but not always understandable I found it very hard to judge this work because it has many facets, like a shifted kaleidescope Five stars for the idea or conception of A Rich Mosaic of FragmentsThis is the first novel written by an Algerian, man or woman, that I have ever read I suspect that could be true for many readers As a new voice in my world of literature, then, it s an important book I saw FANTASIA as a kaleidescope, though, always producing patterns and colors, always arranged, but not always understandable I found it very hard to judge this work because it has many facets, like a shifted kaleidescope Five stars for the idea or conception of the novel, for language if it is well translated , for the whole effort of bringing a woman s perspective on colonialism, on revolutionary struggle, and on tradition Dje...My Body, my LandWhy am I reviewing this Do I even understand it No, not entirely, but I understand enough to know that it is a remarkable work, part philosophy, part personal statement, part a history of Algeria under French rule Its very language a paradox an Arab author writing in French, the language of the conquerors but also the language ...3 stars.Read for my Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Middle Eastern History class, not going to review.

Fantasia
  • English
  • 03 May 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 227 pages
  • 0704326108
  • Assia Djebar
  • Fantasia