Shérazade

by Leïla Sebbar

Shérazade is seventeen, Algerian, and a ­runaway in Paris. She searches for her true identity but is caught between worlds of Africa and Europe, her parents' and her own, colony and capital. Ultimately it is an ­account of possession, identity and the realities of urban life in the late twentieth century. She is pursued by Julian, the son of French-Algerians who is an ardent Orientalist. Pigeon-holed by Julian into the ­stereotypical exotic mold, Shérazade endeavors to create her own definition of Algerian ­femininity and in doing so breaks down conventions and stereotypes. It is Julian's obsession with her that spurs her on to self-discovery and to make decisions about her future.

Genres: France, Fiction, Algeria, Read For School

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 1982

About the author

Leïla Sebbar is an Algerian author, the daughter of a French mother and an Algerian father. She spent her youth in colonial Algeria but now lives in Paris and writes in French. She writes about the relationship between France and Algeria and often juxtaposes the imagery of both countries to show the difference in cultures between the two.

Sebbar deals with a variety of topics, and either adopts a purely fictional approach or uses psychology to make her point. Many of Sebbar's novels express the frustrations of the Beur, the second generation of Maghribi youth who were born and raised in France and who have not yet integrated into French society. Her book Parle mon fils, parle à ta mère (1984; Talk son, talk to your mother), illustrates the absence of dialogue between two generations who do not speak the same language.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame that my enjoyment of this novel may be ruined by the essay I'm about to write on it.

[Marie Diewald · Rating 3 out of 5]

sheesh the end?????

[Klára · Rating 3 out of 5]

Šerazáda je sedmnáctiletá dívka, která utekla z domova, aby se jednoho dne vypravila do Alžíru, země kde žil její dědeček. Předtím však žije ve squatu s různými lidmi, s nimiž se prostřednictvím dialogů a událostí seznamuje blíže, čímž získáváme pohled na střet tradičního života alžírských přistěhovalců a moderního života ve Francii. Kromě toho se tu zde řeší i nevšední vztah Julieana a Šerazády.
Knihu jsem si vybrala v návalu jakéhosi zájmu o knihy z neobvyklých států. Při výzvě, aby mi kamarád vybral náhodný stát, vybral Alžír. Je to psané tak, aby to přiblížilo mentalitu náctiletých, tudíž žádné skvost, ale někdy se i prostým jazykem dá sdělit mnoho.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, I wish I had paid more attention to it. Set in 1980s France, a dozen or so young people, runaways and revolutionaries, live as squatters in this big apartment in Paris. It was a little hard to get everyone's story straight, but it was such a well told story, a lot happening between the lines. There wasn't really a plot, just an ambling collection of vignettes, with different ideological and sociological descriptions.

[İrem Ece Keskin · Rating 2 out of 5]

wattpad yazsam böyle bi şey olurdu sanırım

[Busrauyarimsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bu kitap hakkında kaleme aldığım yazı 03.12.2020 tarihinde gazeteduvar.com.tr'de yayınlanmıştır: https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/leila-...

Leïla Sebbar’ın ve Şehrazat’ın Paris'i

İşlek ve “klas” sokakları, çıkan yolların sonunu Eiffel’e hazırlayan zarif şehir stili, fonda hafif bir saksafon ezgisiyle; Paris. Büyük, tertemiz camekanların ardında lüks mağazalara ya da eşsiz tatlara, yüksek sanat kadar avangart sanata da ev sahipliği edebilen bir Paris...

Ama siz şimdi unutun bunu.

Leïla Sebbar’ın Paris’i, “o” Paris değil; ne bu zaman ne de Şehrazat’ın zamanı için. İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan ve Bahadırhan Bozkurt’un dilimize kazandırdığı 'Şehrazat: 17 Yaşında, Esmer, Kıvırcık Saçlı, Yeşil Gözlü', 80’lerin Paris’ine götürüyor okuru. İki göçmenin, Sebbar’ın ve Şehrazat’ın Paris’inde unutulmuş, işgal edilmiş evler, satın alındığı için değil çalındığı için gururla ışıldayan lüks takılar, devrimci yayınlar, yoksunluk krizleri ve her şeye rağmen ihtişamlı partiler var. Ve onların ortasında ailesinden, toprağından ve kendi gerçekliğinden göç etmiş bir Şehrazat.

Evet, Şehrazat. 17 yaşında, esmer, kıvırcık saçlı, yeşil gözlü. Kendisinden ne kadar bahsetmek isterse, ne giymek, nerede uyumak, nasıl davranmak isterse o Şehrazat. Göçebelik gereği yüklenebileceği ve her yerde bırakabileceği şaşâalı kişilik özelliklerinden arınmış, bir bunlar var elimizde. Bu durum yalnız Şehrazat için değil, etrafındakiler için de öyle.
Dolayısıyla son derece dinamik, tek çizgi üzerinde ilerleyen ama kesintili bir kurgusu var anlatının. Aynı karakterler ama farklı öfkeler ya da farklı yoksunluklar, hayatlarına hızlıca girip çıkanlar, bir soygunla bir anda sahip olunanlar, polislere yakalanmamak için sürekli arşınlanan, karanlığına rağmen ışıl ışıl parlayan sokaklar... Tüm bunlar çalıntı bir altın zincir gibi güçlü bir şekilde bağlı birbirine ve altın zincir kadar da güzelliğinin farkında.

Bu sabit ve bir o kadar da hızlı hayatta kalmak için durmadan dönüşen kurgu, bir noktada 'Binbir Gece Masalları'nı andırıyor aslında. Nasıl andırmasın, bir Şehrazat’ı da var üstelik! Nitekim anlatıdaki herkes de bunun farkında. Şehrazat ismini duyunca parlayan gözler, aynı klişe sözler için açılan ağızlar kusursuz bir kopya gibi. Beklentileri de aynı: Kız kardeşini kurtaran fedakâr Şehrazat, “erkeğini” zekâsıyla kandıran Şehrazat, hayatta kalmak için anlatan, hayatta kalmak için bir hikâyenin içinde “sarmalayan” Şehrazat...

Oysa bizim 17 yaşında, esmer, kıvırcık saçlı, yeşil gözlü Şehrazat’ımızın itirazı var buna. Şehrazat, hayatta kalmak için avutmuyor ve anlatmıyor. Bu, kulağına küpe edilmiş bir öğüt de değil üstelik. İstediği kadarını, istediği zaman anlatmak, bu göçebelikte onun yanına alabildiği tek karakter özelliği. Ona hayran erkekler adeta gözlerini koca koca açmış bekliyor: Şehrazat avutsun, Şehrazat kendini sunsun, Şehrazat gün batımını gün doğumuna kelimelerle bağlayıp zamanı alt etsin, Şehrazat biraz Şehrazat olsun canım! Hâlbuki bunlar Şehrazat’ın umurunda bile değil: O bazen Camilla, bazen Roza.

Şehrazat’ın dökülmemiş sırları, Paris’in arka sokakları ve arka insanlarıyla birleşip, ilginç bir siyasi mizansen kuruyor. Tam da bu nedenle, görsel olarak da güçlü işliyor roman. Dinamik kesmeler, sıçramalı kurgular, bir anda taban tabana zıt işleyen mizansen ve karakterler, değişen renk paletleri ve her şey hakkında konuşabilenlerin ortasında hiçbir şey hakkında konuşmayan bir Şehrazat. Bir romanın yanı sıra, bir Yeni Dalga filmi bile diyebiliriz bu kaosa!

İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan 'Şehrazat: 17 Yaşında, Esmer, Kıvırcık Saçlı, Yeşil Gözlü', yenilikçi ve ilginç bir göçebelik deneyimi. Işıl ışıl ve yersiz yurtsuz; yeni sonlanmış savaşlar, sınırlar ve kültürler arasında mekik dokuyan bir roman; tarihi ve Paris sokaklarını bir de böyle arşınlamanın bir başka yolu…

[Elwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cadence of the narrative took two chapters for me to get into the rhythm of, and then it flew by in a blink! Sherazade is at once sparkling and gritty and just like the character, the book is layered and nuanced in a way that is incredibly relevant today. Paris' many cultures blend and clash as seen through the eyes and experiences and actions of the characters. The history of France and its colonies comes to life in the current day-to-day activities of Sherazade and her buddies.

I know there are more books about Sherazade, but I don't think they've been translated into English yet... I hope they are translated. I would love to follow Sherazade on her journey.

[Walaa Shaaban · Rating 3 out of 5]

8:28 PM Thursday one of October’s nights I finished reading this novel.
I had no intention in writing a review really but I felt like writing something about it I can remember in a year or more. I bought this novel by chance, I went off college tried, exhausted and bored of my projects, studies and everything mostly, decided to have a walk. I put my headphones and walked without caring about anything or anyone around me, I was walking on my own world literary. There was an old man who sells old used books with a very lovely smell!
The moment I saw it, my heart started beating so hard, I could focus on the playing list of my songs, I glanced at that book my eyes were full of excitement. It was enchanting. I had been attracted by a book!

I passed through a lot of struggles while reading this novel, it means something to me because it was like a close friend to me. It was that kind of activity I used to do when I want to escape form everything and everyone.

“He wanted trees, grass, hedges, streams, rivers, country lanes. That’s what he was leaving a day earlier for, to dawdle, to go off beaten track. In Paris, too he was a wanderer, but without the freedom of narrow, deserted roads, these gravel roads which still exist and which he loved to drive with a powerful car raising a cloud of yellow dust behind it. He would stop, get out, stuff off again, accelerate, barking suddenly with a viciousness that these country roads allowed.”

It was a good friend, but not as good as I excepted.
Thanks to the author tho.

[Cielo · Rating 1 out of 5]

ill be so honest i just didnt get this book at all LIKE. i wanted to like it so bad but I just don't rock with books that use stream of consciousness like its not fun!! its always so aimless and confusing

this whole book was aimless and confusing like !! maybe I'm just not reading into it enough but I literally could not tell you the plot ALSO all the characters felt so flat and dull idk

[Reyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting and it was a pretty quick read. I enjoyed the prose style, and the portrait is presented of a very specific time, place and people. It was as if I was only a witness briefly to a story that started and ended without me--this was just a chunk out of the middle.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Lorsque les gendarmes arrivèrent, Shérazade avait disparu."

[Lyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce roman manque à mon goût d'une véritable histoire ou trame.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

📍 Algeria, France 🇩🇿🇫🇷

[Neetu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. A great bulk of the "plot" was unclear. But it was an easy read and showed the lives of a large ensemble cast, namely Shehrazade, coming to terms with her Algerian identity- after fleeing from there to France.

I thought Pierrot and Julian were incredibly possessive and all around creepers. I felt no empathy for them.

The ending was worth the read.

[Mina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Je n'aime pas ce type de bêtise: si c'était pour décrire un squatt, une sorte de fresque Balzacienne, si c'était pour décrire des arabes de Paris, si c'était à propos de le désir de Shérazade d'être toujours libre et seule, comme un version moderne de "Carmen" de Mérimée et Bizet, si un ou plus de ceux c'étaient les cas, j'ai en toute cas trouvé l'écriture maladroite et ennuyeuse - c'est diront on, le même cas avec la mienne, mais c'est pas moi qui a la responsabilité d'avoir publié un livre.

Au moins, il y a un parallèle, une similarité, entre "Shérazade" et "Carmen" - je me demande si ça a été volontaire: Shérazade ne demande rien, c'est toujours Julien, son "José", qui court après elle, c'est aussi elle qui le laisse en le disant qu'elle l'aime, même s'il aurait voulu la suivre. Il y a une autre chose: elle court de chez elle même si ça famille paraît l'aimer et la laiser faire ce qu'elle voulait - ça, pour moi, veut dire qu'elle desire la liberté de Carmen. C'est aussi comme elle ne fait que ce qu'elle veut tout le temps, même quand Pierrot l'abandonne sur l'autoroute pour refuser d'enlever son Walkman pour l'écouter.

Mais, vraiment, ça n'importe pas beaucoup: "Carmen" n'est qu'une nouvelle, assez courte pour dire ce qu'elle doit dire et tout ce que je pense qu'elle veut dire. "Shérazade" est pleine de bêtises pour lesquelles je ne peux trouver aucune justification. Bon, c'est fini.

[Sherry Fyman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Paris in the 1970s(?), the book is a loose collection of interlocking stories about a group of young people - revolutionaries, runaways, students. The title character references 1001 Arabian Nights and I guess the risk is that when you launch your book for an international classic you set a high bar for yourself. I don’t think this came any where close.

[Laila Taji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The main character is engaging and enigmatic. Short easy to read chapters. So interesting to read about children of immigrants who feel ostracized in their own country and how they struggle with rebellion and belonging.

[Mills College Library]

Fiction S4434h 2014