Bab el-Oued: A Novel

by Merzak Allouache

Bored housewives, kept in seclusion, smuggling in Harlequin romances. Young men transformed from thugs in jeans and tee-shirts into Islamic militants in beards and flowing white robes. A baker unwittingly caught in a web of intrigue, an iman whose faith is tested by urban corruption, a lonely divorcée accused of prostitution - all take part in Merzak Allouache's compelling novel of a society on the brink of crisis.

Allouache tells the story of the people of Bab el-Oued, a poor neighborhood in contemporary Algiers. His experience as a filmmaker lends the work a cinematic quality, bringing it vibrantly and immediately to life. Bab el-Oued's memorable characters draw us into their world. Entering their lives, we come to appreciate the human costs of economic and political, and also to understand something of the reasons underlying the power of new and violent forms of Islamic militancy.

"I wrote this book," said Algerian director Merzak Allouache, "to exorcise the many frustrations that arose when making the film Bab el-Oued City in Algiers. Writing the book gave me a sense of freedom not possible with the constraints of the camera, especially when shooting in a hostile environment, as was the case there." Bab el-Oued City, released to wide acclaim in 1993, is Allouache's fifth full-length film. He now lives in France.

Genres: Algeria, Islam, Fiction, Novels

134 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Merzak Allouache is an Algerian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 18 films since 1976. His 1976 film Omar Gatlato was entered into the 10th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Silver Prize. His 1996 Salut cousin! was submitted to the 69th Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. He is one of the most influential Algerian filmmakers, considered by some to be the most important. He is the only Algerian filmmaker who devoted most, if not all, of his cinematic work to his native country.

Merzak Allouache was born in the Algiers neighborhood of Bab el-Oued.

Reviews

[zina · Rating 4 out of 5]

the weaving of different characters’ narrations reminds me of assia djebar, as does the intrusion into the private spaces of women in a segregated society like that of bab el oued. the political is always personal, right? a lot of water under the bridge is brought up in this story, loss and more loss and carrying on. we say n’oublie pas but i think we get on only by forgetting without forgiving

[Jennifer Bryson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The movie this book is based on is terrific, see it if you can. The book is fairly good.