Gli angeli muoiono delle nostre ferite

by Yasmina Khadra, Marina di Leo (Translator)

«Mi chiamo Turambo e all’alba verranno a prendermi». Già dalle prime pagine un fatale conto alla rovescia attende il protagonista di questo romanzo. Siamo in Algeria nel 1937, e un ragazzo di 27 anni, arabo e musulmano, è in carcere ad aspettare l’inferno. Nei pensieri e nell’animo di questo giovane intravediamo qual è stata la sua vita, dall’infanzia in una contrada umilissima alla corsa furiosa verso il patibolo. Turambo cresce nell’Algeria coloniale degli anni Venti, e il suo destino sembra condannarlo alla miseria. Ma è bello, forte, passionale, dotato di un raro candore, e attira simpatie immediate. Grazie a questo dono riesce a varcare le porte del mondo francese, abitualmente precluso agli arabi, e il suo potente e veloce gancio sinistro non passa inosservato tra i professionisti del pugilato. Il successo sul ring gli porta fama e denaro, ma come tutti i puri di cuore odia la violenza e sogna l’amore. Nessun trofeo riesce a scaldare la sua anima come lo sguardo di una donna. Da Nora ad Aïda a Irène, ognuna di loro è un passo avanti in una lotta feroce contro il futuro e la sorte. All’inizio è l’amore segreto per la cugina Nora, la prima donna nella sua vita. Poi la scoperta del corpo e dei sensi con Aïda. Fino all’incontro con Irène: una donna libera, fiera e indipendente, che gli fa scoprire come la passione vera possa sbocciare solo se c’è assoluta fiducia e rispetto reciproco. Sospeso come il suo personaggio tra durezza e purezza, il romanzo ritrae con un lirismo che non rimuove la brutale realtà i sogni e le tensioni di un’intera epoca, il coraggio e la rassegnazione dei poveri e degli sconfitti, il peso opprimente della cultura europea, la complessa stratificazione sociale fatta di ebrei, italiani, arabi, gitani, spagnoli, francesi, e soprattutto la condizione femminile in un mondo in cui una donna felice significa sempre e solamente una moglie feconda, fedele, devota. Questo di Khadra è il ritratto di un uomo, di tre donne, di una città, che ha molto da svelare sulle tensioni di un passato che sembra lontano e che proietta la sua ombra sul nostro presente.

Genres: Fiction, Algeria, Africa, Historical Fiction, France, Roman, Historical

436 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2013

About the author

Yasmina Khadra (Arabic: ياسمينة خضراء‎, literally "green jasmine") is the pen name of the Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul.
Moulessehoul, an officer in the Algerian army, adopted a woman's pseudonym to avoid military censorship. Despite the publication of many successful novels in Algeria, Moulessehoul only revealed his true identity in 2001 after leaving the army and going into exile and seclusion in France. Anonymity was the only way for him to survive and avoid censorship during the Algerian Civil War.
In 2004, Newsweek acclaimed him as "one of the rare writers capable of giving a meaning to the violence in Algeria today."
His novel The Swallows of Kabul, set in Afghanistan under the Taliban, was shortlisted for the 2006 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. L'Attentat won the Prix des libraires in 2006, a prize chosen by about five thousand bookstores in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada.
Khadra pledges for becoming acquainted with the view of the others. In an interview with the German radio SWR1 in 2006, he said “The West interprets the world as he likes it. He develops certain theories that fit into its world outlook, but do not always represent the reality. Being a Muslim, I suggest a new perspective on Afghanistan, on the religious fanaticism and the, how I call it - religiopathy. My novel, the The Swallows of Kabul, gives the readers in the West a chance to understand the core of a problem that he usually only touches on the surface. Because the fanaticism is a threat for all, I contribute to the understanding of the causes and backgrounds. Perhaps then it will be possible to find a way to bring it under control.”

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turambo is so poor he isn't even known by his own name-Turambo is the name of the desperately poor village in which he was raised, only to leave when it is destroyed for a larger, more dangerous impoverished town.

The Angels Die (by Yasmina Khadra, who also wrote The Swallows of Kabul) begins with Turambo in a prison, facing execution. We aren't told anything about the crime; we are presented with his desperate voice, trying to understand how he came to this point in his young life.

The narrative abruptly cuts to his early years. Along with extreme poverty, Turambo also faces constant discrimination because he is an Arab in Algeria in the 1930s. I had no idea of the situation in Algeria at that time and the book was, to say the least, eye-opening. I was engrossed in following Turambo's struggles growing up and trying to create some kind of life for himself in a time and place where that seems to be an impossible task.

The Angels Die is a fascinating, well-written story. I was completely caught up in following Turambo's life. All of the characters-Turambo's family, friends, and the other people living in this almost nightmare-like world-are strongly created and believable, especially as seen through Turambo's perspective. I desperately wanted (despite the opening scene) to see Turambo escape the world in which he seems trapped. But even when he seems to have a chance, the view from his perspective is bleak.

I strongly recommend this gritty story depicting life in a different time and place but still (sadly) relevant in some ways to our world today.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallic Books, and Yasmina Khadra who provided me with the opportunity to read this excellent work in exchange for an honest review.

[Shabneez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book maybe because I was hoping for a happy ending. The story lacked depth. Turambo felt very two-dimensional at times. I have started to see a trend in Yasmina Khadra books; someone going mad, murder, execution.

After Cousine K, les hirondelles de Kaboul and les anges meurent de nos blessures, I think I'm going to pause with Yasmina Khadra for a while.

[Book Haunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of Yasmina Khadra, whose books usually give one a realistic look at Arab culture and family life, alongside the cultural oppression and fundamental extremism that has saturated their daily lives. This book takes us back a bit further than others I have read.

The Angels Die is set in 1920s and 1930s Algeria during a time when French colonials ruled over the Arab nation and the native population has been decimated by a century of bloody conquest and rampant disease. Those born in Algeria are treated as if they are foreigners in their own land. The French live in luxury while the Algerians live in squalor.

Twenty-seven year old Turambo grew up in a shanty town in Oran. Turambo tells us of his life growing up in Oran where he constantly rages at the unfairness of life. But Turambo’s willful spirit doesn’t allow him to give up his dream of a better future. At home, he is embarrassed by and resentful of his father, while he longs for an unspoken but promising love with his cousin Nora. When Turambo finds an unlikely friend in a French boy, Gino, who cares for a sick mother, he begins to take refuge from his life in Gino’s apartment. As Turambo grows from a boy to a man, he is sure that his chance to become a boxer is his way out of the harsh life he was brought up in. He will make a success of himself, win the girl he loves and show the oppressors that Algerians are a proud and indomitable people. But Turambo’s rage at all the inequities of the world could very well cause him to be his own worst enemy.

Maybe you can tell that this book caused me to take a little look at the history of Algeria. Khadra continues to educate me each time I read one of his books. The history of Algeria is both tragedy and triumph at different times as is so much of the world. IMHO, we need to continue translating all authors of this caliber.

I want to thank the publisher (Gallic Books) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Não reconheço Yasmina Khadra neste romance. Ou ele perdeu o juízo, ou contratou um escritor fantasma.
O enredo, as personagens, a escrita são tão exageradamente dramáticas que se tornam absurdas e patéticas.

Turambo, o "herói", é abandonado pelo pai (que prefere viver num cemitério do que com a mulher e os filhos);
Cresce com a mãe e alguns familiares num bairro de lata;
Começa a trabalhar, ainda criança, para gente que não lhe paga e ainda lhe dá grandes surras;
Entretanto, vai sendo humilhado e maltratado por ser muçulmano;
Conhece uns mafiosos que o contratam para trabalhar como boxeur;
Apaixona-se por Nora, que casa com outro;
Conhece Aida, uma prostituta, pede-a em casamento e ela rejeita-o;
Encontra o amor com Irène a qual é assassinada;
Ele, enlouquecido de dor, mata o melhor amigo;
Descobre que o amigo está inocente;
Perde a cabeça e mata mais um homem;
É preso e condenado à morte;
Na véspera de ser executado tem uma trombose e entra em coma;
Quando recupera é libertado;
Vive como vagabundo, no meio da maior miséria, até aos noventa e três anos.

(E não estou a contar tudo porque li grande parte na diagonal.)

Todo este chorrilho de disparates é narrado com recurso a frases ridículas e incoerentes como, por exemplo, esta:
"Tinha a impressão de ter atravessado o tempo num único passo, com os meus próprios gritos correndo atrás de mim como uma multidão enfurecida. Meti-me no automóvel e conduzi sem destino. Estacionei sob a copa de uma árvore para chorar. Nem um gemido. Nem uma lágrima."

Este senhor escreveu um dos meus livros favoritos. E agora apresenta-me isto...
O que me vale é que não sou mulher de idolatrias...

[Rym Hammoudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a Good one but I prefer '' ce que le jour doit a la nuit''

[Maria Bikaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come. really liked that one

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book takes place in Algeria, starting in the early 1920s. At the time Algeria was in the middle of a major famine caused by the lack of manpower and basic materials (which had been diverted and lost to support France during WWI).
Turambo lives in abject poverty. His father has returned from the trenches and as with most survivors had mental problems but, as an Arab, he lacked Government support and was a third-class citizen in his own land. The book traces Turambo through his childhood and teens where with no advantages life is tough, and as an Arab he is precluded from many opportunities. He is uneducated, gullible and naive.
The one thing that saves Turambo is he is a naturally fighter and turns to boxing to try to make his fortune, even though this is against his religion and family wishes. Even when he meets success he still meets racism, resentment and jealousy. He feels trapped in being a pawn for the men who support him and Arab activist groups using him as a poster-boy.
The book is well written, has sections of life philosophy and a great tale being told. Until the last two chapters which just did not seem to have the same quality as the rest of the book and felt like it had been written hurriedly to meet an editor's deadline.
Still worth reading for the world of Algeria between the two world wars.

[Vassiliki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η πένα του Γιασμίνα Χάντρα ειναι σκληρή κ δεν χαρίζεται σε κανενα. Σ αυτο το βιβλίο ενιωσα οτι ηρωιδα του ηταν η Αλγερια περισσοτερο απο τον ιδιο τον Τυραμπό. Αυτος ηταν μονο η αφορμη για να γνωρίσουμε την Αλγερία , τον παλμο και τους ανθρωπους της τη δεκαετία του '20 και του '30. Η φτωχεια , η αδικια , η παλη για επιβιωση και ο ρατσισμος περιγραφονται εδω με ωμοτητα. Για καποιο λογο που δεν μπορω να προσδιορισω η ιστορια δεν με αγγιξε. Ολη αυτη η μαυριλα και η αισθηση ματαιοτητας που διακατεχει το βιβλιο απ την αρχη ως το τελος καπως με ενοχλησε αν και παραμενω λατρης της γραφης του Χάντρα.

[Inês Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um mal nunca vem só, traz sempre uma comitiva de infortúnios que torna inevitável a descida aos infernos.

[Leo P · Rating 4 out of 5]

War gut

[Malek · Rating 3 out of 5]

- Le mektoub, lui fis-je à court d'arguments.
- Le mektoub, c'est qui, c'est quoi ? Mon grand-père disait que la fatalité ne concerne que ceux qui ont tout tenté sans succès. Pour les bras cassés, aucune excuse n'adoucit leur infortune. Je ne pense pas que mes parents aient tenté quoi que ce soit. Ils sont morts parce qu'ils n'ont fait que subir ce qu'ils auraient du combattre...

L'associé de mon oncle, le Mozabite, qui était parolier à ses heures perdues, disait: La musique est la preuve que nous sommes capables de continuer d'aimer malgré tout, de partager la même émotion, d’être nous mêmes une émotion fabuleuse, saine, belle comme une rêverie jaillissant au cœur de la nuit... Qu'est-ce qu'un ange sans sa harpe sinon un démon triste et nu, et que serait pour lui le paradis hormis un exil plein d'ennui ?

Je lui demandais comment elle faisait pour supporter ces déboires qui s'accrochaient à elle comme des revenants. Elle me répondait d'une voix limpide: "On fait avec. Le temps s'arrange pour rendre les choses vivables. Alors, on oublie et on se persuade que le pire est derrière soi. Bien sur, le gouffre nous rattrape au détour d'une solitude et on tombe dedans. Curieusement, dans la chute, on éprouve une sorte de paix intérieure. On se dit c'est ainsi, et c'est tout. On pense aux gens qui souffrent et on compare nos douleurs. On supporte mieux la notre après. Il faut bien se mentir. On se promet de se ressaisir, de ne pas tomber dans le gouffre. Et si, pour une fois, on parvient à se retenir au bord du précipice, on trouve la force de s'en détourner. On regarde ailleurs, autre chose que soi. Et la vie reprend ses droits,avec ses hauts et ses bas. Après tout, qu'est-ce que la vie ? Un gros rêve, sans plus. On a beau acheter ou se vendre, on est des locataires sur terre. On ne détient pas grand-chose finalement. Et puisque rien ne dure, pourquoi s'en faire ? Quand on atteint cette logique, aussi bête soit-elle, tout devient tolérable. Et alors, on se laisse aller, et ça marche."

- Les hommes ne voient pas les choses, ils fantasment dessus.
- Et les femmes ?
- Les femmes ne pensent pas comme les homme. Nous pensons juste ; vous ne pensez qu'à vous mêmes. Nous savons tout de suite déceler l'essentiel tandis que vous vous dispersez à travers ce qu'il y a autour. Le bonheur, chez nous, est dans l'harmonie ambiante. Chez vous, le bonheur est dans la conquête et la démesure. Vous vous méfiez comme d'une teigne de ce qui est évident et vous cherchez ailleurs ce qui est à portée de vos mains. Forcément, vous finissez par perdre de vue ce qui était acquis au départ.

- Je ne suis pas de ton milieu, jeune homme. Ni de ta race. Ni de ta culture. Et le monde ne se réduit pas à ta tribu. Dans ton monde à toi, la femme est le bien de son époux. Ce dernier lui fait croire qu'il est son destin, son salut, son maitre absolu, qu'elle n'est qu'une cote issue de son squelette, et elle le croit. Dans mon monde à moi, les femmes ne sont pas l'excroissance des hommes, et la virginité n'est pas forcément un gage de bonne conduite. On se marie quand on s'aime, ce qui appartient aux jours d'avant ne compte pas. Dans mon monde à moi, on ne répudie pas son épouse, on divorce, et chacun poursuit son chemin de son coté. Nos femmes ont le droit de vivre leur vie. Il n'y a pas honte à ça. Tant qu'on ne fait de mal à personne, on n'a pas à se justifier. Et le crime d'honneur, chez nous, est un crime tout court, aucune loi ne lui trouve de circonstances atténuantes, encore moins de légitimité. Si tu penses sérieusement que je devais t'attendre sagement emmurée dans ma chambre au risque de n'entendre arriver chez moi ni prince charmant ni huissier, c'est que tu es encore plus con que ton peuple.

En regardant de près nos vies, on s'aperçoit que nous ne sommes pas les héros de nos histoires personnelles. On a beau s'attendrir sur son sort ou jouir d'une notoriété qui souvent prête du talent à ceux qui ne savent pas le rendre, il y aura toujours quelqu'un de plus lésé ou de plus verni que soi. Ah ! si seulement on pouvait tout relativiser - la préciosité, l'honneur, la susceptibilité, la foi et l'abjuration, la menterie au même titre que la véracité -, on aurait sans doute trouvé la satiété jusque dans la frugalité et mesuré très tôt combien l'humilité nous préserve de la démence - il n'est pire folie que de se croire le nombril du monde. Pourtant, chaque fléchissement nous prouve que l'on est bien peu de chose, mais qui l'admettrait ?

[Maćkowy · Rating 3 out of 5]

W książce poznajemy losy Turamba - niepiśmiennego chłopa o rogatej duszy, który po tym, jak jego rodzinna wioska zostaje zniszczona podczas powodzi błotnej, szuka wraz z rodziną szczęścia w Oranie, gdzie przez zupełny przypadek (daje komuś w ryj) okazuje się, że ma talent do szydełkowania (żartuję, do boksu ma smykałkę). Turambo, pokonując kolejnych przeciwników, pnie się w górę w bokserskiej chierarchii, wyrywa się z biedy i jedyne czego nie może zdobyć to szacunku białych mieszkańców Algierii.

Oprócz dobrze przedstawionej kariery sportowej głównego bohatera, autor skupia się na przedstawieniu trudnych relacji między Arabami a Francuzami w Algierii lat '30 XX wieku, gdzie ci pierwsi są traktowani nie lepiej niż czarni niewolnicy w stanach zjednoczonych - wszechobecny jest rasizm i szowinizm wobec rdzennej ludności północnej Afryki, co dobrze ukazuje wątek relacji między bokserem a jego "promotorem" Diukiem, przez którego jest traktowany nie lepiej niż wyścigowy koń przed gonitwą.
Dobrze i ciekawie jest pokazany sam Oran (autor widzi miasto trochę inaczej niż Camus w Dżumie ;)). Ale to wszystko jest tylko otoczką, bo niestety na pierwszy plan powieści wsuwa się niestety wątek romantyczny, gdyż nasz Turambo co i rusz jest nieszczęśliwie zakochany i opowiada nam o swojej miłości w taki sposób, że na plecach czułe oddech Paolo Coelho, a sam finał książki jest tak melodramatyczny i nieprzemyślany, że spokojnie mógłby kończyć operę - a sam Turambo, twardy chłop, jest poza ringiem egzaltowany jak pensjonarka, reszta postaci jest dość stereotypowa, a sama historia, gdyby odrzeć ją z ciekawej i miłej otoczki retro i egzotyki Algierii, niezbyt oryginalna, ale mimo wszystko miło mi się ją czytało.

Zapewne gdyby nie oskarżenie Szczepana Twardocha o plagiat tej powieści przeszłaby ona bez echa i raz na jakiś czas pojawiała się na książkowych wyprzedażach. Przyznam, że gdyby nie cała akcja rozkręcona przez dziennikarza Rzeczpospolitej nie wiedziałbym nawet o istnieniu Yasminy Khadry. Czy miałbym prawo odczuwać niewytłumaczalną pustkę w moim literackim życiu z tego powodu?

Raczej nie.

[DubaiReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Blows were part of life; they were the price of perseverance."

Having previously read two of Yasmina Khadra's books, I knew this was not going to be cheerful reading, but as the author is attending our literary festival in March, I decided this was a good opportunity to read his latest book.

It is set in Algeria between the two world wars, during a time of colonial rule.
It was quite an eye-opener to realise that the native Arabs were quite so low in this artificial caste system and in their own country, at this time.

Turambo's village had been washed away in a landslide, many of its inhabitants lost and all the animals dead. He moved to the city with his mother, aunt and teenage uncle, who became head of the family, being the oldest male. They were cripplingly poor but managed to scrape enough together by baking. Turambo tries to get work but he was not very successful - what he was good at though, was boxing. Originally used in self defense, a talent scout saw him in action and offered to train him in his gym. Thus Turambo rose to fame - but still he was just a pawn in someone else's game, racism, it seemed, affected even the famous.

The end of the book, which explains how Turambo came to be in prison facing the guillotine, was not what I'd expected and I'm still not sure what I feel about this ending - other than very sad :(

I found myself reading this at the same time as Yalo by Elias Khoury, both books had a young man imprisoned and going back over how they'd arrived at this point, one in Algeria, the other in Lebanon, so I put this one down to concentrate on Yalo. I'm glad I did, as reading the two together was confusing, and this was by far the better read for me.

Also read:
The Swallows of Kabul (4 stars)
The Attack (4 stars)

[Ana Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comecei a gostar do autor Yasmina Khadra quando li o livro “Cada dia é um milagre”. Este seu novo romance é estrondoso e fantástico, estanho no mesmo nível do seu antecedente.

Nas obras de Yasmina Khadra somos brindados com uma escrita eloquente, expressiva e muito bem construída. Embutida de frases introspetivas e reflexivas, que permite ao leitor viver ao rubro a narrativa.

A nível de conteúdo da obra, o autor aborda temas como a xenofobia (preconceito) e as limitações de pertencer a um grupo conotado como inferior na sociedade. Fala-nos das desigualdades sociais, da injustiça, da morte e do amor.
Daquele amor, que é capaz de nos cegar e levar-nos a tomar atitudes precipitadas e injustas. Este romance é também ele dramático. E como devem calcular não termina com um final feliz. Contudo, a mensagem que me transmitiu foi a de que devemos ser ponderados nas nossas decisões e lutar sempre por aquilo em que acreditamos.

Sabendo à priori que a vida é injusta, resta-nos duas opções: a) a de lutar ou b) desistir e viver uma vida medíocre e infeliz.

Eu prefiro a opção a) e tu?

Leiam este magnífico livro :)

Deixo-vos ainda, com duas reflexões que retirei deste livro:

“No fim de contas, o que é a vida? Um longo sonho, nada mais. Por muito que compremos e vendamos, estamos apenas de passagem. Nada nos pertence realmente. E, uma vez que nada dura, porquê ralarmo-nos tanto? Quando aceitamos esta lógica, por idiota que possa parecer, tudo se torna tolerável.”

“Há sempre vida depois de um fracasso, só a morte é definitiva.”

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of 2017 at this point and by far the best novel I have read in a long time. I looked at other people's reviews of the book and many people used words like "sad" or "depressing" or "bleak". I guess I can see that but there is so much more to the story than the bad things that befell Turambo. His is an amazing story with such a wide cast of characters and location. More than anything the word I would use to describe his story is "living".

The prose of this book is some of the most beautiful I have ever read. It was originally written in French and translated and it is gobsmackingly rich in flavor. I am not sure how I would characterize the story. It's about a boxer but isn't about boxing. It's about money but isn't necessarily about greed. There is so much more behind those talking points: poverty, racism, classism, the effects of war, the beauty and variety of Algeria...

Definitely recommended. This is a story that will stick with me and Turambo will have a small place in my heart.

[Nihed Oukaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟
.
✨Il y a toujours une vie après l'échec, la mort seule est définitive✨
.
📖Genres: Fiction historique, romance.
.
📖Amayas ou Turambo, un misérable garçon Algérien qui prend le nom de son village situé à Bidonville à sidi Bel abbès, s'installe avec sa famille à Oran et passe sa vie d'un travail à un autre à la recherche d'un sens à sa vie, et de Nora à Louise, d'Aïda à Irène ; à la recherche de l'amour qui pourrait la réchauffer.
📖L'histoire illustre le racisme et les dures conditions que le peuple Algérien vivait à l'époque du colonialisme Français à travers la misère d'Amayas.
.
📖Mes personnages préférés sont : Turambo, avec sa force et son cœur pur.
Irène, un exemple de la femme forte.
🌟J'ajoute ce livre à mes favoris de @Yasmina Khadra et je le donne 4/5.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ainda não conhecia este autor, que é argelino e com uma narrativa poderosa. Turambo é um argelino pobre e muçulmano, cuja vida é marcada pela pobreza e pelo racismo na primeira metade do século XX. Quando a sua capacidade para o boxe parece libertado, tudo se descontrola. Depois de uma brevíssima felicidade, a sua vida regressa ao ponto de partida. É uma intensa reflexão sobre uma vida verosímil num país colonial, patriarcal e surdo à dignidade humana.

[Matthias Carvalho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encore un classique de Yasmina Khadra. Un héros qui transpire l'innocence et la candeur, ballotté dans toute l'Algérie colonisée. Un héros à qui on s'attache, que l'on veut voir réussir mais surtout enfin heureux. L'histoire prend son temps et khadra, entre deux sublimes descriptions d'un sentiment, d'un paysage ou d'une fête, ne manque pas de nous rappeler la fragilité de l'existence. Et d'un coup tout s'emballe, l'irréparable se produit, l'ode à l'amour laisse place à un récit d'une tristesse déchirante et on se met à regretter les moments où l'histoire prenait son temps. Enfin notre héros livre la conclusion de son histoire, un point final qui laisse pantois et va m'empêcher de dormir cette nuit, parce que je rêve de connaître des sentiments aussi forts et beaux que ceux que décrivent Khadra mais surtout parce que j'ai énormément de peine et de compassion pour un personnage qui n'existe que dans ce livre.

[Estelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'adore Yasmina Khadra en tant normal mais là j'ai eu beaucoup de mal. La prose est magnifique. Certains passages de texte révèlent presque de la poésie. Mais je n'ai pas accroché à l'histoire et à son personnage principal, Turambo.

[Oleh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coś w stylu Nędzników, ale o problemach wywołanych rasizmem i spotkaniu dwóch różnych kultur
Ciekawe, rok temu biłem się z Arabami, a teraz czytam o ich losie, fajny świat

[Louisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

je l’ai DNF, les personnages sont bien écrits mais l’intrigue est pas folle je m’ennuyais vraiment

[Kate Vane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Angels Die is set in Algeria between the two world wars. It tells the story of Turambo, a young, poor Arab boy who grows up to be a promising boxer. It is narrated by Turambo and begins when he is in prison, awaiting execution.

Turambo grows up with his mother, uncle and his family. His own father is absent after he went to fight in World War One. The early part of the book is a series of increasingly bleak vignettes showing the poverty and cruelty that Turambo experiences in the slums. It was hard to stay focused without a narrative but the story begins to flow as Turambo reaches adolescence, when he and his friend Sid Roho run away to the city of Oran.

Life in Oran remains tough but Turambo at least sees possibilities, that life can be different from the slums. He forms a significant friendship with a boy called Gino. In the city he experiences different cultures – and prejudices. He meets Europeans (‘Roumis’) of various nationalities, experiences racism against Arabs and sees the ambiguous status of Gino, who is of Italian descent but Jewish.

Turambo takes a number of menial jobs but his temper gets him into trouble. His refusal to accept low-paid work and humiliation and his willingness to stand and fight win him the chance to train as a boxer. Life opens up for him but he faces new challenges and ultimately finds himself in prison.

Turambo kicks against the limited opportunities offered to him, and this is one of the key themes of the book. You can admire his spirit, for insisting on making choices where it appears that none exist, or you can see his behaviour as self-destructive. Neither the risk takers like Sid Roho, nor conformists like Turambo’s uncle, find peace and security. Perhaps Turambo’s nature means he couldn’t behave differently, but even if he could there are no success stories in his life for him to emulate.

The Angels Die asks profound questions about choice and fate, about the subtle and overt ways people are constrained, and about why some submit and some fight.
*
I received a copy of The Angels Die from the publisher via Netgalley.
This review first appeared on my blog https://katevane.wordpress.com/

[Tita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta é a história de Turambo que, quando o conhecemos se encontra preso, no corredor da morte e questionamos o que terá feito. Posto isto vamos, voltamos atrás e vamos conhecendo a sua história, desde menino até ao momento que o levou à prisão.
É uma história que aborda temas fortes como o preconceito racial, mas também a ascensão e queda de um jovem que era adorado pelo povo, mas que pretendia seguir o seu destino e o seu coração. É um romance mais dramático e que não é de todo um livro com uma história feliz, mas que nos faz reflectir no modo como devemos lutar, de forma ponderada, pelos nossos objectivos. E a forma como o amor nos vai guiando ao longo da vida.
Com uma escrita muito cuidada e expressiva que me cativou logo nas primeiras páginas. Senti-me mais pressa à escrita, do que propriamente à história de Turambo, apesar de esta ser bastante interessante, mas realmente, o livro ganha muito pela escrita de Yasmina Khadra. E isto porquê? Porque a nossa personagem principal, Turambo, não me agradou totalmente, impulsivo demais e quase sem ser muito racional.
Fica a vontade de ler mais do autor.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the saddest book of Zasmina Khadra I read so far and it's not the first. The story of Turambo, poor kid who became the boxing Idol of North Africa but as fast as he gets to the Olympus of the sport, he fell and ends up in the death row of a prison where he starts to tell us his story. It was too long and sad in my opinion, but I learned a lot about that period of time.

In assoluto il libro piú triste di Yasmina Khadra e non ne ho letti pochi. La storia di Turambo, bambino povero che diventa pugile idolo delle fosse e campione del nord Africa, ma con la stessa velocitá con cui ottiene gli allori, precipita in prigione ad aspettare la pena di morte, ed é proprio dalla cella che comincia a raccontarci la sua storia. Libro troppo triste e lungo per i miei gusti, ma ho imparato parecchio su quel periodo di tempo.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND GALLIC BOOKS FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

'My name is Turambo and they'll be coming for me at dawn': so opens this first-person narrative of racism, oppression and pure ill luck. Make no mistakes, there are few bright or high points in this story set in Algeria. I expected it to be more overtly about the throwing off of colonial shackles but Turambo is in prison during most of the war for independence - though we still see him via a colonial gaze.

I don't tend to like the first-person narrative told from old age looking back on a life already lived since it too often lacks dynamism - after all, everything has already happened. Here that sense of detachment is exacerbated by some frankly melodramatic action at the climax that left me cold.

So a story of the underdog full of bad luck, poverty, betrayal and violence.

ARC from Netgalley

[Louna · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai été absolument chavirée par l'écriture de Yasmina Khadra, que je découvrais pour la première fois, dans les premiers chapitres. L'univers construit par l'auteur est riche de sensations et de personnages plus vrais que nature, dont Turambo, le narrateur, immédiatement attachant. J'étais convaincue que ce roman serait donc un nouveau favori : mais le récit perd de sa dynamique, et je me suis ennuyée dans ses creux. Même la fin, et malgré la montée en tension qui parvient de nouveau à nous emmener aux côtés de Turambo, paraît construite à la va-vite - et le riche tableau plein d'angoisse existentielle dépeint dans les premières pages du roman retombe comme un soufflé. Très envie tout de même de lire d'autres romans de l'auteur.

[Haaike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, moeilijk om dit boek te raten. Want het is heel mooi geschreven, maar ook in heel moeilijk Frans (zoveel woorden moeten opzoeken!). Het is een pakkend verhaal, maar toch pakte het mij niet helemaal (ca. 2 maand over een boek van 330 pagina's, dat is héél lang voor mijn doen). Puur naar leeservaring ga ik dus eerder voor een 3*, inhoudelijk - het inzicht in de Algerijnse maatschappij, in de manier waarop de lokale bevolking ondergeschikt aan de Franse bevolking beschouwd wordt, in de weinige mogelijkheden die er maar zijn je uit je klasse los te scheuren - neig ik eerder naar 4*.

[Hannes Spitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

eine starke Boxergeschichte. Die Frauen agieren zwar selbständig, ihre Motivation zeigt der Autot nur als Reflexion im Erleben der Hauptperson. Das ist zwar konsequente Erzählhaltung, aber für mich unbefriedigend...

[myriam kisfaludi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow ! Quel beau roman à l'écriture si juste et si sensible. Aussi beau et bon que :"Ce que le jour doit à la nuit". C'est le troisième roman de Yasmina Khadra que je lis et cela me donne envie de continuer

[Abdelghani djebaili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une histoire merveilleuse , Plein d'amour ,de sagesse , de désespoir et de victoire ,...... Et une fin surprenante . Merci Yasmina Khadra pour ce Roman .