A Sister to Scheherazade

This book is written by 4-time nobel prize nominated author Assia Djebar, who combines the wonderful poetic tradition of her native Algerian Arabic in a story translated from the French, that not only gives us a picture of modern Algerian women and what their lives can be like, but has literary allusions that pervade through out (though they may not be obvious to all readers). Regardless of how literary a person may be, this story has an ending that is completely unpredictable and yet completes this story and connects the literary themes employed exquisitely. Does it help to be familiar with Algerian history and Arabic tradition? Absolutely, but is not necessary. Is it a feminist book? Yes. Is it controversial? Djebar has received death threats and has been exiled from her own country. Will Djebar win the Nobel Prize? I think so, eventually. Is it a good read? Well, other than the fact that the prose is so beautiful it flows like honey, that's for you to decide. Enjoy this book, but don't expect it to be anything even close to ordinary. W.M.

Djebar's first work to be published simultaneously in French and English in Paris and London, attesting to her global reputation as a post-colonial writer. It would seem that the stronger feminist message in this work resulted in a stereotyped approach to women in Algeria, although Djebar also subverted these Western preconceptions by indicating that modern women suffer from their own gendered problems.

About life in front of and behind the veil, this book presents a compelling read: the body becomes the battleground for men and women to take ownership of their own bodies, and in some ways, consequently their own minds. I was considering this book for a world literature class, but the sex scenes are a little risque for 10th grade. However, those scenes are not gratutious--they have their place in this book. Perhaps, however, not for 15 year olds, just yet. Djebar writes the book in both first person narrative and directive narrative (second person)--what results is that we're inside the head of one woman and the commanding voyeur with the other. Djebar makes us uncomfortable looking in and directing a woman who clearly wants to escape such structures. What we're left with is an uncomfortable with our positions, but the wiser for having become uncomfortable. A great read! Well worth it.

I thought this book was pretty good. It is a story that follows two women, both wives of the same man. When Hajila sees an "unveiled woman," she too, wants a life "beyond the veil." This book does a good job of describing some of the traditional restraints placed on these women, and how they work to escape them.