The African Equation - Couverture souple

Curtis, Howard

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1908313706 ISBN 13 : 9781908313706

Editeur : Gallic Books, 2015

Synopsis

"Khadra brings us deep into the hearts and minds of people living in unspeakable mental anguish."--"Los Angeles Times" "A skilled storyteller working at the height of his powers."--"Times Literary Supplement""Like all the great storytellers of history, [Khadra] espouses the contradictions of his characters, who carry in themselves the entirety of the human condition."--"Le Point"A new masterpiece from the author of "The Swallows of Kabul."Frankfurt MD Kurt Krausmann is devastated by his wife's suicide. Unable to make sense of what happened, Kurt agrees to join his friend Hans on a humanitarian mission to the Comoros. But, sailing down the Red Sea, their boat is boarded by Somali pirates and the men are taken hostage.The arduous journey to the pirates' desert hideout is only the beginning of Kurt's odyssey. He endures imprisonment and brutality at the hands of captors whose failings are all too human.As the situation deteriorates, it is fellow prisoner, Bruno, a long-time resident in Africa, who shows Kurt another side to the wounded yet defiant continent he loves.A giant of francophone writing, Algerian author Yasmina Khadra takes current events as a starting point to explore opposing views and myths of Africa and the West, ultimately delivering a powerful message of friendship, resilience, and redemption.Yasmina Khadra is the pen name of Mohammed Moulessehoul, a former Algerian army officer and now director of the Algerian Cultural Center in Paris. In November 2013, he announced his candidacy for the presidency of Algeria.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

LONG LISTED FOR 2017 DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY PRIZE
Kurt Krausmann, a recently bereaved Frankfurt doctor, is persuaded to join his friend, wealthy benefactor Hans Makkenroth, on a humanitarian mission to the Comoros. The journey helps him begin to confront his loss, but soon misfortune strikes again: the boat he and Hans are travelling in is hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and the men are taken hostage.

Held in a remote hideout, the prisoners suffer harsh conditions and the brutality of their guards; self-styled warriors, ex-army captains and even poets drawn to banditry through poverty or opportunism.

When the group decamps to a lawless desert region and Hans is taken away, Kurt sinks deeper into despair. But fellow inmate Bruno, a French ethnologist who has been travelling Africa for 40 years, attempts to show Kurt another side to the wounded yet defiant continent he has taken to his heart.

Revue de presse :

The African Equation's translator, Howard Curtis, seems to have captured the essence of Khadra's thoughts on the beauty and brutality of Africa. ---The Star
Algerian author Khadra (pen name of Mohammed Moulessehoul) shows us the dark side of Africa, but also one tinged with hope. --Ultraviolent Lit
World-class --Rosie Goldsmith, The Independent

Yasmina Khadra takes current events as a starting point to explore opposing views and myths of Africa and the West, ultimately delivering a powerful message of friendship, resilience, and redemption.-- Africa Book Club.com
A skilled storyteller working at the height of his powers --Times Literary Supplement

Polemic, but well worth reading. -- Zeb Kantrowitz, blogger Like all the great storytellers of history, [Khadra] espouses the contradictions of his characters, who carry in themselves the entirety of the human condition. --Le Point

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Gallic Books
• Date d'édition: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1908313706
• ISBN 13: 9781908313706
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 336