Margins
Shérazade book cover
Shérazade
1982
First Published
3.42
Average Rating
268
Number of Pages
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.
Avg Rating
3.42
Number of Ratings
230
5 STARS
12%
4 STARS
37%
3 STARS
34%
2 STARS
13%
1 STARS
3%
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Author

Leila Sebbar
Leila Sebbar
Author · 8 books

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.

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