Reviews

A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi

mahdigasmi's review against another edition

4.0

Un livre qui vient me parler d'autres livres ça y'est je suis déjà emballé moi..on parle de tout : des grands auteurs..des librairies de l'édition et de la publication..de l'Algérie colonisée.. et puis des livres et des livres et encore des livres...ça me tente..ça me réjouit..ça me rend en colère par moments aussi mais j'ai fini par aimer ce petit bijou bien travaillé.
Mérite il le prix Goncourt? Oui, un telle commémoration mérite bien plus d'éloges à mon avis.
Merci Kaouther pour ces magnifiques moments de lecture que je n'oublierai jamais!!

sasabrina's review

emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A Bookshop in Algiers follow a story of a bookseller and bookshop owner, Edmond Charlot, maneuvering his life through bookselling amidst the unstable condition of Alger. The book is told following the historical timeline of Alger, from French occupation to Algerian war for independence. It portrayed the impact of war beyond the struggle of Charlot's bookselling business, more than that, the lives that's lost, the brutality and humanitarian issues. 

I love that the book touches many important subject, mainly the struggle for independence, and written in such a detail that I can feel the atmosphere. Even so, I feel like there are a lot of missing context in the book that made it hard for me to piece the information together. Maybe it's the limit of thinner books like this, where it also limits the amount of information given.

sineadmcn's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I think there’s a lot of missing context for me especially towards the end. I feel the story could have been longer to give the reader closure. 

alex_arquives's review

challenging emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

rebecavleal's review

Spoiler

história contada de forma bonita e cativante sobre um homem que abriu uma livraria na primeira metade do seculo XIX na Algeria, tendo publicado os primeiros livros de Camus, e gerindo esta para sobreviver a II Guerra Mundial e a instabilidade pre-independência da Algeria.

evadaisy's review

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

jennifer_silver's review

3.0

Really wanted to like this book, and it was definitely interesting, I just couldn't get on with the narrative style (just a personal choice I'm sure it's great), I was almost hoping for a Diane Setterfield narrative

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars
Overall I think this is a wonderfully written little book with important messages, but I just didn’t love it. While I quite enjoyed the sections of Charlot’s journal and the contemporary story line with Ryad, the other section that I assume is part of Algeria’s history was kind of confusing. I’m also left confused by the vague ending and whether Ryad’s time at Charlot’s bookstore had any real impact on him.

ruthie_wk's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

jemmej's review

emotional

4.0

a very gentle book full of heart 4/5