Blog Nº 49
A Bookshop in Algiers, the third novel from young Algerian author Adimi (and the first to be translated to English),is a true love letter to literature, written through the changing fortunes of a small bookshop in Rue Hamani, formerly Rue Charras, in Algiers. This short but moving story is a celebration of bookshops, literature, creativity and those who dare to dream.
The novel revolves around Les Vraies Richesses bookshop, first opened in 1936 by young dreamer Edmond Charlot. Through diary entries we follow the shop through history – it was the heart of Algerian cultural life where Camus launched his first book and the Free French printed propaganda during the Second World War. The bookshop exists through the political drama of Algeria’s turbulent twentieth century of war, revolution and independence with Charlot and many important authors still working tirelessly to publish manuscripts, launch magazines and more. By the time young student Ryad comes to clear out Les Vraies Richesses in the modern day it has been operating only as a government lending library for years, but now is to be shuttered forever. Not a keen reader himself and just keen to get the job done and get back to Paris as soon as possible, even Ryad starts to understand that a bookshop can be much more than a shop that sells books.
Adimi is clearly a remarkable researcher – using archives, books, interviews, documentaries and meeting with Charlot’s friends to bring the French-Algerian publisher and editor to life through fictional but entirely plausible diary entries. Charlot was a truly remarkable individual who should be admired for his commitment to literature and discovering new writers. I had not heard of him before but I’m glad to have read A Bookshop in Algiers to learn about such a significant French cultural figure.
Happy reading,
Imo x
ImoReads 