Synopsis
Two old friends find themselves side by side on the flight from Algiers to Constantine. There is a lot of history between them, as well as bad blood. They have lived very different lives, even though they are bound by shared experiences, chief among them the Algerian War of Independence. The flight will last only an hour - an hour during which both their stories will be told, interspersed and peppered by anecdotes about Algeria s struggle to release itself from the French colonial grip, something that, as the narrator points out, did not last only between 1954-1962, but has in fact been waged since 1830. Rachid, the narrator, has always both admired and resented Omar, his cousin - who has become an architect, studied in Chicago, and led a very successful life. Though successful, Omar has always been on the run from the ghosts of his earlier life, ghosts that Rachid has now set himself the task of exorcising. The title, The Barbary Figs is a symbol of the old Algeria since the two men s grandfather was once a landowner and used to grow them on his estate. The new Algeria is far less straightforward, and has produced far more bitter fruit. Rachid s father was suspected of collaborating with the French authorities, and his brother Salim worked for the OAS, or the Organisation de l armée secrète , the farright military group that attempted to thwart Algeria s plans for self-determination.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Rashid Boudjedra was born in Ain Beida, Algeria, in 1941. He interrupted his studies in the late 1950s to join the resistance to French rule and after being wounded, was sent first to Eastern Europe and then to Spain as a representative of the National Liberation Front. After a string of highly successful novels during the 1980s and early 1990s, which saw him compared to Faulkner and Garcia Marquez, Boudjedra decided to stop writing in French in favour of Arabic.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Search results for The Barbary Figs
Seller Image
The Barbary Figs
Seller: Bill & Ben Books, Faringdon, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. Two old friends find themselves side by side on the flight from Algiers to Constantine. There is a lot of history between them, as well as bad blood. They have lived very different lives, even though they are bound by shared experiences from their youth, chief among them the Algerian War of Independence. The flight will last only an hour - an hour during which both their stories will be told, interspersed and peppered by anecdotes about Algeria's struggle to release itself from the French colonial grip. Rashid, the narrator, has always both admired and resented Omar, his cousin, who has become an architect, studied in Chicago, and led a successful life. Despite his success, Omar has always been on the run from the ghosts of his earlier life, ghosts that Rashid has set himself the task of exorcising. The title, The Barbary Figs, is a symbol of the 'old' Algeria since their landowner grandfather once grew them on his estate. The 'new' Algeria is less straightforward, and has produced far more bitter fruit. Seller Inventory # 0083997
Buy New
£ 3.99
£ 10.10 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 3 available
Stock Image
The Barbary Figs
Seller: Cotton Candy Books, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Good. Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, highlighting of text, writing in margins. No missing pages. Seller Inventory # mon0000008087
Stock Image
The Barbary Figs
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1906697426I4N00
Stock Image
The Barbary Figs [Paperback] Rashid Boudjedra and André Naffis-Sahely
Seller: Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, Hay-on-Wye, HEREF, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. NEW/UNUSED - some outer edges have minor scuffs, cover has light scratches, book content is in new unread condition. Seller Inventory # 050001-9
Buy Used
£ 3.50
£ 25 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Barbary Figs
Seller: Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, Hay-on-Wye, HEREF, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. New/unused condition with small scuffs and scratches to the cover. The content is in new condition. Seller Inventory # HP-107010
Buy Used
£ 3.50
£ 25 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Barbary Figs
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 60E56_47_1906697426