The year of passages

by Réda Bensmaïa

This novel is a tale of exile and passage. The narrator is a North African, now living in the United States because he has been condemned by religious fanatics after the publication of his novel entitled Dead Letters. He is disillusioned with literature, and his life events are beyond his control. He can only write, and he fabricates material from trends imposed on him by the American academy. Reda Bensmaia's knowledge of the history, the literature, and the philosophical ideas of our times underlies the novel. He offers, among other things, an important reflection on U.S. political culture, touching on issues ranging from foreign policy in the Middle East to the media's role in alternately demonizing Muslim cultures and fostering ignorance of them.