French Literature Reviews - 2026

Algiers, in Full
Francophone and Oral Literatures

Overview:

Published in Algiers by RSM editions, Algiers in Full is a work of art and literature by Aïcha Kassoul, Professor of French and Comparative Literature. The book explores the city of Algiers as depicted by a multitude of French and Algerian novelists from the 1830 colonial conquest to the contemporary era. It masterfully weaves together rich rhetoric and diverse styles to offer a vivid, highly engaging portrayal of the charms of the old city, narrating its stories against the backdrop of classical drama adhering to the canonical unities of time, place, and decorum.
This 220-page book is aimed at a general readership and can also serve as a valuable reference for literature students. It was presented at the Paris Book Fair (March 22–25, 2003).

Maougal Mohamed Lakhdar.

The representation of urban spaces in literature has long occupied scholars of French and Francophone letters, particularly regarding cities shaped by colonial histories. Works examining literary geographies often trace how successive generations of writers construct the identity of a metropolis through varying aesthetic lenses. Aïcha Kassoul examines how Algiers is depicted by a multitude of French and Algerian novelists from the 1830 colonial conquest to the contemporary era, engaging with both historical contexts and literary traditions.

Readers interested in the literary representations of North African cities and the comparative study of French and Algerian narrative traditions may find this work relevant. The volume explores the city through diverse styles and rhetorical modes, framing its narratives against the backdrop of classical drama adhering to the canonical unities of time, place, and decorum, offering a portrait of the old city addressed to both general readers and literature students.