Book: The Meursault Investigation
Author: Kamel Daoud
ISBN: 978-159051751-2
U-$1.40-B-0.0048712312-BE-287
Go to Directory of Books
Comments: This book didn't get interesting until chapter 8. I recommend this book to any parent to read. Great summer reading.
Chapter 1
1. Musa is the name of the Arab that got shot.
2. Meursault is compared to Robinson Crusoe.
3. A man who's drinking is always dreaming about a man who'll listen. page 6
4. You drink a language, you speak a language, and one day it owns you. page 7
5. Musa= alias Zuji
6. Musa worked as a porter. page 8
7. Musa's brother's name is Harun. page 7
8. "We were the ghosts in this country when the settlers were exploiting it and bestowing on it their church bells and cypress trees and swans." page 11
9. Story takes place in Oran, Algeria. page 12
10. Old Neighborhood in Sidi El Houari.
Chapter 2
1. "I tell myself that after losing their land, their wells, and their livestock, women were all our guys had left." page 19
2. Possible girlfriends' name is Zubida. page 20
3. Harun was 7 years odl when Musa was killed. page 22
Chapter 3
1. Mama lives in a senior home in the village of Hadjout. Hadjout is also known as Marengo.
2. Harun's profession is government land administration.
3. Harun and his family go their house from settlers who left during independence.
4. When colonist run away they leave words, roads, and bones.
5. Meursault's mother died in 1942. page 33
6. (Mama) "she lied not from a desire to deceive but in order to correct reality and mitigate the absurdity that struck her world and mine." page 37
7. M'rabti were people who used to be servants, they took care of mausoleums. page 38
8. El-Mellah family descendents of the ancient Maghreb. page 39
9. Mama was the armala the "widow." page 39
10. I was her object, not her son. page 39
Chapter 4
1. It's your hero who does the killing, it's me who feels guilty, and I'm the one condemned to wandering... page 47
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
1. Arab-ness is like Negro-ness, which only exists in the white man's eyes. page 60
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
1. Meursault seeked refuge in their house in 1962.
2. Meursault was killed.
3. Mama's employers asked her to watch their house until they return. They never returned
4. This house was located in Hadjout.
5. The remaining French people were promised protection from the new Algerian government.
Chapter 9
1. Sadhu Amar Bharati received a revelation.
2. As a general rule, one sleeps better after a confession.
Chapter 10
1. Two soldiers came to the house to investigate reports by neighbors of two gunshots.
2. The soldiers told her a Frenchman disappeared last night and that the colonel wants to talk to her son.
3. Meursault killed the Arab 20 years earlier.
4. Harun was arrested when he reported to the colonel.
Chapter 11
1. An officer in the Army of National Liberation question Harun. page 107
2. Harun knew he wasn't there for having committed a murder but for not having done so at the right moment.
3. Interesting comment from interrogating officer: "I'm not asking fo rthe truth. Nobody needs that here. If it turns out you killed him, you'll pay." page 107
4. Harun killed Joseph Larquais= Meursault
5. At 2pm, Harun was taken to the colonel's office.
6. The colonel slapped Harun for asking a stupid question.
7. Harun was released at dawn the next day.
8. Harun's brother loved to go swimming at the sea everytime he visited his mom at Hadjout. When he visited his mom he liked to vist the Larquais family. The Larquais family shared the same joy as Mama when her son visited.
9. This is why Mama chose Joseph Larquais as the sacrificial victim to avenge her son's death.
Chapter 12
1. "What is it that makes them forget they were born alone and will die separate? I've read many books, and I've concluded that love's an accommodation, certainly not a mystery." page 115
2. Harun says that three people killed him
a. Musa, his brother
b. Mama
c. Meursault
3. "It pained my heart to be only her shadow and not her reflection." page 116
Chapter 13
1. A priest along with Monsieur Larquais insisted to Harun's mother that Harun should go to school.
2. My note: weird that Mr. Larquais insisted he go to school to learn to read and write. Then in the future he kills one of his sons.
3. Harun was barefooted when he went to school. The teacher pretended not to notice. page 119
4. "The French language fascinated me like a puzzle, and beyond it lay the solution to the dissonances of my world." page 119
5. A young woman knocked on the door one day. She asked, "Is this the family home of Musa Uld el-Assas?" page123
6. The lady knocked on their door on a Monday in March 1963. Algeria had problem stills under independence. The commanders were fighting for power.
7. Meriem was her name and she was a teacher. She said in French that she was working on a book that told Musa's story, and the book was written by his murderer.
8. Harun felt that Musa died 3 times
a. 2pm at the beach
b. when Harun had to dig him an empty grave
c. Meriem entering their lives
Chapter 14
1. Harun noticed right away that Meriem was lively, penetrating intelligence, which was combined with a sort of innocence. Meriem said she was from Constantine. page 128
2. Harun twin is called "Zujj."
3. Meriem slowly explained to Harun so he can understand how our hero saw the world. Meriem slowly explained to Harun his beliefs and his fabulous, solitary images.
4. Harun's tablet of life. His definition of love: "It's pompous but sincere, I concocted it all by myself. Love is kissing someone, sharing their saliva, and going back all the way to the obscure memory of your own birth." page 133
5. "I therefore operated as a widower, which adds to one's appeal and attracts the tender feelings of the unwary female. I've been approached by unhappy women and by others too young to understand." page 133
6. "Her type of woman has disappeared in this country today: free, brash, disobedient, aware of their body as a gift, not as a sin or a shame. page 135
Chapter 15
Author: Kamel Daoud
ISBN: 978-159051751-2
U-$1.40-B-0.0048712312-BE-287
Go to Directory of Books
Comments: This book didn't get interesting until chapter 8. I recommend this book to any parent to read. Great summer reading.
Chapter 1
1. Musa is the name of the Arab that got shot.
2. Meursault is compared to Robinson Crusoe.
3. A man who's drinking is always dreaming about a man who'll listen. page 6
4. You drink a language, you speak a language, and one day it owns you. page 7
5. Musa= alias Zuji
6. Musa worked as a porter. page 8
7. Musa's brother's name is Harun. page 7
8. "We were the ghosts in this country when the settlers were exploiting it and bestowing on it their church bells and cypress trees and swans." page 11
9. Story takes place in Oran, Algeria. page 12
10. Old Neighborhood in Sidi El Houari.
Chapter 2
1. "I tell myself that after losing their land, their wells, and their livestock, women were all our guys had left." page 19
2. Possible girlfriends' name is Zubida. page 20
3. Harun was 7 years odl when Musa was killed. page 22
Chapter 3
1. Mama lives in a senior home in the village of Hadjout. Hadjout is also known as Marengo.
2. Harun's profession is government land administration.
3. Harun and his family go their house from settlers who left during independence.
4. When colonist run away they leave words, roads, and bones.
5. Meursault's mother died in 1942. page 33
6. (Mama) "she lied not from a desire to deceive but in order to correct reality and mitigate the absurdity that struck her world and mine." page 37
7. M'rabti were people who used to be servants, they took care of mausoleums. page 38
8. El-Mellah family descendents of the ancient Maghreb. page 39
9. Mama was the armala the "widow." page 39
10. I was her object, not her son. page 39
Chapter 4
1. It's your hero who does the killing, it's me who feels guilty, and I'm the one condemned to wandering... page 47
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
1. Arab-ness is like Negro-ness, which only exists in the white man's eyes. page 60
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
1. Meursault seeked refuge in their house in 1962.
2. Meursault was killed.
3. Mama's employers asked her to watch their house until they return. They never returned
4. This house was located in Hadjout.
5. The remaining French people were promised protection from the new Algerian government.
Chapter 9
1. Sadhu Amar Bharati received a revelation.
2. As a general rule, one sleeps better after a confession.
Chapter 10
1. Two soldiers came to the house to investigate reports by neighbors of two gunshots.
2. The soldiers told her a Frenchman disappeared last night and that the colonel wants to talk to her son.
3. Meursault killed the Arab 20 years earlier.
4. Harun was arrested when he reported to the colonel.
Chapter 11
1. An officer in the Army of National Liberation question Harun. page 107
2. Harun knew he wasn't there for having committed a murder but for not having done so at the right moment.
3. Interesting comment from interrogating officer: "I'm not asking fo rthe truth. Nobody needs that here. If it turns out you killed him, you'll pay." page 107
4. Harun killed Joseph Larquais= Meursault
5. At 2pm, Harun was taken to the colonel's office.
6. The colonel slapped Harun for asking a stupid question.
7. Harun was released at dawn the next day.
8. Harun's brother loved to go swimming at the sea everytime he visited his mom at Hadjout. When he visited his mom he liked to vist the Larquais family. The Larquais family shared the same joy as Mama when her son visited.
9. This is why Mama chose Joseph Larquais as the sacrificial victim to avenge her son's death.
Chapter 12
1. "What is it that makes them forget they were born alone and will die separate? I've read many books, and I've concluded that love's an accommodation, certainly not a mystery." page 115
2. Harun says that three people killed him
a. Musa, his brother
b. Mama
c. Meursault
3. "It pained my heart to be only her shadow and not her reflection." page 116
Chapter 13
1. A priest along with Monsieur Larquais insisted to Harun's mother that Harun should go to school.
2. My note: weird that Mr. Larquais insisted he go to school to learn to read and write. Then in the future he kills one of his sons.
3. Harun was barefooted when he went to school. The teacher pretended not to notice. page 119
4. "The French language fascinated me like a puzzle, and beyond it lay the solution to the dissonances of my world." page 119
5. A young woman knocked on the door one day. She asked, "Is this the family home of Musa Uld el-Assas?" page123
6. The lady knocked on their door on a Monday in March 1963. Algeria had problem stills under independence. The commanders were fighting for power.
7. Meriem was her name and she was a teacher. She said in French that she was working on a book that told Musa's story, and the book was written by his murderer.
8. Harun felt that Musa died 3 times
a. 2pm at the beach
b. when Harun had to dig him an empty grave
c. Meriem entering their lives
Chapter 14
1. Harun noticed right away that Meriem was lively, penetrating intelligence, which was combined with a sort of innocence. Meriem said she was from Constantine. page 128
2. Harun twin is called "Zujj."
3. Meriem slowly explained to Harun so he can understand how our hero saw the world. Meriem slowly explained to Harun his beliefs and his fabulous, solitary images.
4. Harun's tablet of life. His definition of love: "It's pompous but sincere, I concocted it all by myself. Love is kissing someone, sharing their saliva, and going back all the way to the obscure memory of your own birth." page 133
5. "I therefore operated as a widower, which adds to one's appeal and attracts the tender feelings of the unwary female. I've been approached by unhappy women and by others too young to understand." page 133
6. "Her type of woman has disappeared in this country today: free, brash, disobedient, aware of their body as a gift, not as a sin or a shame. page 135
Chapter 15
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