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The Mischief - Assia Djebar's first novel



'La Soif' (The thirst) is Assia Djebar's first novel. It was published in 1957 by Julliard editions in Paris, France. By all accounts, it was a difficult novel to own up to for Djebar immediately after its publication. 'La Soif' not only appeared during Algeria's war of independence, while the fighting against France was raging in Algeria, but it was set very far away from war or any matters relating to colonisation.

Narrated by a young priviledged Algerian woman during her summer holiday, La Soif is the story of a complex foursome, two couples, who spend the summer together by the sea. As tensions rapidly build between the two women and men, the foursome disolves into a threesome. This mischievous slip will lead to tragic events that will affect the life of each character, for ever.

'La Soif' is an intimate and sensual novel. It is built looking inward, by a woman who looks at her body, and tries to understand its needs, her tendency for what she feels is petty cruelty, and the weight of her actions.

Djebar's first novel did not go unnoticed in France once released, and with it, Djebar emerged as a powerful voice to be reckoned with in literature.
 
'La Soif' appeared in English one year after its publication, in 1958, translated by Frances Frenaye as 'The Mischief' and published by Elek Books (Great James Street London). This translation seems to be one of the very first - if not THE first - novel by an Algerian writer translated into English.


Both the original work, La Soif, and the translation The Mischief are terribly hard to get a hold of as both seem out of print.

To celebrate 8 March - for what it's worth - here is the full English version 'The Mischief' in PDF -> THE MISCHIEF BY ASSIA DJEBAR

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