The Voiceless Anger of the Exile Longing

´Ca fait rien

C´est un Algérien

qui travaille beaucoup

et qui mange rien´.

Some countries are more exposed to the brain drain than the others. Some countries do really have an unhappy destiny. A destiny marked by grievances, trauma, wars, extremism, alienation of the elites, wars again, poverty, a lot of poverty, often as the result of the widespread corruption.

The Algerian-born Kateb Yacine is considered as one of the most important voices of the Algerian literature. Involved in various journalistic projects, mostly with an independence, socialist and anti-colonialist orientation, he died in France in 1989. Le Polygone Etoilé - translated into English as The Star-Shaped Polygone - which I had access in the original French language, is considered the founding book of the modern Algerian literature.

Although I am not so knowledgeable in the field of Algerian literature - there is only one other author from this country I am acquainted with, Yasmina Khadra - its timeline is revelatory for a time of tremendous political, social and economic challenges and complexities. It is a relatively short read, but very intense and counting a big number of characters, most of them only transitioning from a point from Algeria to France. This is what is mostly happening in this book, anyway: people desperate to go on the other side, with no hope to come back. 

This ´other side´ means searching for a job, less paid but at least a guarantee for a different life. Life ´on the other side´ is not good, it is frustrating and humiliating, but is less anger and misery compared to the place from where they are coming from. It is a permanent coming and going of bodies, feelings, sadness. No one is happy or want to be happy. Instead, each and every one of the characters wants to be out, out of the world that made them so sad, only to increase their sadness in a country where no one want them. Again, the same story, only that the second choice is empty of all emotions and familiarity. Once on the road, they left behind everything. Nothing expect them on the end destination of their boat.

Many among those who were forced for so many reasons to leave their countries of birth may recognize themselves in this book. It´s the book of the rootless and displaced, of those made voiceless by anger. Somewhere, mid-way, I am there too.

A very special feature of the book, from the literary point of view, is the repeated occurence of poetry and prose. I definitely love the poetic intermezzo more because it resonates so much with the heart of the wanderer.

Rating: 3.5 stars