The Seine Was Red: Paris, October 1961 [Paperback]

Leïla Sebbar (Author), Mildred Mortimer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2008

Leïla Sebbar's novel recounts an event in French history that has been hidden for many years. Toward the end of the Algerian war, the FLN, an Algerian nationalist party, organized a demonstration in Paris to oppose a curfew imposed upon Algerians in France. About 30,000 Algerians gathered peacefully, but the protest was brutally suppressed by the Paris police. Between 50 and 200 Algerians were killed and their bodies were thrown into the Seine. This incident provides the background for a more intimate look into the history of violence between France and Algeria. Following three young protagonists—one French, one Algerian, and one French national of Algerian descent—Sebbar takes readers on a journey of discovery and comprehension. Mildred Mortimer's impressive translation conveys the power of Sebbar's words in English and allows English-speaking readers an opportunity to understand the complex relationship between past and present, metropole and colony, immigrant and citizen, that lies at the heart of this acclaimed novel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This novel raises profound and timely questions about the nature of democracy, Muslim-Western relations, memory, history, and forgetting. Mildred Mortimer's masterful translation is a pleasure to read." —Anne Donadey, author of Recasting Postcolonialism

(Anne Donadey, author of Recasting Postcolonialism )

From the Publisher

"This novel raises profound and timely questions about the nature of democracy, Muslim-Western relations, memory, history, and forgetting. Mildred Mortimer's masterful translation is a pleasure to read." --Anne Donadey, author of Recasting Postcolonialism

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (September 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253220238
• ISBN-13: 978-0253220233
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars I would strongly recommend against this book., November 1, 2011

By 

Bernie C. (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seine Was Red: Paris, October 1961 (Paperback)

I'm an undergraduate college student, majoring in Comparative Literature in French and English. This book was part of the syllabus of a course I took on French contemporary novels. I read it in French, so I can't comment on this translation, but... This was definitely the worse book I read that semester, and definitely the worst book I've read in all of French literature, though not the most painful, since, fortunately, it's not very long. The writing feels terribly forced, artificial, and generally in bad taste. The language is simple, but it was chore to read, just because it's so cheesy: it repeatedly slaps you in the face with lines that beg to be taken as something very deep. Look elsewhere for a gripping and informative historical novel.