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Title: The Drifters

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: James A. Michener

Narrator: Larry McKeever

Format: Unabridged

Length: 35 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-15

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 78 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In this triumphant best seller, renowned novelist James A. Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of disenchanted youth during the Vietnam era. Against exotic backdrops, including Spain, Morocco, and Mozambique, he weaves together the heady dreams, shocking tribulations, and heartwarming bonds of six young runaways cast adrift in the world - as well as the hedonistic pursuit of drugs and pleasure that collapses all around them. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the private world of these unforgettable characters, exposing their innermost desires with remarkable candor and infinite compassion.

Critic Reviews:

"A blockbuster of a book... full of surprise, drama, and fascination." (Philadelphia Bulletin)

"Rings with authentic detail and clearly descriptive sights and smells... The Drifters is to the generation gap what The Source was to Israel." (Publishers Weekly)

"[The Drifters] conveys a sense of a new time, a new generation." (Chicago Sun-Times)

Members Reviews:

Robotic narration sucks out the life

What disappointed you about The Drifters?

The robotic narrator somehow managed to suck all the life and romance out of this Michener masterpiece. If there is any literary justice in this world, somebody at Audible will junk this recording and record it all again with a new narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

Any other narrator would have done a better job. This guy is terrible. At times I'm not sure whether the narrator is a human or a computer. And he reads too slow. I tried speeding up the playback, but that just made his robotic intonations sound worse.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment that after waiting so long for Michener to be available, the performance could be so bad.

Any additional comments?

Please, please, please junk this recording and produce a new recording with a new narrator.

Narrator like a robot

What did you like best about The Drifters? What did you like least?

Interesting but not Michener's best.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator slow, toneless, like a robot. Didn't make it interesting.

Drifters

Great story. As per most Michener books a great historical novel of tragic era of losses to war, drugs and sadness.

The reader is very poor. Got better as the story matured. I almost gave up on the beginning due to choppy word pronunciation almost as bad as computer reading. Liked the book. Never want to hear that reader again.

My Least Favorite Michener Book.

What disappointed you about The Drifters?

The story line and characters.

What was most disappointing about James A. Micheners story?

Uninteresting

Have you listened to any of Larry McKeevers other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have no problem whatsoever with Larry's performance. He is NOT the problem

What character would you cut from The Drifters?

All of them

Any additional comments?

If this had been my first Michener book, it would have been my last.

I love Michener

So happy these are now on audible

I will listen to all of them!! Hoorays

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Title: This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance

Author: Jonathan Evison

Narrator: Susan Boyce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-15

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 188 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

With her husband Bernard two years in the grave, seventy-nine-year-old Harriet Chance sets sail on an ill-conceived Alaskan cruise only to discover through a series of revelations that she's been living the past sixty years of her life under entirely false pretenses. There, amid the buffets and lounge singers, between the imagined appearance of her late husband and the very real arrival of her estranged daughter midway through the cruise, Harriet is forced to take a long look back, confronting the truth about pivotal events that changed the course of her life.

Jonathan Evison - bestselling author of West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, and All About Lulu - has crafted a bighearted novel with a supremely endearing heroine at its center. Through Harriet, he paints a bittersweet portrait of a postmodern everywoman with great warmth, humanity, and humor. Part dysfunctional love story, part poignant exploration of the mother/daughter relationship, nothing is what it seems in this tale of acceptance, reexamination, forgiveness, and, ultimately, healing. It is sure to appeal to admirers of Evison's previous work, as well as fans of such writers as Meg Wolitzer, Junot Diaz, and Karen Joy.

Critic Reviews:

"Evison is a ridiculously gifted storyteller[This is] an irresistible, inventive novel full of important ideas about how we live our lives as parents, children, partners, and human beings." (Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

"Has all the wonderful snap and sizzle we've come to expect from Jonathan Evison's work, and as much heart as any novel I've read in recent years. [He] packs an entire life - many lives - into this fine book, and does so with the empathy and insight of a writer at the top of his game." (Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk)

"Susan Boyce's voice for the elderly Harriet is spot-on; she provides the careful, precise diction of a person who has lived her life weighing her words to protect her secrets." (AudioFile)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Dear Carolina

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Narrator: Carla Mercer-Meyer, Meredith Mitchell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-18-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Frances "Khaki" Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan - everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband's 19-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn't seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor....

Critic Reviews:

"The author is skilled in bridging the gap and showing readers that all mothers face the same trials, no matter their circumstances." (RT Book Reviews)

Members Reviews:

A stunning southern, witty, and compelling debut of love and sacrifice. The next Dorothea Benton Frank meets Emily Giffin!

4.5 Stars. DEAR CAROLINA, a stunning southern. witty, and compelling debut of love and sacrifice by Kristy Woodson Harvey, of two mothers, one biological, one adoptiveâwith plenty of love to go around for one little girl, âYou can never have too many people to love you.â

Frances âKhakiâ Mason had it all with homes in both North Carolina and Manhattan. A successful interior designer, a loving husband, Graham and a son, Alex. She has the Best of two worlds (city and country). However, she has been unable to conceive a second time. They have tried everything and still coming up empty, very disappointed when they both wanted a house full of kids.

Jodi, is a 19-year old cousin of Grahams; an alcoholic, out of rehab, now pregnant, and a boyfriend long gone. She goes to Khaki for money for an abortion. Khaki, cannot believe here is a girl, who does not need to be pregnant, while she would give anything to be able to get pregnant. However, sometimes God just has other plans in mind. Adoption was not something she had ever thought about.

Speaking to baby Carolina in alternating chapters from voices of both Khaki and Jodi, with letters to their beloved daughter, from two totally different women, with one common interest â the best for their baby girl. Written with southern charm, humor, compassion, and sensitivity, Dear Carolina will warm your heart.

Being a Southern gal and designer myself (native of Charlotte, NC), spending most of my adult career in Atlanta, GA, and South Florida being home for the last ten years, I loved the culinary, gardening, design, and Carolina southern references--Kristy KNOWS the South and everything which makes it so spectacular! (would make a great gift for Mother's Day).

An author to follow, she will be a big hit as a top southern author--always enjoy her design blog, Design Chic, an avid follower on social media. Well-done, a beautiful debut! Look forward to many more bestsellers to come. The next Dorothea Benton Frank and Mary Kay Andrews meets Emily Giffin. "Elin Hilderbrand of the South."

My favorite part is Palm Beach from Jodi's eyes. I can view The Breakers Hotel and Worth Avenue, from my apartment window. I had to smile seeing Jodi there, experiencing all the luxury it has to offer. Kristy makes everything so witty, special and charming---loved it!!! Jodi and Khaki together -Priceless! Have never laughed so hard. Second Chances.

After reading the e-book, purchased the audiobook.

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Title: Droomdelwers [Dream Diggers]

Author: Esta Steyn

Narrator: Elize Cawood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-15

Publisher: Tafelberg

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Teen die agtergrond van soutmyne en granietkoppe vertel Droomdelwers die verhaal van twee klein gemeenskappe aan die Weskus - Soutmansvlei en Vlaktevlei. Hier word die lewens van armes en rykes, van wit en bruin, ten nouste verweef. Hier loop uiteenlopende karakters rond, elk met sy eie storie. Soos oom Kêppies sê: Hys soesie see, soes n branner. Voorlat jy hom kan vasvat, sien jy net sy skymstriep oppie sand lê. Maar nog voordat die skuim op die sand lê, word die rustige lewensloop van die sout van die aarde skielik bedreig. Hulle kom te staan voor oormag. Daar is net een uitweg na vrywording vir almal: om in die verlede te delf waar die antwoord op vreemde raaisels so ver en en tog so naby lê.

Please note: This audiobook is in Afrikaans.

Members Reviews:

Entertaining

Beautifully written Afrikaanse Story, rich in language and expression, you can see envision the town and Different characters; enjoyed narration thouroughly

An excellent book

This is a real life story... baie boeiend, mens wil net aanhou luister ... die voorleser is uitstekend..

Jy sal nie spyt wees nie

heerlike menslike storie met allerhande interessante karakters en storielyne wat dan almal aan die einde saamkom.

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Title: Montana Cherries

Author: Kim Law

Narrator: Natalie Ross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-15

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 356 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

After her mother's tragic death, Dani Wilde had no choice but to abandon her dreams. She left Columbia University and returned to her family's Montana cherry farm, intent on being a maternal figure to her brothers. Now the kids are grown, and it's finally her time to fly. Her sights are on New York City, and nothing will stop her - not even an old flame with gorgeous green eyes.

Celebrity photographer Ben Denton hasn't seen Montana in years - and hasn't spoken to Dani since "that night" so long ago. When he discovers he's a dad to a four-year-old - and the child's mother refuses to care for her - Montana and the Wilde farm spring to mind. The orchard is the only place that's ever felt like home, but will the warmth of the Wilde family be enough to help Ben figure out how to be a father?

As the Wilde family gathers for the yearly cherry harvest and Dani struggles to figure out what she really wants in life, she discovers the shocking truth about her own mother - and learns that following her heart may lead her to her dreams after all.

Members Reviews:

couldn't finish it

the Sing song performance drove me crazy. I might have finished it if the storyline had been better but was pretty sappy.

Read, not listen

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Natalie Ross?

A reader who projects her voice rather than speaking very softly. Why don't the Audible techs catch this?

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Glad it was from Kindle Unlimited or I would have regretted spending a credit on a narrator who speaks too softly to enjoy.

Cheesy

It started off okay and then got pretty corny at the end. Danny is super weak and needy at the end also, when she was a much tougher character throughout the rest of the book.

Learning to love despite a mother's mental illness

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoy Kim Law's work and this didn't disappoint. This book deals with the aftermath of growing up in a household with a mentally ill parent. It shows how every aspect of a child's life is shaped by dealing with the damage that can be done to them.

Have you listened to any of Natalie Rosss other performances before? How does this one compare?

She is a good narrator. There are a few narrators that are terrible and luckily she isn't one of them. I think she does a good job making you think there is more than one person narrating.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

As most books, there is a back story to what makes a person become who they are as adults. Unlike most, this one shows the damaging effects that mental illness in a parent can have on a child. While the book is a love story, it gives some insight into overcoming that kind of childhood. I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. However, I bought the audible version as well since I know that I will want all the books in this series and prefer listening to the book.

Boring

The story was anti-climatic and predictable. The issues with the family was very unresolved. There was so much potential with this book and it left me wanting more. The narrator was very bland and unexciting.

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Title: My Dad's a Policeman

Author: Cathy Glass

Narrator: Denica Fairman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-15

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The second novel and first quick-listen title from Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author Cathy Glass.

My Dad's a Policeman is a dramatic and engaging story of a young boy with an alcoholic mother. Lonely, bullied and desperate for a life of happiness and security, he tells everyone he meets his dad's a policeman.

Fast-paced and compelling, this short story from Cathy Glass follows the experiences of a Ryan, a small and lonely 12-year-old boy who struggles to fit in. In an attempt to make friends and discourage the school bullies from picking on him, Ryan tells his peers that his dad is a policeman. When the police actually turn up on Ryan's doorstep to take him away from his alcoholic mother and put him in care, his life crumbles.

It's not long before Ryan has run away, taking a long bus ride back across the city, desperate to get back to the inner-city life he knows. Keeping a low profile and sneaking into his best friend's house late at night for shelter, he soon discovers that he's not the only one who appears to be stretching the truth about the happiness of his home life.

Members Reviews:

wonderful book as always

just like every other book that Kathy write this book keeps you listening through the whole story then eat that makes it even more interesting with the way she changes her voices thank you Cathy once again for your amazing book keep them coming

brilliant story from start to finish

brilliant story have listened to it now 4 times.brilliant and glad to hear he's well

Not her best

Was more an essay than a book lacked her human touch

Lacked her insight that's all I can say

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Title: The Deep End of the Ocean

Author: Jacquelyn Mitchard

Narrator: Dana Ivey

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-24-15

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story - a nationwide best seller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprahs Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean imagines every mother's worst nightmare - the disappearance of a child - as it explores a familys struggle to endure, even against extraordinary odds. Filled with compassion, humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one.

Members Reviews:

Good story line. . .

not too over the top. Felt like something was missing as story line moved on.

Great reading, but way too much cut out

Would you try another book from Jacquelyn Mitchard and/or Dana Ivey?

Yes.

What other book might you compare The Deep End of the Ocean to and why?

I don't know.

What aspect of Dana Iveys performance would you have changed?

She reads sad moments too cheerfully.

Do you think The Deep End of the Ocean needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. After a story this dramatic and deep and the way it ends I prefer imagening myself how their lives carried on.

Any additional comments?

Don't purchase this audiobook if you want to know the full story. I've read this book before and HUGE important parts and events of especially the first chaptets have been cut out in this audio version. This is nowhere near as emotional as the physical copy version. Like, I can't believe how much they've left out!!! And can't understand why anything had to be cut out at all. That's why I gave the story only three stars. The original, full story in the physical paper copy is solid five stars.

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Title: A Week at the Lake

Author: Wendy Wax

Narrator: Amy Rubinate

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-23-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 98 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Twenty years ago Emma Michaels, Mackenzie Hayes, and Serena Stockton bonded over their New York City dreams. Then, each summer, they solidified their friendship by spending one week at the lake together, solving their problems over bottles of wine and gallons of ice cream. They kept the tradition for years, until jealousy, lies, and life's disappointments made them drift apart.

It's been five years since Emma has seen her friends, an absence designed to keep them from discovering a long-ago betrayal. Now she's in desperate need of their support. The time has come to reveal her secrets and hopefully rekindle their connection. But when a terrible accident keeps Emma from saying her piece, Serena and Mackenzie begin to learn about the past on their own. Now, to heal their friendship and their broken lives, the three women will have to return to the lake that once united them and discover which relationships are worth holding on to.

Members Reviews:

OK

Though I haven't been the biggest fan of this author I've usually liked her characters and the manner in which she presents conflict. This particular effort presented plenty of conflict but the lack of likability inherent in this book's characters presents no heroes. Serena's obsession with her high school boyfriend came off as totally ridiculous for a woman in her forties. Mackenzie was a whiny wuss who pouted whenever things didn't go her way. Emma the third of the friends, and the central player in this story came off as generic and nondescript for the most part. There wasn't the same flawed, but still likable human beings in this work that made her previous works so listenable. The author is usually an expert at drawing the listener into the story and having us buy in, not this time.

Liked It!

Yes it was predictable and they gave away the mystery way too early ... But I enjoyed it. It didn't make me want to laugh or cry and still it was satisfying in a chick lit kinda way. I really enjoyed the characters and felt like I knew them. Well done!

Waste of Time

What was most disappointing about Wendy Waxs story?

This is a horrible story line that is so corny. I only finished it in hopes that the story line would get better.

Would you be willing to try another one of Amy Rubinates performances?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Week at the Lake?

The whole book.

Bechdel Testing Wendy Wax

I realize that the Bechdel Test is only a the tip of the iceberg in bringing attention to how women are portrayed in works of fiction. Basically the Bechdel test asks three questions:

1. There are at least two female characters. (Preferably they each have a name.)

2. They have a conversation with each other

3. About something other than a man.

Admittedly this is a pretty low standard, and one would think that most books written by women would pass this test. But surprisingly many come close to falling short.

Wendy Wax passes with flying colors!

I truly appreciate books with multi-faceted women, who are not totally wrapped up with the men in their lives. Men can be a large part of their lives, but not everything. The women in the books I love have many interests, and have strong well developed characters.

I only recently started reading Wendy Wax's books.

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Title: Safekeeping

Author: Jessamyn Hope

Narrator: Kirsten Potter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-16-15

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1994, and Adam, a drug addict from New York City, arrives at a kibbutz in Israel with a medieval sapphire brooch. To make up for a past crime, he needs to get the priceless heirloom to a woman his grandfather loved when he was a Holocaust refugee on the kibbutz 50 years earlier. There Adam joins other troubled people trying to turn their lives around: Ulya, the ambitious and beautiful Soviet emigre; Farid, the lovelorn Palestinian farmhand; Claudette, the French Canadian Catholic with OCD; Ofir, the Israeli teenager wounded in a bus bombing; and Ziva, the old Zionist Socialist firebrand who founded the kibbutz. By the end of that summer, through their charged relationships with one another, they each get their last chance at redemption.

Critic Reviews:

"There is no writer whose first novel I have awaited more eagerly than Jessamyn Hope, and Safekeeping surpasses my expectations. It's a brilliant and captivating novel about the past, the present, and the future, about love and legacy, and it is written with Hope's singular blend of intelligence, clarity, and grace. I am very happy it is finally here among us." (Peter Cameron, author of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You and Coral Glynn)

"A summer on a kibbutz; a disparate cast of characters torn by their own past lives and the inescapable burdens of history; a plot driven by a valuable gold brooch crafted by a master goldsmith in the Middle Ages: from these seemingly ordinary materials Jessamyn Hope has wrought something wonderful. I dont mean simply that her plot is compelling, utterly lucid, and deeply resonant, which it is; or that her troubled characters are created with both deep compassion and clear-eyed skepticism, which they are; or even that she writes brilliantly, which she does. Whats most wonderful about Safekeeping is the authors uncanny sense of how much of the world can be understood by keen attention to its smallest particulars, and how meaningfulness will multiply when you refuse to force upon the reader your own personal meanings. Like the exquisite gold brooch that shimmers emblematically at its center, Safekeeping seems to glow with a rich patina of timelessness, the sign of true art. Listen, do yourself a huge favor, read this book." (Mark Dintenfass, author of Old World, New World and A Loving Place)

"In Safekeeping, Jessamyn Hope explores the manifold contradictions of the people drawn to Israel as elegantly as the medieval jeweler who designed the heirloom brooch that dramatically catalyzes her plot. Both passionate and compassionate, the novel is a joy to read." (Melvin Jules Bukiet, author of After: A Novel and editor of Nothing Makes You Free)

Members Reviews:

Great book-narration needs a better producer

I really enjoyed listening to this book and sorting out all the angst, desire, values and importance of all the characters, flawed as they may be. The history lesson about the times on an Israeli kibbutz were so interesting and the narration was good. But, about the narrator, who has done so many other books well--perhaps the people involved should actually TRY for five minutes to make a note of foreign words in Hebrew or Yiddish and ask someone to pronounce it for the poor woman. She so mangles the words that it takes you right out of the narrative and makes you laugh.

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Title: The Meursault Investigation

Author: Kamel Daoud, John Cullen - translator

Narrator: Fajer Al-Kaisi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-02-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 126 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

He was the brother of "the Arab" killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus' classic novel. Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling's memory, refuses to let him remain anonymous: He gives his brother a story and a name - Musa - and describes the events that led to Musa's casual murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach. In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on his anger with men desperate for a god, and on his disarray when faced with a country that has so disappointed him. A stranger among his own people, he wants to be granted, finally, the right to die.

The Stranger is of course central to Daoud's story, in which he both endorses and criticizes one of the most famous novels in the world. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.

Critic Reviews:

"A tour-de-force reimagining of Camuss The Stranger, from the point of view of the mute Arab victims." (The New Yorker)

"Fajer Al-Kaisi's performance of this fascinating and disturbing book is crisp and beautifully articulated.... This audio production makes a striking novel of ideas a rich and human experience." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

AN ALGERIAN LIFE

Kamel Daoud resurrects Camuss main character from the book, The Stranger, by recounting the imagined life of an Algerian killed by Merusault. Nothing is absolutely known about Merusaults victim. Camus suggests Merusault believes the victim is one of two people who assaulted himself and a friend on an Algerian beach. Merusault is sentenced and executed for murder but less for being guilty than of not caring for his dying mother, not believing in God, and living life without purpose.

Harun, Daoud's main character, and Merusault are the same; i.e. both are nihilists (neither believing there is meaning in life); both have little regard for their mothers, both live lives that demand nothing, give nothing, and mean nothing. Both are immoral. Neither believes in God or religion. Life is trivialized in both Daouds and Camuss stories; i.e. Daoud represents an Arab perspective, and Camus a French perspective; similar outlooks, different ethnic backgrounds, but the same point of view. The devastating conclusion infers Algeria is as doomed by independence as by colonization.

excellent retelling / re-envisioning

Any additional comments?

The Stranger is the classic of existential lit. Daoud's novel is the parallel, antithetical, yet reduplicated story of the unnamed 'Arab' whom the anti-hero of Camus' novel kills. But, be warned - If you haven't read The Stranger recently and haven't had to read it critically, then The Meursault Investigation will fall short.