Just Like Tomorrow
by Faïza Guène
also published as Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow; translated from the French
ABOUT
A child of Moroccan immigrants in France, the bellicose Doria is a cynical Muslim teenager in a Parisian suburb. Abandoned by her father, she and her mother inhabit a small flat in a concrete project far from the glamour, culture, and good schools in Paris. Out of this clash of cultures, Doria struggles to find her place and escape the malaise she feels about her life. (from Goodreads)
MY THOUGHTS
Two facts impress me about this book: the author wrote it when she was 19 years old, and it's a translated work. It really reads like neither of those things are true.
"Just Like Tomorrow" takes the reader to the shadow side of Paris. Away from the beauty, the culture, the nostaglia, the chic-ness. This is Doria's world - a Paris of poverty and crime and discrimination. To be honest, this was eye-opening for me. My mental image of Paris is certainly one of idealized perfection.
Doria is an angry teenager. Angry at her father for rejecting her simply because she's female. Angry at fate for her impoverished life. Angry that she's always the outcast. Angry that she really has no hope for a better life in the future. All of this is captured in sharp prose that intermingles despair and hopeful longing.
RATING
"Just Like Tomorrow" is a simple 'slice of life' book. This is Doria. This is her life. Nothing really happens, and it doesn't end with any kind of resolution. I enjoyed the book, but at the end, I had a sense that it was unfinished. I'm interested to read more by the author to see how her style improves as she matures and ages.
"Just Like Tomorrow" is another one of those books that makes me wish I gave half ratings, because it falls solidly between a 2 and a 3.
I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.
You're very brave journeying to the darker, seamy aside of Paris. I know it's there, but well, I just want to avoid it and keep my rose coloured Paris glasses firmly in place.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing this book, I hastily put the pink spectacles back on. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like it ended in a typically 'French' kind of way :-D I really fancy this. I'm all for the 'real' 'seedier' side of Paris. If you manage to prise the spectacles away you should definitely watch 'La Haine'. Excellent film and a big eye opener.
ReplyDeleteI read this one for last year's paris in July, and my reaction was much the same as yours. I loved the characters and the details, but I did miss structure and story.
ReplyDelete@Relish - I'll have to look for La Haine! Thanks for the recommendation.
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