The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody

"Innovative, exciting, and brilliant. . . . The Disappearance of Mr Nobody’s fable-like quality, its clever deployment of literary devices and raw authenticity makes it a gift to any reader." –Litro Magazine

"Set in post-civil war Algeria, Taibaoui's noir offering is an intense, must-read page-turner."—The New Arab

"Taibaoui writes with raw urgency. . . . Part mystery, part confession, part parable, Taibaoui's scathing commentary on nameless, lost souls will undoubtedly find universal resonance."—Shelf Awareness

"A translation into English from an Algerian author writing in Arabic, the majority language of the population, is an event to be welcomed . . . . Taiboui’s Algeria is a country still struggling with the toxic legacies of colonial and postcolonial violence. However, like Suzuki, Özlü, Zambra and Debré, he shows in his powerful account, why stories still matter and why not everybody is made comfortable by them."—The Irish Times

"This is a novel that situates the reader amid an ever-changing landscape, both literally and figuratively, which echoes the disconnect felt by many of its characters."—Words Without Borders

"Algerian writer Taibaoui makes his English-language debut with an acerbic noir involving a strange disappearance and a detective’s existential quest . . . . Fans of Kamel Daoud’s The Meursault Investigation ought to take a look. "—Publishers Weekly

"The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody is a thought-provoking novel in which human nature is explored through the Algerian working class."—Foreword

“In this spare, well-crafted and compelling novel, Taibaoui plays with the poetics of noir fiction to offer a bleak and haunting critique of the postcolonial Arab state and its mythologies.”—Samah Selim, Rutgers University

"From its somber but intense style, vivid characters emerge. This is a novel of unpleasant truths.”—Humphrey Davies

“The Mr. Nobody in Taibaoui’s outstanding novel takes off his face and disappears revealing a patriarchal system that derives its existence from a web of power relations that have no place for him or us.”—Shereen Aboulnaga, Cairo University

“With satirical language—concise and poetic at the same time—and its suspenseful construction artistically woven with elements of crime fiction, The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody compels readers to its last page.”—Heba El-Sharif

“A powerful narration that does not overshadow the intelligence and creativity of its writer.”—Thaer A. Deeb