The Liberation of the Jew is a riveting self-analysis of the Jewish psyche. To be Jewish is to belong to a despised group, this is an axiom that is hardly touched upon in the book, and rightly so. Now GIVEN that you are universally despised what on earth could you do about it? Not much. You could accept that hate, pretend it doesn't exist, change your name, get a nose job, marry out, bury in, whatever. None tackles the tragic predicament - you life is going to be crippled one way or another. Well, Albert Memmi does offer a kind of a 'cure' at the very end of the book. My suggestion is to read the whole book first. The diagnosis is far more interesting than the prescription....

Albert Memmi wrote many yeras ago this study of the relationship and dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized, but the lessons he imparts unto the reader are of great value to this day. Be it in racist, sexist or politically oppresive conditions, Memmi manages to pinpoint the psychological and social impact upon the individual. Trully a valuable piece of literature.

Memmi captures the contradictions and destructive forces of colonialism from an individual perspective, but more importantly he provides us with a work that transends his subject matter and allows for greater understanding of the manner in which structural and institutional forces of other forms of oppression and inequality affect us today. A classic statement pertaining to the human condition and the potential for liberation.

"Pillar of Salt" is a remarkable autobiographical novel about coming of age in the Jewish ghetto of Tunis during the 1930s and 1940s. Besides providing an enjoyable narrative, Memmi conveys a vivid picture of the impact of French colonialism on Tunisian society in general and on Tunisian Jews in particular. It is a study of multiple alienation, at once from traditional Jewish culture, Tunisian Muslim culture, and French culture. Memmi's work also sheds light on the little known story of the Holocaust in Axis-occupied Tunisia as well as the growth of zionism among North African Jews.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in French colonialism, North Africa, and modern Jewish history. It is also simply a good read.