This piece is by Alexis Brocas, for the Magazine littéraire, published in September 2015.
Translated excerpts below.
Since Tchen’sattacks  in The Human Condition, terrorism seems a constant theme in contemporary literature — a mirror that we walk along a path bordered by the collective history and the author’s personal history. Three novels came out this autumn, written in various languages, but dealing with this issue using converging narratives.
In The French, Julien Suaudeau recounts the trajectory of a young, clueless, anonymous, young man from Evreux to to the caliphate of Daech — and from petty crime to slaughter. For …

A review by Catherine Simon, for Transfuge, September 15ht, 2015
As its name suggests, the said “American” neighborhood is nested on a hill, overlooking the river and city, has kept nothing from its exotic and opulent past, except the old memory of an Anglican school. The school was eventually closed, squatted by politico-military people, in this case Syrian in this case, while the neighborhood itself was “invaded by the poor neighboring mountains, where growing apricots, or any kind of fruit tree, was no longer enough to feed their families. ” Welcome to Lebanon, homeland of the novelist Jabbour Douaihy.

This review is by Jean-Claude Perrier, for Livres Hebdo, and published on August 21, 2015. Photo credit: The National AE.
Below is an approximate translation.
A subtle novel by Lebanese author Jabbour Douaihy, the main character of which is a city.
Himself a son of Tripoli, Lebanon, where he teaches French literature, a literary critic at L’Orient littéraire, and a translator, Jabbour Douaihy is one of Lebanon’s authors writing in Arabic published in France. Four of his novels have been published here since Autumn Equinox (AMA-Presses of Mirail, 2000). His latest book, the most accomplished, subtle, and captivating, should reveal him.

This is a review of Douaihy’s latest nove by Claire Mazaleyrat, published on the blog “L’avis des livres”, September 6th, 2015.
“At a time when the decline of the city, and the ancient ties that ordered its social hierarchies are crumbling along streets fallen in decrepitude, past allegiances mark the end of a world. It is in this context that the reader follows the path of the novel’s characters, torn between family loyalties and the call of new sirens.”

This is an excerpt of an article by Laure Stephan, for le Monde des Livres, Published June 18th, 2015
They often talk about their books in France, whether written in French or translated from the Arabic. Some have studied in France or lived here during their years of exile in the time of war (1975-1990). But their moorings are in Beirut, or in any case not far from the city on this side of the Mediterranean and its magical light. Beirut is the place of childhood memories or years of youth, long-term stays or torn …

Very few Saudi writers are translated in Europe. Here is a UFO published by Le Seuil: The Beaver, Mohammed Hasan Alwan, paints a portrait of Saudi Arabi tainted with humour. The society is weighed down by traditions, religion, but is also changing with a very young population that aspires to change.
See more here.
Très peu d’écrivains saoudiens sont traduits en Europe. Voici donc un ovni publié par les éditions du Seuil : Le Castor, de Mohammed Hasan Alwan, dresse un portrait teinté d’humour de l’Arabie Saoudite. Une société plombée par les traditions, le poids de …