Le Passé simple

work by Chraïbi

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July 23, 2026

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Le Passé simple is the first novel by Moroccan author Driss Chraïbi, published in 1954. The work is described as a powerful, bitter, and ironic protest against oppressive traditionalism. It was released shortly before the Algerian War began.1

Chraïbi, born in 1926, was a novelist, dramatist, and radio producer. He was educated in both traditional and French schools before studying chemical engineering in Paris. His literary career began with Le Passé simple, which was followed by other works that explored themes of social injustice, women's rights, and the failings of both traditional societies and Western civilization.1

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Driss Chraïbi
His first novel—Le Passé simple (1954; “Simple Past”), published shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in Algeria—is a powerful, bitter, ironic cry of revolt against oppressive traditionalism. Les Boucs (1955; The Butts) shifted the author’s accusatory finger from a paternalistic Islamic formalism to the oppressed condition of…
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His first novel—Le Passé simple (1954; “Simple Past”), published shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in Algeria—is a powerful, bitter, ironic cry of revolt against oppressive traditionalism. Les Boucs (1955; The Butts) shifted the author’s accusatory finger from a paternalistic Islamic formalism to the oppressed condition of…
Read More