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serinde4books's review
3.0
This was a book I received as an advanced reader copy from Librarything.com. It is a collection of short Stories. I have decided to review each one below. Overall I thought it was well written, and it was interesting to read the perspective of the Marrakech Muslims. I may not have alway understood all the nuances but I really enjoyed the new points of view. It was not what I thought it would be when I first picked it up, it was far less crime and more human condition stories. All of the stories rambled a bit and most of the authors didn't see to have a strong storyline to me. Often it felt that there were too many characters and no resolutions.The Mysterious Painting by Found Laroui - This is a simple mystery, short and quick but well paced. I liked the way the chief followed they mystery.A Noisy Disappearance in an Ill-Reputed Alley by Allal Bourqia - I totally missed the point of this story. I may have missed cultural cues.Looking at Mars in Marrakech by Abdelkader Benali - So much ambiguity, and a sci-fy story was very unexpected.Other Places by Mohamed Zouhair - This is a sad story of longing and loss. It also showed a man's view of a woman's perspective.The Mummy in the Pasha's House by Mohamed Achaari - This story was too jumpy, it felt very disjointed to me.A Way to Mecca by Hanane Derkaoui - This was the 1st female author in the collection, and she took on some subjects that were very suprising, and what I would have thought of as taboo: Homesexuality in Muslims. It was a very well written story. I found that it was interesting that it was a flip of Other Places with a woman who is writing a man's perspective.The Secret in Fingertips by Fatiha Morchid - Another female writer, she is is also another very good writer. This is a story with lots of twists and turns, and a heart of gold.Delirium by Mahi Binebine - This was a weird split personality story, and it made no sense to me. However the writing flowed very well.In Search of a Son by Mohamed Nedali - I didn't understand the ending.Mama Aicha by Halima Zine El Abidine - I think this was my favorite story, it was beautiful, heartwarming, and profound.Frankenstein's Monster by My Seddik Rabbaj - Entertaining and full of superstition, no real point though.An E-mail from the Sky by Yassin Adnan - I had problems jumping from perspective to perspective.A Twisted Soul by Karima Nadir - Beautifully written and full of sadness.Black Love by Taha Adnan - It was a little long and twisty, but in the end it tied up nicely.A Person Fit for Murder by Lahcen Bakour - Finally a story like I thought this book would be. Muder and sadness!
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot.com
husnaibrahim_'s review against another edition
2.75
I'm still on the fence about how I truly feel about this book. It didn't quite hit the mark for me. Some stories did catch my interest, like the one about the author travelling to work on Mars and the story of the Nigerian girl from Lagos. These particular narratives resonated with me, perhaps because I, too, am a writer, and hail from Nigeria.
I'm not convinced that the issue for me lies in having multiple short stories tho. Instead, it might be in how they were all organized? Perhaps it would be wise for me to explore other books in this series from countries that feel more familiar to me first, giving me a chance to settle into the storytelling style before diving into new settings.
I'm not convinced that the issue for me lies in having multiple short stories tho. Instead, it might be in how they were all organized? Perhaps it would be wise for me to explore other books in this series from countries that feel more familiar to me first, giving me a chance to settle into the storytelling style before diving into new settings.
hanaspages's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
paulataua's review
3.0
A collection of short stories in the ‘noir’ series, this time focused on Marrakech. Some stories were OK. They were fairly interesting and were well-written. Others not so much. I found myself trying to pin down a definition of ‘noir’ that would work for most of them without much luck. They were short stories set in the city, and had they been described that way I might have appreciated them more. Worth the read for the couple that were worth the read.
tonstantweader's review against another edition
3.0
Marrakech Noir is one of the recent releases in the fabulous Akashic Noir Series. This time our guest editor is Yassin Adnan who takes us to Marrakech, introducing us to the grim and gritty side of his city. The book is organized into three sections: Hanging Crimes, The Red and the Black, and Outside the City’s Walls. The first section is more familiar in feeling for noir fans. The first story “The Mysterious Painting” is among my favorites, a mystery solved at the dinner table of a restaurant, so clever. I also liked “The Mummy in the Pasha’s House” which is also a fairly traditional mystery told through stories.
The second section, The Red and the Black refers to the idea that Marrakech is a red city, not a noir city, of joy, not crime. Here are stories of corruption and oppression, as well as crime. “Mama Aicha” about a woman advocating for her son’s release from prison just broke my heart and “Delirium” was a powerful story of two people who were linked together forever to their great loss.
The last section, Outside the City’s Walls, explores the outlying area, home to the very poor and new immigrants. “Black Lover” was upsetting, using a racist epithet over and over and over, this was in translation so perhaps in Arabic, the epithet is less fraught, though I doubt it. It was unnecessary to the plot. The best story in this section is “A Person Fit for Murder” told by the murderer as he tries to understand his impulsive act.
Anyone who has followed my book review blog for any length of time is probably aware that I love the Akashic Noir Series. I think these books are great gifts and a completely different approach to armchair travel. I confess I have found Baghdad Noir and Marrakech Noir more difficult than most books in the series. It’s funny because I studied Arabic, though I don’t remember much beyond how to conjugate kataba (to write).
The stories in Marrakech Noir are more satisfying and more familiar, but both are full of stories that give so much backstory on neighbors and others who have very little to do with the plot, the stories are fulsome in their details, introducing people who really are not part of the story except as witnesses. Usually, in short stories, everything is trimmed away, so the fulsomeness is unfamiliar. I still enjoyed the anthology and recommend adding it to your collection of traveling the world on the Noir Express.
I received an e-galley of Marrakech Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Marrakech Noir at Akashic Books
Yassin Adnan on Facebook and bio at Arabic Fiction
Akashic Noir Series
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/9781617754739/
The second section, The Red and the Black refers to the idea that Marrakech is a red city, not a noir city, of joy, not crime. Here are stories of corruption and oppression, as well as crime. “Mama Aicha” about a woman advocating for her son’s release from prison just broke my heart and “Delirium” was a powerful story of two people who were linked together forever to their great loss.
The last section, Outside the City’s Walls, explores the outlying area, home to the very poor and new immigrants. “Black Lover” was upsetting, using a racist epithet over and over and over, this was in translation so perhaps in Arabic, the epithet is less fraught, though I doubt it. It was unnecessary to the plot. The best story in this section is “A Person Fit for Murder” told by the murderer as he tries to understand his impulsive act.
Anyone who has followed my book review blog for any length of time is probably aware that I love the Akashic Noir Series. I think these books are great gifts and a completely different approach to armchair travel. I confess I have found Baghdad Noir and Marrakech Noir more difficult than most books in the series. It’s funny because I studied Arabic, though I don’t remember much beyond how to conjugate kataba (to write).
The stories in Marrakech Noir are more satisfying and more familiar, but both are full of stories that give so much backstory on neighbors and others who have very little to do with the plot, the stories are fulsome in their details, introducing people who really are not part of the story except as witnesses. Usually, in short stories, everything is trimmed away, so the fulsomeness is unfamiliar. I still enjoyed the anthology and recommend adding it to your collection of traveling the world on the Noir Express.
I received an e-galley of Marrakech Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Marrakech Noir at Akashic Books
Yassin Adnan on Facebook and bio at Arabic Fiction
Akashic Noir Series
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/9781617754739/
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