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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This book is pretty insane. It starts as a travel story, but it descends into absolute insanity. What happens when you die. What happens when you go insane. I'm not quite sure what I I was supposed to get out of the book. It is beautifully written, but I can't say I really liked it.
Now I know why this book is on so many top books lists. It is truly magical. Paul Bowles weaves together an indescribable sense of the power of the desert that spreads out just underneath the story line. What a master!
Ridiculous novel. Not sure why it’s considered a classic, or what it is that makes it allegedly well written. Implausible people. Unreal dialogue. The obligatory English (or Australian) villains/weirdos. And a woman who derives happiness from being raped. Complete crap with racism and misogyny thrown in for good measure.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a book. Seriously, this book was fantastic. After I got through the first few pages, I just couldn't put it down! Not a trashy novella at all; true literature at it's finest!
A favorite book of author Dawn MacKeen (Hundred Year Walk)
Grim story. Detestable characters. Superbly written.
This story was not an enjoyable one but I think that was the point. A criticism of Western expats who believe the world belongs to them and think of themselves as worldly but carry their classism and prejudice wherever they go.
The writing captures the nuances between actions, motivations and what is said or unsaid between characters. The author has great insight into how we interact with each other. An example:
Tunner was the sort of person to whom it would occur only with difficulty that he might be being used. Because he was accustomed to imposing his will without meeting opposition, he had a highly developed and very male vanity which endeared him strangely enough to almost everyone. Doubtless the principal reason why he'd been so eager to accompany Port and Kit on this trip was that, with them as with no one else, he felt a definite resistance to his unceasing attempts at moral domination at which he was forced, when with them, to work much harder thus unconsciously he was giving his personality the exercise it required.
Kit and Port, on the other hand, both resented even the reduced degree to which they responded to this somewhat obvious charm which was why neither one would admit to having encouraged him to come along with them. There was no small amount of shame involved where they were concerned since both of them were conscious of all the acting and formula following in his behavior and yet to a certain degree both were willingly ensnared by it.
This story was not an enjoyable one but I think that was the point. A criticism of Western expats who believe the world belongs to them and think of themselves as worldly but carry their classism and prejudice wherever they go.
The writing captures the nuances between actions, motivations and what is said or unsaid between characters. The author has great insight into how we interact with each other. An example:
Tunner was the sort of person to whom it would occur only with difficulty that he might be being used. Because he was accustomed to imposing his will without meeting opposition, he had a highly developed and very male vanity which endeared him strangely enough to almost everyone. Doubtless the principal reason why he'd been so eager to accompany Port and Kit on this trip was that, with them as with no one else, he felt a definite resistance to his unceasing attempts at moral domination at which he was forced, when with them, to work much harder thus unconsciously he was giving his personality the exercise it required.
Kit and Port, on the other hand, both resented even the reduced degree to which they responded to this somewhat obvious charm which was why neither one would admit to having encouraged him to come along with them. There was no small amount of shame involved where they were concerned since both of them were conscious of all the acting and formula following in his behavior and yet to a certain degree both were willingly ensnared by it.
I saw the movie based on this book when I was a freshman in college and it always stuck with me. Later, I found out about the interesting literary marriage of Paul and Jane Bowles. I read Jane's book "Two Serious Ladies" the previous year, and was intrigued to read this book by Paul.
It tells the story of a married couple, Port and Kit Moresby, who are traveling across north Africa after WWII with their friend Tunner. Port and Kit have been on the outs and the trip is meant to bring them together, but their marriage troubles continue during the trip, exacerbated by Tunner's attempts to seduce Kit and by Port taking ill. I won't say more because it would involve plot spoilers. The book is somewhat bleak but some of the descriptions of the desert and nomadic life are lovely. The language feels very simple but a phrase or a whole paragraph here and there is just breath-taking. (Fun fact: The song "Tea in the Sahara" by The Police was inspired by this novel.)
It tells the story of a married couple, Port and Kit Moresby, who are traveling across north Africa after WWII with their friend Tunner. Port and Kit have been on the outs and the trip is meant to bring them together, but their marriage troubles continue during the trip, exacerbated by Tunner's attempts to seduce Kit and by Port taking ill. I won't say more because it would involve plot spoilers. The book is somewhat bleak but some of the descriptions of the desert and nomadic life are lovely. The language feels very simple but a phrase or a whole paragraph here and there is just breath-taking. (Fun fact: The song "Tea in the Sahara" by The Police was inspired by this novel.)
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Put off by the colonial-era thinking, which wasn’t even part of what made this book a “psychological thriller”