Paul Bowles (1) (1910–1999)

This is a book I've put off reading for a very long time. I've read other Bowles novels and knew this one was going to be hard. The characters are odious. The setting dirty desert. The plot, purely inhuman in its scope and dark alleys as they caress the mind with emotional devastation.

And yet, it is an amazing work. This is one of those stories that will stay with you, mostly unbidden, sometimes unwanted, and remind you that if you, like me, crave humanistic reflection and justice, will show more rise like sour bile, to remind you of what's important in this life. show less

Port Moresby and his wife Kit leave New York with their friend Tunner, planning to travel in the North African desert and hopefully resolve some unspecified marital difficulties. It quickly becomes apparent that none of them have the slightest idea how to navigate a very different culture in an extreme climate. Set in 1949, the locations they visit are remote and not designed for tourism. The hotels provide nothing more than a cot in a dirty room, and the food leaves a lot to be desired. But show more the trio appear unflappable, so accustomed to their white privilege that they fail to anticipate ways they could be taken advantage of or take even the most basic safety precautions.

It’s no surprise that things quickly go terribly wrong, and worsen as the travelers make snap judgements that only serve to complicate their situation. Paul Bowles steadily builds dramatic tension through a combination of the bleak environment, extreme heat, and character flaws. This drumbeat of oppression and despair never lets up, and yet I was fully engaged in this novel, always hoping the trio’s fortunes would improve. The conclusion is disorienting, but fitting. The Sheltering Sky was a compelling, if not enjoyable, novel. show less

The narrative tracks affluent Americans Port and Kit Moresby and their companion Tunner as they travel across the North African desert following World War II. They are "travelers" as opposed to "tourists," looking to escape the monotony of their lives and fully immerse themselves in a new culture. However, the harsh realities of the desert, their own internal conflicts, and their encounters with the unfamiliar quickly undo their attempts to rediscover themselves and rekindle their strained show more marriage. The story devolves into an unsettling examination of human frailty in the face of the Sahara's immense, merciless emptiness.

The inherent meaninglessness of life and the struggle of the individual to find meaning in a world devoid of intrinsic values are major themes. This existential emptiness is powerfully metaphorically represented by the vast, uncaring desert. While Kit attempts to avoid meaninglessness in a number of ways, characters such as Port struggle with the "infinite sadness" at the center of consciousness.

The conflict between Western sensibilities and the strange North African culture is portrayed by Bowles in a striking manner. Despite their desire to be "travelers," the Americans eventually fall short of truly understanding or connecting with the locals and their customs. Tragic outcomes from their ignorance underscore the perils of cultural conceit and unsophisticated exploration.

A common theme is the contrast between "tourists" who are looking for familiarity and comfort and "travelers" who welcome the unknown. Although Port considers himself a true traveler, the book challenges ideas of identity and purpose by implying that true self-discovery frequently comes at a terrifying cost. The characters feel incredibly alone, even in their own relationships. Distance and a lack of genuine intimacy plague Port and Kit's marriage. They become even more estranged from one another as well as from any feeling of home or belonging as a result of their journey.

Bowles contrasts the untamed, unadulterated forces of nature and human impulse in the desert with the ostensible order and reason of Western civilization. "The Sheltering Sky" is a difficult but unquestionably influential piece of writing. Although it's not an easy read, its examination of important existential issues and its realistic, frequently disturbing portrayal of human nature under pressure make an impression. This book compels readers to face difficult realities about who they are and the state of humanity. show less

Paul Bowles has a peculiarly sociopathic style of writing, but he is a dark Romantic at heart. On the one hand, he is morbidly fascinated by the sense of doom that inflects so much of his fiction. His characters are so captured by their own drives and shortcomings as to chase relentlessly after self-destruction, often mistaking it for the dawn of something new, or for some beckoning opportunity. On the other hand, his characters do typically become transformed, albeit in cryptic, disturbing, show more or disheartening ways. The agent of their transformation, again and again, is Bowles’ principal character, perhaps, namely, the completely inhuman ambience of nature which is, for him, embodied best by the desert landscapes of the Maghreb. Bowles’ nature isn’t even red in tooth and claw, but implacable, indifferent, both starkly beautiful and incredibly cruel. Hence the Romanticism that sneaks in through the back door (here, compare Bowles critically and productively to the Libyan novelist Ibrahim al-Koni). In any case, “A Distant Episode” (1947) is one of the finest short stories of the 20th century. show less