Who Would Like This Book:
This is a classic that plunges you straight into the sensory overload of the North African desert, crafting an atmosphere that's both hypnotic and unsettling. Bowles writes with a poetic, haunting touch, painting scenes of arid beauty while diving deep into existential questions and the emotional disconnect between people. If you enjoy slow-burning, introspective novels about dislocation, travel, and unraveling relationships - or love atmospheric settings that are almost characters themselves - you’ll find plenty here to chew on. Literary fiction fans and anyone fascinated by existential themes or cross-cultural encounters will likely be hooked.
Who May Not Like This Book:
The pacing is definitely on the slow side, and the characters can be aloof, privileged, and often pretty unlikable. Bowles’ attitudes, especially regarding gender and cultural representation, come off as dated (and even problematic) to many modern readers. The plot is loose and meandering, and if you’re looking for tidy resolutions or characters you can root for, you’re probably going to be frustrated. Some found the story’s darker turns and lack of empathy off-putting, especially in the later sections.
About:
'The Sheltering Sky' by Paul Bowles is a novel that follows the journey of a husband and wife, Port and Kit Moresby, along with their friend Tunner, as they travel through North Africa in the 1940s. The book explores themes of alienation, existential dread, and the unraveling of relationships in a hostile and unfamiliar environment. As the characters venture deeper into the Sahara desert, they are confronted with dangers that test the limits of their humanity, leading to a downward spiral of personal and emotional disintegration. The writing style of Bowles is described as vivid, hypnotic, and searing, painting a haunting picture of the characters' inner turmoil and the harsh realities of the desert landscape.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of mental illness, death, existential despair, and elements of misogyny.
From The Publisher:
In this classic work of psychological terror, Paul Bowles examines the ways in which Americans apprehend an alien culture-and the ways in which their incomprehension destroys them. The story of three American travelers adrift in the cities and deserts of North Africa after World War II, The Sheltering Sky is at once merciless and heartbreaking in its compassion. It etches the limits of human reason and intelligence-perhaps even the limits of human life -when they touch the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the dessert.
Ratings (11)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (5) | |
Liked It (2) | |
It Was OK (3) |
Reader Stats (31):
Read It (11) | |
Want To Read (14) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (5) |
What can you read after
The Sheltering Sky?
About the Author:
Born in New York in 1910, Paul Bowles is considered one of the most remarkable American authors of the twentieth century. He studied music with composer Aaron Copland before moving to Tangier, Morocco, with his wife, Jane. His first novel, The Sheltering Sky, was a bestseller in the 1950s and was made into a film by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1990. Bowles's prolific career included many musical compositions, novels, collections of short stories, and books of travel, poetry, and translations.
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