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Sheltering Sky (Vintage International)
Sheltering Sky - Vintage International
Author: Paul Bowles
The story of three American travelers adrift in the cities and deserts of North Africa after World War II examines the way Americans apprehend an alien culture and the way their incomprehension destroys them.
ISBN-13: 9780679729792
ISBN-10: 0679729798
Publication Date: 3/17/1990
Pages: 335
Edition: Reissue
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 19

3.4 stars, based on 19 ratings
Publisher: Vintage
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
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reviewed Sheltering Sky (Vintage International) on + 813 more book reviews
A husband and wife are traveling with his friend. They are described as travelers, not tourists; none seem to have had any occupation. Today, they are in North Africa, most likely Algeria, although the author seems vague at times. Why are they in post WW II Algeria you say? Well, they seem to have traveled everywhere else. The desert is calling them. These three seem to be ambivalent about the natives, but they constantly run into a parochial-minded mother and son team who are definitely the most prejudiced, biased, bigoted, insensitive, intolerant, racists on the earth. They hate everyone; even each other. Eventually our mom and pop wander so far into the arid wasteland of the Sahara that we dont know where they end up; it could be anywhere between Mauritania and Sudan. In the end they all lose; only the desert wins. There are many voids in the manuscript. These are generally where a lengthy or complicated narrative would be needed to fill in the story. You will have to fill in yourself.
reviewed Sheltering Sky (Vintage International) on + 45 more book reviews
Way existential. I think. I didn't really get it.


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