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The Sheltering Sky
 
 

The Sheltering Sky (Paperback)

by Paul Bowles (Author), Michael Hofmann (Introduction) "He awoke, opened his eyes ..." (more)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (24 Feb 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0141181915
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141181912
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.8 x 1.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 113,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #9 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Authors > Bowles, Paul
    #9 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Fiction

Product Description

Product Description
Tells the story of an American couple's fated attempt to regenerate their strange and troubled marriage as they journey through North Africa. The book is a portrayal of a man's physical and mental disintegration and is written by the author of "Midnight Mass".

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He awoke, opened his eyes. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great novels of the post-war era., 18 May 1999
By A Customer
Port Moresby (probably the only fictional character to be named after a city in Papua New Guinea) and his wife Kit head off on a journey across North Africa in search of...actually they haven't a clue what they're looking for. All they find is heat, desert and a growing realisation that their marriage is collapsing within an environment that they are increasingly unable to cope with. Matters are complicated by the presence of Kit's clandestine lover and a boorish English mother and son combination who do little but encroach upon the Moresby's aimless quest. Nothing goes according to plan and as Port's health deteriorates, Kit finds that her terrible omens are about to be fulfilled.

This extraordinary novel envelops the reader with shimmering images and deft characterisation. Amongst all this, there is a message about the hollowness of the American post-war experience. The protagonists feel compelled to explore alien territory but their search for discovery is engulfed by the vastness of the desert. The way the plot unfolds is totally unexpected but conventional narrative wouldn't make sense here. North Africa is different and in this book Bowles lucidly demonstrates why this is the case.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars 'Heart of Darkness' for the twentieth century, 28 Dec 2004
By Depressaholic (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
'TSS' by Paul Bowles is the story of Kit and Port Moresby, who are travelling around North Africa in the years preceding World War II, accompanied by their friend Tunner. Kit and Port are married but estranged, a couple who are as close to perfection for the other as their personalities allow, but who share a love of isolation and secrecy that means that there will always be a chasm between them. Tunner is a fly in the ointment, a sexual rival for Port, an irritant for Kit. On their travels they stay in increasingly hellish places, each more alien than the last, and encounter the nightmarish inhabitants, both European and African, of that remote landscape.
This book has been described as 'African Gothic', and this seems as good a label as any. A dark, brooding atmosphere persists throughout, although there is no horror in the traditional sense. Port and Kit are travelling through their own personal heart of darkness, weighed down by the metaphorical baggage the carry with them, and by each other. They attempt to escape this ever-decreasing circle by sexual liaisons that are both erotic and grotesque in equal measure, and by running as far from westerners and the western way of life as possible. However, their fear of the new, frightening, world they encounter, and their inability to rid themselves of the influences of their past lives lead them ever closer to their own personal hell.
'TSS' is brilliantly written, conjuring strong visual images of the world the Moresby's find themselves plunging into. The powerful writing style reminded me of Malcolm Lowry, and I recommend that fans of one try the other. Bowles' writing is less well structured, but just as successful at bringing the nightmare to life. It isn't an especially easy read, both because of Bowles' occasionally meandering prose and the grimness of the events being recounted. I was also a little bemused by the finale, which seemed to take Kit's African horror a little too far. Despite this, it was still an excellent book to have read, and one I can recommend to anyone interested in great writing.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a story of moral and emotional disintegration, 28 May 2001
By A Customer
This is Paul Bowles' first and best novel. Written in 1945, it chronicles the travels of three American's in the Algerian Sahara. It's totally engaging - Bowles' has an admirable ability to explore his character's inner depths without ever seeming heavy-handed. As the novel progresses, the reader is drawn into the doubt, sorrow and deceipt that governs the lives of the characters. The local detail is fascinating and contributes to the book's distinct atmosphere, which is shaped by the barren and hostile landscape and the charcters dealings with the local people. A truly great book - original and totally authentic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last Third
This very original and dynamically written novel should be read for its final third.

Starting (and continuing) as a rather pedestrian travelogue, it eventually... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Edward Barry

2.0 out of 5 stars Loses the plot badly
Four fifths of this book are excellent, if a little ponderous and slow-moving. The characters are well drawn and we feel gradually drawn in to a web of intrigue and decay. Read more
Published 9 months ago by daisyrock

4.0 out of 5 stars Splendid pictures of people and places
The three main characters in this story are nicely drawn in the first few pages and we stay with them throughout their journey across a part of Africa. Read more
Published 12 months ago by D. W. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars Character is Destiny
Initially, Kit and Port, the preppy primary characters in THE SHELTERING SKY, seem more like attitudes than people. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ethan Cooper

3.0 out of 5 stars well-worth reading
I really enjoyed this book.It gripped me from the start but i am not really sure why?It is a page turner and at the end of each chapter i wanted to read on but i wanted more to... Read more
Published 15 months ago by vic

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Novel of the Twentieth Century
Having picked this book up in my mid twenties after an initial fascination with the beat writers (and thus coming to Paul Bowles in relation to them) I quickly became absorbed in... Read more
Published 17 months ago by A. J. O. Donnell

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful snapshot of 1940's travellers.
On my first attempt at reading this book, I will admit I became quickly bored and gave up. I perservered more diligently on my second attempt, although mainly through a lack of... Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2004 by berkanafairy

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic travel novel
This is the first Paul Bowles book that I have read and now I am about to buy some more of his stuff. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars A strange journey
Port Moresby (probably the only fictional character to be named after a city in Papua New Guinea) and his wife Kit head off on a journey across North Africa in search... Read more
Published on 23 Oct 2001 by John Bowman (john.bowman@btint...

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, dark, erotic, sinister. It may change your life.
Quite frankly the best book that I have ever read. Bowles' characters are larger than life and he skilfully intersperses content typical to a trashy novel with deep, dark... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2001

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