(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“Morocco has no tradition of noir literature.”
“Marrakechis are willing to read every type of story about the city—except those that are garbed in black.”
Yassin Adnan, the editor of Marrakech Noir had a difficult time trying to find local authors to experiment with this unfamiliar genre. So I knew that this would not be the traditional noir fiction that I was used to reading.
Frankly I was disappointed with the first two stories and was contemplating on chucking the whole book. I’m so glad I didn’t.
Mohamed Zouhair’s “Other Places” where women’s lust and murder take an unusual turn, completely grabbed me. From then on, I was hooked. In “The Secret in Fingertips” by Fatiha Morchid, a prostitute relates her personal story while I eagerly awaited the outcome. It delivered.
No matter what the story is, each character is multi-dimensional, as is the unwed mother in Karima Nadir’s “Amerchich.” Plot is never compromised even with the superb character development.
Many of the people try to reconcile their superstitions with their faith and temptation with religion. Not much is off-limits: from religion to politics to racism. A mother who never wanted to leave her house since she was fifteen years old finally ventures out for the first time to look for her grown son who is fighting an unjust political system. Different cultures and religions collide in a cybercafe in “An E-mail from the Sky” by Yassin Adnan.
I feel guilty only mentioning a few stories, as there are so many good ones.They are quite diverse, featuring street workers, transsexuals, drug addicts, the mentally ill and religious fanatics. Tourists bring dreams to the residents but are also enticed with the abundance of hashish. Most stories at some point meet at the popular Jemaa el-Fnaa Square with its mystics, storytellers, snake charmers, singers and dancers.
With a few exceptions, most of the stories were translated from Arabic. I have to admit that I was fascinated learning about this culture so different from my own while still experiencing my favorite genre, which throws us into the dark, seedier side of life.
