A Life Full of Holes: A Novel Tape-Recorded in Moghrebi and Translated Into English by Paul Bowles - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0394179463 ISBN 13: 9780394179469

Synopsis

One of the most unusual literary innovations ever produced, A Life Full of Holes is the result of a singular collaboration between two remarkable individuals: Driss ben Hamed Charhadi, an illiterate North African servant and street vendor, and legendary American novelist and essayist Paul Bowles. The powerful story of a shepherd and petty trafficker struggling to maintain hope as he wrestles with the grim realities of daily life, it is the first novel ever written in the Arabic dialect Moghrebi, faithfully recorded and translated into English by Bowles. Straightforward yet rich in complex emotions, it is a fascinating inside look at an unfamiliar culture--harsh and startling, yet interwoven with a poignant, poetic beauty.

About this title

Review:

"Charhadi has written the first novel ever produced in Moghrebi. The work is not is not only unprecedented, it is also very good, and much of it is marvellous." -- Alfred Chester, Book Week

"The good story-teller keeps the thread of his narrative almost equally taut at all points. This Charhadi accomplished apparently without effort. He never hesitated; he never varied the intensity of his eloquence...Nothing needed to be added, deleted or altered." -- Paul Bowles

From the Back Cover:

A Life Full Of Holes is one of the most unusual books ever written and came about through a collaboration between the writer Paul Bowles and a young illiterate Arab who spoke his tale into Bowles' tape-recorder; it was later transcribed and translated.

Charhadi's young narrator is a loner, always in dire poverty, and at turns a shepherd, a baker's helper, a petty trafficker in kif - he is continually used, abused and cheated. Yet his optimism and faith in humanity is never dimmed despite betrayals, beatings and imprisonment.

Charhadi's unique and fascinating story, underpinned by the cultural collisions between East and West, is essentially a tale of survival, told with dignity, humour and insight.

About this edition

• ISBN 10: 0394179463
• ISBN 13: 9780394179469
• Binding: Paperback