Marraquexe Noir

by Yassin Adnan, Felipe Benjamin Francisco (Translator)

Marraquexe noir faz parte da premiada série de antologia noir da Akashic Books. O Norte da África finalmente entra para a coleção com um volume de histórias sombrias e enraizadas em solo marroquino, aproximando os leitores da realidade linguística, cultural, religiosa e étnica de Marraquexe ? seja ela árabe, amazigh, africana ou muçulmana, bem como do histórico Mellah, o Bairro Judeu.

Genres: Morocco, Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Anthologies, Noir, Suspense

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories in the ‘noir’ series, this time focused on Marrakech. Some stories were OK. They were fairly interesting and were well-written. Others not so much. I found myself trying to pin down a definition of ‘noir’ that would work for most of them without much luck. They were short stories set in the city, and had they been described that way I might have appreciated them more. Worth the read for the couple that were worth the read.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marrakech Noir is one of the recent releases in the fabulous Akashic Noir Series. This time our guest editor is Yassin Adnan who takes us to Marrakech, introducing us to the grim and gritty side of his city. The book is organized into three sections: Hanging Crimes, The Red and the Black, and Outside the City’s Walls. The first section is more familiar in feeling for noir fans. The first story “The Mysterious Painting” is among my favorites, a mystery solved at the dinner table of a restaurant, so clever. I also liked “The Mummy in the Pasha’s House” which is also a fairly traditional mystery told through stories.

The second section, The Red and the Black refers to the idea that Marrakech is a red city, not a noir city, of joy, not crime. Here are stories of corruption and oppression, as well as crime. “Mama Aicha” about a woman advocating for her son’s release from prison just broke my heart and “Delirium” was a powerful story of two people who were linked together forever to their great loss.

The last section, Outside the City’s Walls, explores the outlying area, home to the very poor and new immigrants. “Black Lover” was upsetting, using a racist epithet over and over and over, this was in translation so perhaps in Arabic, the epithet is less fraught, though I doubt it. It was unnecessary to the plot. The best story in this section is “A Person Fit for Murder” told by the murderer as he tries to understand his impulsive act.


Anyone who has followed my book review blog for any length of time is probably aware that I love the Akashic Noir Series. I think these books are great gifts and a completely different approach to armchair travel. I confess I have found Baghdad Noir and Marrakech Noir more difficult than most books in the series. It’s funny because I studied Arabic, though I don’t remember much beyond how to conjugate kataba (to write).

The stories in Marrakech Noir are more satisfying and more familiar, but both are full of stories that give so much backstory on neighbors and others who have very little to do with the plot, the stories are fulsome in their details, introducing people who really are not part of the story except as witnesses. Usually, in short stories, everything is trimmed away, so the fulsomeness is unfamiliar. I still enjoyed the anthology and recommend adding it to your collection of traveling the world on the Noir Express.

I received an e-galley of Marrakech Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Marrakech Noir at Akashic Books
Yassin Adnan on Facebook and bio at Arabic Fiction
Akashic Noir Series

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[el mehdi el basraoui · Rating 3 out of 5]

وأخيرا أكملت كتابا بعد انقطاع دام أشهرا!

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid outing - this time, the setting is the exotic Marrakech. The city is one that is more prone to scandal than crime, and as such there is no tradition of noir. Fantastic storytelling is used to block out dark memories and dark tales are avoided. Even now, we are told, only 30 detective stories have been written in the last two decades!

So our authors, from a variety of different cultural backgrounds, have taken inspiration from old crimes, long hidden, as well as those crimes now prevalent in a modern city. Add a touch of spice and humour, and you have Marrakech Noir!

[Mish Middelmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depressing. Perhaps successful in conveying the desperation of the underworld it describes. Interesting in exposing the pain of people torn between rigid cultural rules and the pressures to bend and break them.

Spoiled by patchy writing quality.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag - some good stories, some very poor writing.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Baghdad Noir, Beirut Noir, and now Marrakech Noir, though this volume may be my least favorite anthology of the bunch. The quality of the stories in all three books is very uneven, with a fair percentage of stories not qualified to be labeled as noir fiction.

Still, there is plenty of really good writing / translation here, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to drop into the worlds of Beirut, Baghdad, and Marrakech, even (perhaps especially) when it cost me a bit of effort to set aside my Western mindset and stretch myself.

Who knows how well I succeeded? I am very appreciative of the risks these authors took, the work of translators, and the admirable work of the narrator, and look forward to reading more in the Akashic Noir series.

[Husna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

I'm still on the fence about how I truly feel about this book. It didn't quite hit the mark for me. Some stories did catch my interest, like the one about the author travelling to work on Mars and the story of the Nigerian girl from Lagos. These particular narratives resonated with me, perhaps because I, too, am a writer, and hail from Nigeria.

I'm not convinced that the issue for me lies in having multiple short stories tho. Instead, it might be in how they were all organized? Perhaps it would be wise for me to explore other books in this series from countries that feel more familiar to me first, giving me a chance to settle into the storytelling style before diving into new settings.

[Nabil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Déçu. Les auteurs que j'attendais le plus, Fouad Laroui et Mahi Binebine n'ont pas réussi à me tenir en haleine : une courte nouvelle policière faussement comique qui ne parvient pas à échapper au joug du style décalé, cocasse et burlesque de Laroui, et un avant-goût de son roman à paraître (au moment de la publication de cette série) Mon frère fantôme. Le reste de la collection est assez hétérogène, et la plupart des auteurs ont cédé aux stéréotypes "noirs" de la ville, par facilité sans doute, par contrainte probablement.

[Danilo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an interesting one.

It has the premise of being a noir one, but a good number of it's stories aren't noir for sure. At same time, they still show the dirt face of the city. This don't take the quality of some stories, some of them really noir (the last one, specially), while others are just ok.

But this book has one, or two, big problems: while some stories are really critical to the prejudices found in Marrakesh society, some other are clearly racists and misogynistic. And this really undermines even more the book.

[Avani Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is basically an anthology of a bunch of crime stories that take place across Marrakech. It’s part of the Akashic noir collection where a bunch of writers from a specific city come together and write a bunch of noir/crime fiction stories to highlight their city’s character.

Of the books in this collection, I think this was the best. It’s very witty and has a lot of range. It explores the city’s social fabric in a really unique and captivating way. It was also so sexy in ways I can’t explain 10/10

[Imane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish, what the hell did I just read ?
I am usually not hard on books as I understand it can not click with everyone, but I don't understand how someone could enjoy poorly written thriller wanna-be short stories. I don't know if it's the translation, or if it's just the writing but I found it extremely forced, linking things that don't have anything to do together to call it a mystery.
Some of the worst few pages I read!

[غبار · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Don't they say that Marrakech lavishes a noisy tumult of joy and ecstasy on strangers, while for its sons and daughters it offers only a silent sadness? What is the good humor for which the people of Marrakech are known if not a proud mask concealing the bitterness of their days and the misery of their lives?"

—Mama Aicha, Halima Zine El Abidine (tr. Anna Ziajka Stanton)

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Many of the stories were evocative, and I do feel I got painted a multifaceted picture of the city I've visited and enjoyed, but the quality/interest was all over the map, even within individual stories.

[Kari Ni]

A very intriguing and fascinating collection of Moroccan short stories bringing the magic atmosphere of Marrakech.

[Dereck Dressler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories are great, but some are a little bit tiring. A good book even tho. Beirut Noir is better.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book I received as an advanced reader copy from Librarything.com. It is a collection of short Stories. I have decided to review each one below. Overall I thought it was well written, and it was interesting to read the perspective of the Marrakech Muslims. I may not have alway understood all the nuances but I really enjoyed the new points of view. It was not what I thought it would be when I first picked it up, it was far less crime and more human condition stories. All of the stories rambled a bit and most of the authors didn't see to have a strong storyline to me. Often it felt that there were too many characters and no resolutions.The Mysterious Painting by Found Laroui - This is a simple mystery, short and quick but well paced. I liked the way the chief followed they mystery.A Noisy Disappearance in an Ill-Reputed Alley by Allal Bourqia - I totally missed the point of this story. I may have missed cultural cues.Looking at Mars in Marrakech by Abdelkader Benali - So much ambiguity, and a sci-fy story was very unexpected.Other Places by Mohamed Zouhair - This is a sad story of longing and loss. It also showed a man's view of a woman's perspective.The Mummy in the Pasha's House by Mohamed Achaari - This story was too jumpy, it felt very disjointed to me.A Way to Mecca by Hanane Derkaoui - This was the 1st female author in the collection, and she took on some subjects that were very suprising, and what I would have thought of as taboo: Homesexuality in Muslims. It was a very well written story. I found that it was interesting that it was a flip of Other Places with a woman who is writing a man's perspective.The Secret in Fingertips by Fatiha Morchid - Another female writer, she is is also another very good writer. This is a story with lots of twists and turns, and a heart of gold.Delirium by Mahi Binebine - This was a weird split personality story, and it made no sense to me. However the writing flowed very well.In Search of a Son by Mohamed Nedali - I didn't understand the ending.Mama Aicha by Halima Zine El Abidine - I think this was my favorite story, it was beautiful, heartwarming, and profound.Frankenstein's Monster by My Seddik Rabbaj - Entertaining and full of superstition, no real point though.An E-mail from the Sky by Yassin Adnan - I had problems jumping from perspective to perspective.A Twisted Soul by Karima Nadir - Beautifully written and full of sadness.Black Love by Taha Adnan - It was a little long and twisty, but in the end it tied up nicely.A Person Fit for Murder by Lahcen Bakour - Finally a story like I thought this book would be. Muder and sadness!
For additional reviews please see my blog at www.adventuresofabibliophile.blogspot...

[nx74defiant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Another collection of short stories. Marrakech is a city I'm not familiar with. The introduction was interesting about the lack of crime stories in Marrakech.
I think the 1st story: The Mysterious Painting was my favorite