There is nothing romantic regarding the misery of poverty in the writings of Mohamed Choukri. I've read several Moroccan authors, but each time I read a book of his, it's a reminder of how harsh life can be. The Tent is a collection of short stories taking place in Tangier and around it. We follow different people in snippets of their lives as they simply try to live from day-to-day no matter how wretched the situation can be at times. What I like about his writing, it's that he doesn't embellish his language nor the situation it describes. People are there as they are. We visit them in moments, then leave them to fend for themselves. Sometimes, joy can be found in wretched situations, but also sadness, and idleness regarding one's life. Choukri only learned to read and write at the age of 20, but he expressed himself most of entire life with its harshness, not with its beauty.