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A Year in Marrakesh
This brilliantly entertaining, insightful classic account of Marrakesh captures the rhythm and spirit of life in the backways of the Medina in the 1950s. First published by John Murray as The Alleys of Marrakesh.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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605 people want to read
About the author
Peter Mayne
17 books7 followersPeter Mayne was born in England in 1908. At the age of twenty he went out to India, where his father was a senior member of the Department of Education. For a while he worked as a mercantile assistant in a firm of merchant-shippers, but he was never a successful businessman. At the time of Partition, the Pakistan Government invited him to serve as Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Refugees and Rehabilitation. When the tension died down, he resigned from government service and settled in Morocco to write his first book. He died in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 5, 2022
In 1949 Peter Mayne establishes himself in Marrakesh, with the purpose of writing his novel (in order to provide himself with an income). This book - The Alleys of Marrakesh is developed from his diary, which catalogues the events of his year spent there.
This quick to read book does some things really well. It certainly transports the reader to Marrakesh, and very well describes the atmosphere, the way people live and their community and cultural interactions. Even more, Mayne provides excellent descriptions of the people who befriend him, the people he interacts with, and the people he observes.
The thing Mayne does not do in this book - is share much of himself.
There is no doubt Mayne is committed to his immersion in the Marrakesh way of life. He avoids the tourist spots (in fact only sees many of them when his friend from Britain joins him for a couple of days, and drags him around the sites), he mostly avoids ex-pats and he really does make an effort to live as the Moroccan people in his neighbourhood do. He actively learns the language, employed not only a tutor, but a man to talk to, so that he can learn the vernacular as well as the formal speech. He embeds himself in the cafe culture of Moroccan men, and visits the hammam to bathe (there is an excellent explanation of his first visit - worth reading the book for this alone). He makes a real effort at learning the etiquette - although this seems a hopeless task, with so many variables!
I enjoyed reading Mayne's book - for its descriptive qualities of his friends and (literally) The Alleys of Marrakesh! Other reviewers have noted that nothing much happens, or that it hasn't aged well. I don't agree, although I have no hesitation is describing it as 'charming', which I guess means I forgive its minor failings. The only failing I will mention, is his regular use of French in the dialogue. While for you clever language masters who have a basic understanding of the language, this French is probably so simple it does not pose an issue, for a heathen like me to whom languages are only fleetingly learning a couple of 'hello-phrases' quickly lost on departure of the country, I lost the thread a number of times. I detest having to use google translate to check things, so I move on, hoping to pick up the conversation. To be fair in nearly all cases I muddled through, and I suspect that Mayne added English after the French, but I don't really know!
A couple of quotes I marked down while reading - both of which chart his coming to terms with the Islamic faith.
P87
P161
4 stars.
This quick to read book does some things really well. It certainly transports the reader to Marrakesh, and very well describes the atmosphere, the way people live and their community and cultural interactions. Even more, Mayne provides excellent descriptions of the people who befriend him, the people he interacts with, and the people he observes.
The thing Mayne does not do in this book - is share much of himself.
There is no doubt Mayne is committed to his immersion in the Marrakesh way of life. He avoids the tourist spots (in fact only sees many of them when his friend from Britain joins him for a couple of days, and drags him around the sites), he mostly avoids ex-pats and he really does make an effort to live as the Moroccan people in his neighbourhood do. He actively learns the language, employed not only a tutor, but a man to talk to, so that he can learn the vernacular as well as the formal speech. He embeds himself in the cafe culture of Moroccan men, and visits the hammam to bathe (there is an excellent explanation of his first visit - worth reading the book for this alone). He makes a real effort at learning the etiquette - although this seems a hopeless task, with so many variables!
I enjoyed reading Mayne's book - for its descriptive qualities of his friends and (literally) The Alleys of Marrakesh! Other reviewers have noted that nothing much happens, or that it hasn't aged well. I don't agree, although I have no hesitation is describing it as 'charming', which I guess means I forgive its minor failings. The only failing I will mention, is his regular use of French in the dialogue. While for you clever language masters who have a basic understanding of the language, this French is probably so simple it does not pose an issue, for a heathen like me to whom languages are only fleetingly learning a couple of 'hello-phrases' quickly lost on departure of the country, I lost the thread a number of times. I detest having to use google translate to check things, so I move on, hoping to pick up the conversation. To be fair in nearly all cases I muddled through, and I suspect that Mayne added English after the French, but I don't really know!
A couple of quotes I marked down while reading - both of which chart his coming to terms with the Islamic faith.
P87
How can I make money and yet continue to live? That is my problem. Living means leisure and leisure is exactly what a job denies you. Moors know this an pop in and out of jobs as their stomachs are empty or full; but I am sill a long way from reaching that happy state. They don't care what happens and are satisfied in any case that God will determine their futures as He pleases. So they don't have to strive for success, and this is what makes living amongst them such a wonderful relief.
P161
It's no good trying to judge by Western standards - they don't fit.
4 stars.
August 16, 2019
Another great book published by Eland, I've read quite a few of their books now and so far haven't been disappointed. A Year in Marrakesh follows Peter Mayne as he spends a year living with the locals, the reason for this is to write a novel, he feels living as he was in society, was stifling his ability to write. He moves to Marrakesh to find that bit of inner peace to be able to produce that novel he has in his head.
First off I was very impressed by Peter, he doesn't just sit in his hotel room and write, he goes out and meets people and instead of using a translator he takes lessons on learning their language, this enables him to fit in better than the usual visitor to a place like this. He meets so many wonderful people and once they realise he isn't a tourist they treat him as one of their own....also as a good source of cigarettes, stamps, food and drink. He gets involved in their daily dramas, doing his part and intervening when he can....at times this did feel like a soap opera. Once word spreads of him being a writer he gets bombarded with requests for letter writing and not once does he decline. He develops some very strong bonds with some locals and the end of the book/year has some moving scenes.
This book isn't the book he set out to write, this is his journal and it makes for some interesting reading, if you want an insight into what life was like in Marrakesh during the 1950's then this is the book for you.
Blog review> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...
First off I was very impressed by Peter, he doesn't just sit in his hotel room and write, he goes out and meets people and instead of using a translator he takes lessons on learning their language, this enables him to fit in better than the usual visitor to a place like this. He meets so many wonderful people and once they realise he isn't a tourist they treat him as one of their own....also as a good source of cigarettes, stamps, food and drink. He gets involved in their daily dramas, doing his part and intervening when he can....at times this did feel like a soap opera. Once word spreads of him being a writer he gets bombarded with requests for letter writing and not once does he decline. He develops some very strong bonds with some locals and the end of the book/year has some moving scenes.
This book isn't the book he set out to write, this is his journal and it makes for some interesting reading, if you want an insight into what life was like in Marrakesh during the 1950's then this is the book for you.
Blog review> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...
January 27, 2015
Why did Mayne, educated like EM Forster at Tonbridge School, leave England? Insatiable wanderlust? Nothing of the sort according to Wikipedia, which sketches out his father’s colonial career in the British Empire. However, whilst reading “The Alleys of Marrakesh”, though I felt well and truly immersed in the Moroccan heat and bustle of that town; I sensed that Mayne purposefully directed me to what he wished to show me; whilst I learnt relatively little about himself.
That Mayne clearly fell in love with the Marrakesh way of life is undeniable. He wrestles with how he can earn money in order to afford to continue to live in the town. He values the Moors simple and gentle trust in a God who determines their futures; negating any need for them to strive for individual success, or to be miserable about their condition in Life.
Mayne writes with detailed and astute observations on the very un-British peoples who surround him. His description of the hammãm steam baths and the joint-wrenching masseuse is an absolute gem; following on as it does the deft sense of humour he applies to devastating effect in drawing attention to the inappropriateness of the white skin of the Northerner:
“The dead white skin of the Saxon strikes most people here as … well as dead white skin, and I must admit that under this African sun the Saxon resembles the fatty parts of cold mutton.” (p.45)
The more I read, the more this book grew into a series of delightful vignettes into the peoples of, and their lives in, Marrakesh; yet therein accumulated small seeds of dissatisfaction. Variety in plenty, but, as it seemed, a certain variety of the similar; excepting curiosities such as mention of a ‘recipe’ belonging to Bou Djem’a for the sweetmeat halwa (halva), incorporating hashshish from his bled (a rural plot of land?)(p.85). I bet that’s where Alice B. Toklas obtained her infamous recipe for hashish fudge, unwittingly published by Penguin in 1954 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...!
Perhaps my error was to read this book in one go, rather than eking it out over a number of months? Or maybe I ought to leave my sticky page markers in, so that in future I can simply pick up this book and re-read my favourite sections? Given that my copy is an aged classic Penguin edition, leaving the sticky page-markers in might not be such a great idea. That could be a good reason for obtaining and marking-up an e-book edition.
That Mayne clearly fell in love with the Marrakesh way of life is undeniable. He wrestles with how he can earn money in order to afford to continue to live in the town. He values the Moors simple and gentle trust in a God who determines their futures; negating any need for them to strive for individual success, or to be miserable about their condition in Life.
Mayne writes with detailed and astute observations on the very un-British peoples who surround him. His description of the hammãm steam baths and the joint-wrenching masseuse is an absolute gem; following on as it does the deft sense of humour he applies to devastating effect in drawing attention to the inappropriateness of the white skin of the Northerner:
“The dead white skin of the Saxon strikes most people here as … well as dead white skin, and I must admit that under this African sun the Saxon resembles the fatty parts of cold mutton.” (p.45)
The more I read, the more this book grew into a series of delightful vignettes into the peoples of, and their lives in, Marrakesh; yet therein accumulated small seeds of dissatisfaction. Variety in plenty, but, as it seemed, a certain variety of the similar; excepting curiosities such as mention of a ‘recipe’ belonging to Bou Djem’a for the sweetmeat halwa (halva), incorporating hashshish from his bled (a rural plot of land?)(p.85). I bet that’s where Alice B. Toklas obtained her infamous recipe for hashish fudge, unwittingly published by Penguin in 1954 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...!
Perhaps my error was to read this book in one go, rather than eking it out over a number of months? Or maybe I ought to leave my sticky page markers in, so that in future I can simply pick up this book and re-read my favourite sections? Given that my copy is an aged classic Penguin edition, leaving the sticky page-markers in might not be such a great idea. That could be a good reason for obtaining and marking-up an e-book edition.
July 4, 2020
A Year in Marrakesh [1953] – ★★★
This non-fiction book is Peter Mayne’s account of his life in Marrakesh, Morocco in the 1950s. Mayne recounts his bewilderment and mishaps as he tries to live the life of a local in a country that is very different from his own. He tries to learn Arabic and make friends with local people only to find that his attempts lead him to the myriad of unsaid etiquette rules and cultural intricacies still to be learnt. Though Mayne tries his best to capture the mentality of people living in Morocco and their culture, his account turns out to be predictable and exasperating, though with welcoming doses of humour.
The story begins with our narrator being accosted in one café by a native Moroccan who suggests that he stays at his cousin’s hotel in Marrakesh. “I saw no point in going [to Marrakesh] to live the life of a European tourist” [Mayne, 1953: 11], says Mayne, so the invitation to stay at a hotel frequented by Moroccans is an appealing invitation. Mayne ends up drinking lots of mint tea, and frequenting all the touristy spots in Marrakesh, including various “tiny shops, epiciers, barbers…bazaars”. He also cannot get enough of Djema’a el-Fna (Jemaa el-Fnaa), a market place in Marrakesh, where there are fire-eaters and charmeurs-de-serpents, experiences the full effects of the sherghi (chergui), a continental easterly wind, and has his pleasures in a public hammam, A Turkish bath. Part of the fun of the book is that the narrator is very ignorant about many things in Morocco and his trying to get an authentic experience of Marrakesh often results in curious situations. “I am losing all sense of direction and all sense of time in this city”, confesses Mayne; he soon realises that “Marrakesh lies outside normal rules” [Mayne, 1953: 31-32].
In just one year, Mayne moves houses three times and tries to make friends with local people, mingling with them and trying to engage in conversations using their mother tongue. He is soon invited to their parties and finds his world diminishing once again: “Everybody knows everybody else in Marrakesh. At least everybody knows everyone who lives here – the tourists who come in for a look at the city and a taste of its delights don’t count, except to have franks taken off them” [Mayne, 1953: 62]. The major weakness of Mayne’s account is that insights and valuable observations are few and far between in his book, and there are some controversial episodes inside which would never now form part of any travel book. The only interesting observation is probably to be found in these lines as the narrator compares his own countrymen to the people living in Morocco: “…[Moroccans] don’t have to strive for success, and this is what makes living amongst them such a wonderful relief. For them, none of the things that befall you can be disgraceful because, good or bad, everything comes from God. With us, it is somehow disgraceful to be poor, no matter how we protest to the country, because poverty suggests failure…in Marrakesh, you can be poor and rich in turns and nobody seems to notice the difference except in unimportant ways” [Mayne, 1953: 85].
Peter Mayne is a talented writer, but there is nothing remarkable about A Year in Marrakesh. Perhaps it is one of the travel books of the 1950s that has not aged well. It definitely should be seen as having lost some of its credibility and entertainment factor, for example, due to the fact that much more knowledge on Morocco is now widely available and actually possessed by people.
This non-fiction book is Peter Mayne’s account of his life in Marrakesh, Morocco in the 1950s. Mayne recounts his bewilderment and mishaps as he tries to live the life of a local in a country that is very different from his own. He tries to learn Arabic and make friends with local people only to find that his attempts lead him to the myriad of unsaid etiquette rules and cultural intricacies still to be learnt. Though Mayne tries his best to capture the mentality of people living in Morocco and their culture, his account turns out to be predictable and exasperating, though with welcoming doses of humour.
The story begins with our narrator being accosted in one café by a native Moroccan who suggests that he stays at his cousin’s hotel in Marrakesh. “I saw no point in going [to Marrakesh] to live the life of a European tourist” [Mayne, 1953: 11], says Mayne, so the invitation to stay at a hotel frequented by Moroccans is an appealing invitation. Mayne ends up drinking lots of mint tea, and frequenting all the touristy spots in Marrakesh, including various “tiny shops, epiciers, barbers…bazaars”. He also cannot get enough of Djema’a el-Fna (Jemaa el-Fnaa), a market place in Marrakesh, where there are fire-eaters and charmeurs-de-serpents, experiences the full effects of the sherghi (chergui), a continental easterly wind, and has his pleasures in a public hammam, A Turkish bath. Part of the fun of the book is that the narrator is very ignorant about many things in Morocco and his trying to get an authentic experience of Marrakesh often results in curious situations. “I am losing all sense of direction and all sense of time in this city”, confesses Mayne; he soon realises that “Marrakesh lies outside normal rules” [Mayne, 1953: 31-32].
In just one year, Mayne moves houses three times and tries to make friends with local people, mingling with them and trying to engage in conversations using their mother tongue. He is soon invited to their parties and finds his world diminishing once again: “Everybody knows everybody else in Marrakesh. At least everybody knows everyone who lives here – the tourists who come in for a look at the city and a taste of its delights don’t count, except to have franks taken off them” [Mayne, 1953: 62]. The major weakness of Mayne’s account is that insights and valuable observations are few and far between in his book, and there are some controversial episodes inside which would never now form part of any travel book. The only interesting observation is probably to be found in these lines as the narrator compares his own countrymen to the people living in Morocco: “…[Moroccans] don’t have to strive for success, and this is what makes living amongst them such a wonderful relief. For them, none of the things that befall you can be disgraceful because, good or bad, everything comes from God. With us, it is somehow disgraceful to be poor, no matter how we protest to the country, because poverty suggests failure…in Marrakesh, you can be poor and rich in turns and nobody seems to notice the difference except in unimportant ways” [Mayne, 1953: 85].
Peter Mayne is a talented writer, but there is nothing remarkable about A Year in Marrakesh. Perhaps it is one of the travel books of the 1950s that has not aged well. It definitely should be seen as having lost some of its credibility and entertainment factor, for example, due to the fact that much more knowledge on Morocco is now widely available and actually possessed by people.
June 3, 2023
I love books set in North. Africa this was written long ago very good read about a man who lived right in the midst of the village and loved his stay there- loved traveling with him-
May 23, 2023
lovely book. i have been many short times in Marrakesh. but last time i spent more days and partly i used Mayne trail in this amazing city. so it was very refreshing. nice and fun writing
September 19, 2018
While I enjoyed this book a lot, this one is harder to recommend than other books I've read about Morocco. The stories this book tells are interesting, but this is a personal journal that has been published. That makes things a little disjointed. I do wish I could step back into the past that see Marrakesh as the author got to experience it during 1949-1950, while Morocco was still a French colony. It's fascinating what Marrakesh was like back then, and I'd recommend it if you are interested in that time period.
My concern with this book is that the author included bits of French dialogue, and even some Arabic rendered in Latin script, in the text. This made reading the book slow, and I was constantly stopping to run text through Google Translate so I could better understand the situations being experienced. Had a translation for the phrases used been provided, or if you speak French, this is a really fun book to read. If you don't speak French, and want to know more about the details of the conversations, you'll have to look up something almost every page. (It's possible if you pick this up as a kindle book translation is provided automatically through the app, but I read a print copy.)
Outside of the language issue though, Peter Mayne seemed to have really done his best to experience Marrakesh like the locals do. His experiences are still colored by being an outsider, but he made an effort to get to know the place and its people. Near the end of the book, he runs into someone who knew him from before he went to Marrakesh, and the sharp contrast in viewpoints between the two of them about Marrakesh really helped me understand how colonialism was viewed by the European powers. This passage alone made the book worth it for me. Some readers I'm sure though would like to hear from the experience of the Moroccans on the issue, and that is not in here.
Overall, a good book, but not one for everyone.
My concern with this book is that the author included bits of French dialogue, and even some Arabic rendered in Latin script, in the text. This made reading the book slow, and I was constantly stopping to run text through Google Translate so I could better understand the situations being experienced. Had a translation for the phrases used been provided, or if you speak French, this is a really fun book to read. If you don't speak French, and want to know more about the details of the conversations, you'll have to look up something almost every page. (It's possible if you pick this up as a kindle book translation is provided automatically through the app, but I read a print copy.)
Outside of the language issue though, Peter Mayne seemed to have really done his best to experience Marrakesh like the locals do. His experiences are still colored by being an outsider, but he made an effort to get to know the place and its people. Near the end of the book, he runs into someone who knew him from before he went to Marrakesh, and the sharp contrast in viewpoints between the two of them about Marrakesh really helped me understand how colonialism was viewed by the European powers. This passage alone made the book worth it for me. Some readers I'm sure though would like to hear from the experience of the Moroccans on the issue, and that is not in here.
Overall, a good book, but not one for everyone.
January 5, 2016
This is a short account of the author's stay in Marrakesh in the 1950s told with classic English wit and insight. The author lived in a working class neighborhood for a time to improve his Arabic, and his quick grasp of that language really brought depth to his narrative. Unlike many travelogues from the era that read like a camera panning across a scene, Mayne actually introduces us to three-dimensional people and lets them speak for themselves. Many of the stories are quite funny, and I really felt like I was getting to know some of Mayne's oddball neighbors and other people he came to know.
My only complaint was that I felt the book to be too short. I would have like to learn more about these people but unfortunately Mayne ran out of money and had to return home. The book cuts off abruptly, with some stories unfinished and a few missed good-byes. Sounds like the end of any trip!
My only complaint was that I felt the book to be too short. I would have like to learn more about these people but unfortunately Mayne ran out of money and had to return home. The book cuts off abruptly, with some stories unfinished and a few missed good-byes. Sounds like the end of any trip!
August 9, 2007
What Marrakesh was like before it became a tourist destination, and the only foreigners were romantic things like writers.
February 14, 2024
Really enjoyable, witty, a realistic representation of the vibe of Marrakesh city and the Moors culture, and traditions.
February 29, 2024
Really enjoyable, witty and easy to read. A truthful representation of the city of Marrakesh, and of the Moors' culture and traditions.
December 27, 2013
Essential reading for those travelling to Marrakech. It gives a feeling of what the real city is like, the people, the culture, the history of the living. It barely touches on the touristic, although you will feel you know places like Djemaa el Fna and the Cafe de France through his writing.
In fact he is quite clear in his dislike of Marrakech's tourist sights, not bothering to visit them until coerced, and to write them off disdainfully in a tacked on chapter towards the end. What Mayne loves is the people and through this book you'll get a sense of who they are, and understand how the place and history has made them that way. A wonderful travelogue of a city before the hippies and tourists arrived.
In fact he is quite clear in his dislike of Marrakech's tourist sights, not bothering to visit them until coerced, and to write them off disdainfully in a tacked on chapter towards the end. What Mayne loves is the people and through this book you'll get a sense of who they are, and understand how the place and history has made them that way. A wonderful travelogue of a city before the hippies and tourists arrived.
September 21, 2013
Read whilst I was in Morocco and it was the perfect place to read it. Despite it being the record of someone's small experiences over fifty years ago, many of the places and types of people remain the same.
I just thought it generally delightful and in parts very funny.
I wouldn't feel the need to ever read it again but then I don't particularly want to go to Marrakech again either, as much as I did enjoy my time there.
I just thought it generally delightful and in parts very funny.
I wouldn't feel the need to ever read it again but then I don't particularly want to go to Marrakech again either, as much as I did enjoy my time there.
August 11, 2018
Very funny, especially in the beginning. I also really liked how Moroccan culture and history (e.g. the succession of dynasties) were intertwined in the narrative. It looks like Marrakesh hasn't changed that much in the last 50 years.
June 2, 2018
Written in the 1950's, this remains the best book about Marrakesh ever!
October 27, 2021
A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne is basically a personal journal detailing what the writer learned through his friendships with Moroccans. First published in 1953, Mayne had gone to Marrakech to live simply and write a novel. Mayne writes directly and humorously about misunderstandings and his attempts to learn Arabic, but what is most insightful are his insights into Moroccan culture. He writes: They call foreigners “berraniyin” - outsiders, regarding them as laughable and pathetic.
Mayne writes -
Resignation to the will of God and what He may decide will become of you is the very essence of Islam. It is no good making plans as if you are a free agent in this matter. No Muslim would consider trying. Any reference to the future requires that “Insha’ Allah” should be added, and if the speaker forgets (which is unthinkable,) somebody else must say it for him.
When Mayne starts running low on money, he muses -
How can I make money and yet continue to live? That is my problem. Living means leisure and leisure is exactly what a job denies you. Moors know this and pop in and out of jobs as their stomachs are empty or full; but I am still a long way from reaching that happy state. They don’t care what happens and are satisfied in any case that God will determine their future as He pleases. So they don’t have to strive for success, and this is what makes living amongst them such a wonderful relief. For them, none of the things that befall you can be disgraceful because, good or bad, everything comes from God. With us it is somehow disgraceful to be poor, no matter how much we protest to the contrary, because poverty suggests failure.
There’s a great scene where Mayne runs into a chap he kind of knew from London who is traveling with his new bride. They a are a proper British couple and rather bemused that Mayne has settled in what they consider a savage place. Mayne becomes irate at the couple's snobbish attitudes, and tries to explain that Westerners are actually "illiterate intellectuals" and “over-civilized.”
At one point, Mayne makes plans to have three men over for lunch. He prepares lunch and they don’t show up. He comes to ponder more about the phrase “Insha’ Allah” - if God wills. Mayne writes -
Well, what happens depends upon whether you need to do the thing referred to, whether your comfort or livelihood or advantage depend upon it. If the thing has no importance - which is taken to mean that it has no real bearing upon your personal prosperity or pleasure - you may quite easily find that something outside your control prevents your doing whatever it was.
Mayne continues -
Naturally you have to agree to what ever has been suggested, Insha’ Allah, for it would be exceedingly rude to say no to anything. Yet to agree certainly smacks of presumption, of an attempt to interfere with the workings of fate. The past is past; the present is living evidence of God’s wishes, but the future is in His hands. How can you foretell what He has in mind for you when you are making your plans. Anyone can see that the very fact of failure to carry out such plans shows that He never intended that you should.
Mayne's account ends rather abruptly with his determining it is time to leaver Morocco and having the chance to say goodbye to only some of the characters he has met along the way.
Mayne writes -
Resignation to the will of God and what He may decide will become of you is the very essence of Islam. It is no good making plans as if you are a free agent in this matter. No Muslim would consider trying. Any reference to the future requires that “Insha’ Allah” should be added, and if the speaker forgets (which is unthinkable,) somebody else must say it for him.
When Mayne starts running low on money, he muses -
How can I make money and yet continue to live? That is my problem. Living means leisure and leisure is exactly what a job denies you. Moors know this and pop in and out of jobs as their stomachs are empty or full; but I am still a long way from reaching that happy state. They don’t care what happens and are satisfied in any case that God will determine their future as He pleases. So they don’t have to strive for success, and this is what makes living amongst them such a wonderful relief. For them, none of the things that befall you can be disgraceful because, good or bad, everything comes from God. With us it is somehow disgraceful to be poor, no matter how much we protest to the contrary, because poverty suggests failure.
There’s a great scene where Mayne runs into a chap he kind of knew from London who is traveling with his new bride. They a are a proper British couple and rather bemused that Mayne has settled in what they consider a savage place. Mayne becomes irate at the couple's snobbish attitudes, and tries to explain that Westerners are actually "illiterate intellectuals" and “over-civilized.”
At one point, Mayne makes plans to have three men over for lunch. He prepares lunch and they don’t show up. He comes to ponder more about the phrase “Insha’ Allah” - if God wills. Mayne writes -
Well, what happens depends upon whether you need to do the thing referred to, whether your comfort or livelihood or advantage depend upon it. If the thing has no importance - which is taken to mean that it has no real bearing upon your personal prosperity or pleasure - you may quite easily find that something outside your control prevents your doing whatever it was.
Mayne continues -
Naturally you have to agree to what ever has been suggested, Insha’ Allah, for it would be exceedingly rude to say no to anything. Yet to agree certainly smacks of presumption, of an attempt to interfere with the workings of fate. The past is past; the present is living evidence of God’s wishes, but the future is in His hands. How can you foretell what He has in mind for you when you are making your plans. Anyone can see that the very fact of failure to carry out such plans shows that He never intended that you should.
Mayne's account ends rather abruptly with his determining it is time to leaver Morocco and having the chance to say goodbye to only some of the characters he has met along the way.
January 29, 2024
Peter Mayne's stay in Marrakesh in late 1949-50 captures perfectly a sense of place and time. I suppose the time is even of more importance to me than the whereabouts events take place. I find the immediate post World War II years an especially advantageous era for those who had the opportunity and good sense to search out their fortunes away from their homes or at least their home countries. So it is with this British wanderer, Mayne, born in the British Indian empire, made a clerk in post partition Pakistan, and then sent to the winds to find experience and adventure while writing a novel.
The novel never comes. But his journal, which was made into this book of travel writing, supplanted it and gained Mayne fame. He has a gift for generating atmosphere and a tangible sense of being there. As an example, early on, while moving into a hotel, he describes the very walls, ceilings, and contents of the hotel so thoroughly that I could imagine his room before he even entered it. And it gives a sense of satisfaction to accurately anticipate in that fashion--all but the window, which I imagined to be open air but which contained an iron grill.
As he moves around, the exoticism of Marrakesh only grows, from one semi-squalid sector of the city to a more refined area in a garden, and finally to a spot of genteel reduction in reputation. What never ceases to change, however, is the cast of characters Mayne sketches. They're unforgettable. Rogues, loyal friends, lamed, desperate, or opportunistic they quite literally flesh out Marrakesh and make it a unique community that certainly would not exist in the twenty-first century.
One thing I'll remember from his friends is the conversation Mayne has with Maurice, a Chinese man doing restoration work while setting up to sell antiques. Maurice says there are two reasons that someone chooses to live in a place (accepting that one has the ability to up and move somewhere apart from their birthplace). He says that place is either an extension of the person or provides for a missing element of what is needed to give completeness. Mayne accepts that the latter condition is true for him. And because of it he can't write or complete his work anymore. He has become fulfilled. And that's the reason he decides to leave Marrakesh. He needs to pursue what he lacks, what will give him meaning. He's too comfortable in Morocco. As with many an expat, dissolving old ties and facing unfamiliar circumstances yields a creative spirit. Or so he implies.
The novel never comes. But his journal, which was made into this book of travel writing, supplanted it and gained Mayne fame. He has a gift for generating atmosphere and a tangible sense of being there. As an example, early on, while moving into a hotel, he describes the very walls, ceilings, and contents of the hotel so thoroughly that I could imagine his room before he even entered it. And it gives a sense of satisfaction to accurately anticipate in that fashion--all but the window, which I imagined to be open air but which contained an iron grill.
As he moves around, the exoticism of Marrakesh only grows, from one semi-squalid sector of the city to a more refined area in a garden, and finally to a spot of genteel reduction in reputation. What never ceases to change, however, is the cast of characters Mayne sketches. They're unforgettable. Rogues, loyal friends, lamed, desperate, or opportunistic they quite literally flesh out Marrakesh and make it a unique community that certainly would not exist in the twenty-first century.
One thing I'll remember from his friends is the conversation Mayne has with Maurice, a Chinese man doing restoration work while setting up to sell antiques. Maurice says there are two reasons that someone chooses to live in a place (accepting that one has the ability to up and move somewhere apart from their birthplace). He says that place is either an extension of the person or provides for a missing element of what is needed to give completeness. Mayne accepts that the latter condition is true for him. And because of it he can't write or complete his work anymore. He has become fulfilled. And that's the reason he decides to leave Marrakesh. He needs to pursue what he lacks, what will give him meaning. He's too comfortable in Morocco. As with many an expat, dissolving old ties and facing unfamiliar circumstances yields a creative spirit. Or so he implies.
June 24, 2020
Peter Mayne spends a year in Marrakech to write a novel. He lives a modest life in a series of alleyway riads, taking tea in outdoor cafes and becoming acquainted with various locals. But he never presumes that he is anything other than a transient, a visitor, and he demonstrates an aloof respect for the Marrakshis’ customs, habits, and rituals. Near the end of his stay, he meets a fellow British visitor who has consumed several travel guides for his two-day visit. As he regales Peter with all he knows about Morocco, it becomes clear that Peter has done little historical research, visited none of the landmarks, and failed to get to know “the right” people. Yet, his time spent in the city has been satisfying. Though he writes his novel, it is implied to be not very good and is never published. His friend remarks: “Particularly with writing, or painting, a man will work in order to complete himself. And if he feels himself to be complete, he will find no need to work. I believe it may be the case with you in Marrakesh, Peter.”
August 18, 2020
Recounting Peter Mayne’s time in Marrakesh in the early 1950’s this excellent travel book really does feel as if it gives you a glimpse into another place and another time. This is largely because Peter Mayne chooses from monetary necessity to live in the old Arab part of Marrakesh in order to attempt to live as far as possible without money worries, writing a novel (never published) and keeping a journal, which became this enchanting book.
He sets out the reasons for his way of life late in the book when meeting a familiar old acquaintance:
Overcivilised! And you are too! We’ve become caught up in our brilliant little world of progress and prophylaxis and can’t seem to see that the only way to make that tolerable would be to have an intellect and a life of it. But we haven’t got intellects, you and I! So what does that make us. Just sillies with insurance policies against life or death, and instincts bound up in insulating tape!
He sets out the reasons for his way of life late in the book when meeting a familiar old acquaintance:
Overcivilised! And you are too! We’ve become caught up in our brilliant little world of progress and prophylaxis and can’t seem to see that the only way to make that tolerable would be to have an intellect and a life of it. But we haven’t got intellects, you and I! So what does that make us. Just sillies with insurance policies against life or death, and instincts bound up in insulating tape!
July 10, 2019
Really enjoyed this book and will miss it. Gentle, relaxing stuff, very wittily written and less a travelogue and more an account on the people the author meets and the streets and houses he lives in. Would definitely recommend and will look out for more books by Peter Mayne.
February 16, 2020
I would have given it 5 stars but for Orwell’s Down & Out In Paris and London. Although completely different this is just one short step behind that. A fantastic piece of writing that evokes character and personality more than location but ultimately gives a deep sense of place.
March 11, 2019
Poorly written
December 29, 2019
Delightful and fully describes the quirkiness of building in a new land with different customs.
November 9, 2022
What an absolute charmer
(It has a bit of a Lillian Beckwith flavour but please don't spoil my illusions)
(It has a bit of a Lillian Beckwith flavour but please don't spoil my illusions)
March 10, 2025
What a lovely book!
Easy to read and very interesting
A lot of different characters
Loved the easy manner the author uses to tell about his life in Marrakesh
Easy to read and very interesting
A lot of different characters
Loved the easy manner the author uses to tell about his life in Marrakesh
April 15, 2025
the writing style is highly annoying, makes the author seem like an annoying snob. couldn't get into it.
April 1, 2009
This is a really brilliant account of life in Marrakesh in the 50s but what makes is special is the awkwardness of the narrator - its much better (like any travel literature) if you can read it in situ as then you know all the places etc that he's talking about. Also, and maybe most importantly he doesn't claim that any of his opinions and deductions are correct, and openly admits that much of his understanding of Islam would not be shared by its adherents,
April 2, 2016
Read in situ in Marrakesh, it was fun to read on the page about the sites and atmosphere that surrounded me - the Koutoubia, the Djemma El Fna and La Mamounia. I almost regret not taking a coffee in the Cafe de France. A must read for any visitor to Marrakesh - and the perfect length so as to not distract you from the city.
May 22, 2013
Wonderfully written! It made me feel as though I was back in Morocco. I loved the interaction between the author and his neighbors. He perfectly captures the potential misunderstandings between Western/European and Moroccan culture.
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March 11, 2013nice book i need to read it
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