The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit (Penguin Modern Classics)

I’ve stayed in Marrakech eight times and I never get bored of it. Being passionate about history and married to a local, has made me very curious and intrigued to know more about my husbands culture and the city he grew up in. When I came across this book in a list of other works written about or set in Morocco, I decided to get it because it was a personal account and experience of a traveller, set in the 1940s. This book is very entertaining and an easy read. Elias Canetti is a wonderful writer. His observations, descriptions, thoughts and feelings about his experiences are not only insightful, witty and hilarious, they are also profoundly moving, deep and thought provoking .

Elias Canetti was in Marrakesh 50 years ago, but his diary-style pieces about his few weeks there are as valid today as they were then. It makes for a smooth and congenial read (as one might expect from a Nobel Literature prize winner) and conveys a real sense of this lively (now touristy) city. I recommend it to anyone planning a visit. A gem, and I was glad I discovered it.

In beautiful writing, Elias Canetti describes a Marrakesh of 50 years ago, much it around the central square of Jemaa el-Fnaa. There’s much deprivation, but some aspiration. His vignette observation and interaction with local culture give the impression of a still photograph. This is how it is. There is no dynamic. Wealthy foreigners meet impoverished locals with mutual incomprehension. Small amounts of money bridge the gap, like electrical current across a voltage gap. There’s no account of local feelings, of people’s inner world, of historic resentments, of political energy, of any issues. For Canetti, Marrakesh’s people remain an observed but unexamined phenomenon.

I wish I had read this before my recent visit to Morocco. Canetti gently instils a flavour of Marrakesh without resorting to fact overkill. It is a short book - which is not a criticism. It is the sign of a good writer to be able to say a lot in few words. I particularly enjoyed his sorties into the mellah, where now only ghosts of those occupants reside. His descriptions of the way animals are treated are hard to read, but still, I'm afraid, true. He also leaves some food for thought regarding the French colonial era. If you are planning a trip to Morocco, read this book before you go.

much more than a travel book, this is one of the most intimate examinations of a city, a people, a past, a present, one of the most loving, beautiful writing, beautiful depictions///

This book was recommended to me by my guide in Marrakesh. I expected more - I didn't realise it was such a short book or that I would learn so little from it. On the other hand I do agree that it is beautifully written.

A slim book yet an interesting read, that sets the scene and conjures up the feel, sights and flavours of Marrakech

Brief colourful snippets of a bygone age in Marrakesh; which resonates still

Well-priced

"The voices of Marrakesh. A Record of a Visit" is one of the sharpest and most original accounts of the life in the Moroccan city written by a tourist. The1981 Nobel Prize winner, and author of the famous "Auto da Fe", Elias Canetti, has described his impressions from the stay in Marrakesh. He was indeed a tourist, although the better word in his case might be "a visitor", and many of his observations are typical for such, but his language and style would make this slim book exciting anyway. His view makes the streets of Marrakesh interesting and mysterious, the camels have their own personal life, the donkeys accept their sad fate and the art of negotiation at the souk is a starting point for the divagations on the human nature. There are, however, many chapters on not-so-touristically-obvious subjects. Canetti, being Jewish, was especially interested in the life of the Jewish minority and explored the Jewish quarter, which resulted in amazing observations, central to the book. His perception is acute and his opinion of people he encountered (he loved the native women!) are witty and deep at the same time. His voice is very fresh, the book does not sound like a guide, and one of the best points is that, despite his obvious fascination with his exotic surroundings, he can be very critical without being offensive and retaining the respect for the people he describes. His use of words is superb and the translation does not cause the loss of the flow and atmosphere he evoked. Although written more than 50 years ago, "The Voices of Marrakesh" did not lose the charm and magnetizing quality.

An evocative, lyrical, vibrant portrait of the scenes and people of Marrakech

Ein wunderbares Buch wenn man gerade diese phantastische Stadt besucht. Alltagsgeschichten die den Alltag in Marrakesch in der Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts beschreiben und den Leser wenn er sich gerade vor Ort befindet zum genaueren Hinsehen verleiten. Wenn man sich wie Elias Canetti die Zeit zur genaueren Beobachtung nimmt kann man Szenen aus dem Buch wiederentdecken die sich auch nach vielen Jahrzehnten nicht verändert haben. Die perfekte Reiseliteratur.....

Interesting insights into Marrakesh and wonderfully written. Exquisite