This autobiography from 1972 provides a great backdrop to the life of Paul Bowles. Ever since reading The Sheltering Sky, I've been fascinated by this man. To some extent, it feels like we have parallel lives, albeit in different generations. For example, he is well-traveled. He also had a middle-class cultural upbringing. And more importantly, he's been a long-term expatriate. He's made Tangier his home for the majority of his life, and as much as he might be an American, he was anyone but a typical American, as far as I can see.
This book therefore provides great insights about the situations and environments that formed the basis of his novels. I loved learning about how these masterpieces eventually took form, whether when they were written somewhere in Morocco, or in Sri Lanka, or elsewhere. Bowles for me is quite a fascinating artist, as not only did he have output in music, but also in prose. I've only encountered his writings so far, but this book makes me wonder whether it would be interesting to listen to his musical output as well.
Of course, I would say that I enjoyed this book. I really do. But I also realise that the major reason I enjoyed this book is because I already loved his other writings. Do not pick up this book if you don't really like Bowles' fiction. It doesn't have much oomph to capture the average reader. For me, the actual oomph is because I adored the author and wanted to know more. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
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