I truly loved this book.

One of the main reasons was that it was set in Tangier.

Coincidentally, I was reading it while traveling there, which added an entirely new dimension to the experience.

The story flowed extremely well, covering all aspects of a foreign man's exploration of a new country.

He delved into the local culture, interacted with the people, and faced various challenges along the way.

However, I have to admit that the ending was a bit slow for my taste.

It felt like it dragged on a little too long, which slightly dampened my overall enjoyment.

Nevertheless, despite this minor flaw, the book was still a great read and provided a fascinating insight into life in Tangier.

I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in travel literature or exploring different cultures.

The story starts out well enough. It is a psychological noir that is set in an unusual milieu. This immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them eager to see where the plot will lead.

However, as the story progresses, it unfortunately degenerates into something rather un-enjoyable. It becomes creepy in a way that is more off-putting than thrilling. The druggy atmosphere adds to the sense of unease, rather than enhancing the overall mood in a positive way.

Moreover, the pacing of the story is slow, which makes it difficult for the reader to stay engaged. The events unfold at a glacial pace, and there is a lack of excitement and momentum.

Finally, the story ends on a sad note, leaving the reader with a feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction. Overall, what could have been a great psychological noir turns into a rather lackluster and un-enjoyable read.

Letting It Come Down

Paul Bowles (1910 -- 1999), an American loner and outsider, had a successful career as a composer in New York City. However, in mid-life, he made a significant change to literature and relocated to Tangier. After rereading his first and most famous novel, "The Sheltering Sky", I turned to his second novel, "Let it Come Down" (1952).

Set in post-WWII Tangier, during the waning days when it was an international zone, the novel presents a lawless haven for expatriates with eccentric lifestyles, like Bowles himself. The main character, Nelson Dyar, a 30-year-old American, journeys to Tangier out of boredom and dissatisfaction with his life in the US. Working as a bank teller with no real friends, love affairs, or interests, he moves to Tangier when invited by an old acquaintance, Wilcox, to join his shady travel agency.

Bowles' novel traces the gradual descent and character change of the milquetoastish and indifferent Dyar. It has a unique style, a mix of humor, irony, and at times, it almost becomes a comedy of manners. However, the prevailing tone is dark and brooding.

Through Dyar, Bowles offers a vivid portrayal of Tangier and its people. From the moment he arrives, Dyar gets involved in intrigues with other expatriates and the natives. His job with Wilcox takes an illicit turn, and the naïve Dyar finds a woman he believes is the love of his life working in a brothel and kept by a wealthy American woman. The book includes scenes of parties among the wealthy expatriates and influential Arabs, as well as the narrow winding streets, dangerous bars, shabby hotels, and locals. Tangier in the book is constantly drenched in rain, and it also includes psychedelic scenes of hashish and kif use, substances Bowles indulged in when he moved to Tangier. Despite some lightness, the book and Dyar's life descend into violence.

The book reads slowly, with a lot of action, place depictions, and violence, but also includes a great deal of philosophizing about letting go of the past and enjoying life. Bowles' characters are trapped in their anger.

This second novel shares the same broad themes as "The Sheltering Sky" but is less effective in its long party and expatriate society scenes compared to the former's unremitting starkness. Nevertheless, it is absorbing in its portrayal of Tangier and the callow young American. The novel is available individually or in a Library of America compilation of three of Bowles' novels.

Robin Friedman

A truly great book that is beautifully written. It tells the story of a man who gradually becomes more and more detached from reality. As the story progresses, his actions become increasingly careless.

Spoiler alert! In a rather unexpected turn of events, everyone dies. This shocking conclusion leaves the reader with a sense of disbelief and a desire to reevaluate the events that led up to it.

The author's skillful use of language and vivid descriptions bring the characters and their world to life. The reader is able to empathize with the man's struggles and understand his descent into madness.

Overall, this is a must-read book for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking and engaging story. It will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

I really wanted to have a liking for this book. After all, it is set in a historical era that is frequently romanticized. However, as I delved deeper into it, it gradually became tedious. There were simply too many characters to keep track of, which made it a bit overwhelming.

I had been anticipating a greater sense of chaos, but to my surprise, I felt that the story was, in the end, quite realistic. The character of Dyer was entirely unlikeable, and for half of the book, he seemed to be doing nothing at all. In fact, he reminded me a little of the protagonist in "Catcher in the Rye".

Years from now, I will most likely think of this book because of the themes it explores. Nevertheless, the book itself was a bit of a boring read. It failed to hold my attention throughout, and I found myself having to force myself to keep going at times.

Despite its flaws, I do believe that there are some interesting aspects to this book. The historical setting is well-described, and the author does a good job of presenting a realistic picture of life during that time. However, these positive points were not enough to make up for the overall dullness of the story.

Overall, I would say that this book is an average read. It has its moments, but it is not one that I would highly recommend. If you are interested in the historical era it portrays, then it might be worth giving it a try. But if you are looking for a thrilling and engaging read, then you might want to look elsewhere.

A book titled "The Man in Limbo" tells the story of a man who seems to be perpetually waiting for life to happen to him. He constantly fails to make the right choices, which leads him down a perilous path. His life becomes a downward spiral, and to make matters worse, he dabbles in a bit of drug use. This only serves to further ensure his doomed fate.

The man's indecision and lack of action prevent him from seizing opportunities and achieving his goals. He watches as life passes him by, filled with regret and self-doubt. The addition of drug use not only clouds his judgment but also begins to take a toll on his physical and mental health.

As the story unfolds, readers are left to wonder if the man will ever be able to break free from his self-imposed prison and turn his life around. Will he find the strength to make the right choices and take control of his destiny? Or will he continue to spiral downward, ultimately facing a tragic end?

Let It Come Down is a story that centers around Nelson Dyer, an American bank clerk.

Tired of his mundane life and job, Dyer decides to join an old acquaintance, Jack Wilcox, who lives in Tangier and offers him a position in the travel agency he runs there.

However, upon his arrival, Dyer discovers that Wilcox's agency is not as successful as he thought. Instead, Wilcox seems to have a mysterious source of income. As the story progresses, Dyer's relationship with Wilcox deteriorates, as he realizes that he is not really needed at the agency.

The book delves into Dyer's quest for meaning and purpose. He is not a typical tourist, but rather someone who is searching for something more. The story suggests that things will get worse before they get better, and that Dyer must face his own demons in order to find his place in the world.

It also explores how the locals are viewed through Dyer's eyes. He comments on how badly they treat the cats, how the Arabs are "geniuses" at breaking things up, and how they have no accurate sense of time and space. However, he also acknowledges how they manage to make use of seemingly useless products.

Overall, I'm not entirely sure what to think of Dyer or the book. While I enjoyed reading it and keeping the background of the international zone, French zone, and Spanish zone in mind, there were aspects of the story that left me feeling a bit unsettled.

Paul Bowles' "Let It Come Down" presents a complex and vivid portrayal of Nelson Dyar's experiences in Tangier. Dyar, desperate to break free from his mundane life in New York, takes an odd job in Tangier, only to find himself in a web of deception and uncertainty. The city is a melting pot of characters, each with their own motives and agendas. Dyar's naïveté and inability to adapt to the new environment lead him to make a series of poor decisions that ultimately push him closer to his downfall.

The novel is rich in description, painting a vivid picture of Tangier's atmosphere and the people who inhabit it. Bowles' writing is both beautiful and brutal, capturing the essence of the city and its inhabitants with precision. The sexual encounters in the novel are described in a way that is both tasteful and revealing, adding to the overall atmosphere of the story. The title, taken from "Macbeth," adds an element of foreboding to the story,暗示着 Dyar's inevitable downfall.

Despite my annoyance with the main character, I found "Let It Come Down" to be a fascinating read. Bowles' writing is engaging and thought-provoking, and his portrayal of Tangier is both alluring and disturbing. The novel is a study in human nature and the consequences of our actions, and it leaves the reader with much to思考. Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and is interested in exploring the darker side of human nature.

Nelson Dyar, a young bank clerk, feels that his life has hit a dead end. By nature, he is rather unreflective and submissive, waiting for real life to come to him on its own. His days pass in thoughtless and unsatisfying work. So, when he receives a job offer from an old friend, he treats it as a godsend and an opportunity to escape his confined life. In a sudden impulse, he abandons everything and sets off to Morocco in search of luck and his own identity.

However, upon arrival, contrary to all his expectations, things do not improve. Tangier, with its International Zone, is a place filled with dodgy businesses, attracting expats, adventurers, and all kinds of frauds and rich idlers. The promised job turns out to be a vague illusion, and the people he meets try to use him for their own purposes. The city, with its forbidden pleasures, draws him in like quicksand. As a result, Dyar, alternating between being drunk and stoned, finds himself becoming a thief, a smuggler, a traitor, and a spy. It's not a bad start, indeed.

Dyar is a tragic but not entirely likable figure. For years, he has drifted through life, mechanically following the passing days. At night, he gathers his strength just to survive another dull day. There is a certain strangeness and emotional emptiness about him. He doesn't agonize over whether such a life is worth living. In fact, although he is not dead, the mere fact that he can breathe does not mean he is truly alive.

Paul Bowles is truly excellent at depicting the local color. Tangier, as it emerges from the novel, is a strangely intoxicating, somber, yet atmospheric place. It is a maze of dark and dangerous streets in the Muslim district, with seedy brothels, crowded pubs where the locals, in the haze of hashish and accompanied by drums, indulge in ecstatic dances, and secret cinemas showing illegal porn. Oh, and there is rain. In Tangier, it rains incessantly, as if the rain is pouring directly from the pages of the book.

Bowles perfectly captures the dark atmosphere of postwar chaos, painting an evocative picture of a decadent city and its inhabitants involved in dirty games. "Let it Come Down" reads like an ominous warning, showing how the disdain and arrogance of Westerners in their contacts with other cultures can lead to inevitable disaster.

This description seems rather one-sided and inaccurate. Morocco is a diverse and vibrant country with a rich history and culture. While it is true that there may have been some individuals, both native Moroccans and ex-pats, who engaged in illegal or immoral behavior during the mid-century, it is unfair to generalize and paint an entire group in such a negative light.

In fact, the majority of people in Morocco, regardless of their background, were going about their daily lives, working, raising families, and contributing to the community. There were also many positive aspects of life in mid-century Morocco, such as the beautiful architecture, the delicious cuisine, and the warm hospitality of the people.

Rather than focusing on the negative, it would be more interesting and accurate to explore the complex and multifaceted nature of Morocco during that time period. This could include looking at the political, social, and economic changes that were taking place, as well as the artistic and cultural achievements. By doing so, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of Morocco and its people.

I absolutely adored this book!

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a month living in the Ancient Medina of Tanger in March. I was in desperate need of creative space and a chance to reconnect with a more laid-back way of life. At that time, Morocco had just reopened its borders after the pandemic. The city was still partially closed and devoid of tourists.

I passed my days sipping mint tea at Cafe Tingis in the Petit Socco, strolling through the city, getting delightfully lost, daydreaming on its terraces, reading books about Tanger's history and its inhabitants, devouring works by Burroughs, indulging in majoun, and smoking kif.

'Let It Come Down' brought back vivid memories of Tanger for me. It is not only the story of its author, Paul Bowles, but also the story of the city itself. It tells the tale of Dyar, a young New Yorker who, tired of his life in the Big Apple, relocates to Tanger on a whim, hoping to make something meaningful happen in his life '...because the important thing is to do something, to move in any direction, out of his impasse'.

Just like in 'The Spider's House' and 'The Sheltering Sky', Paul Bowles focuses on characters who hail from the affluent Western world and venture to places where they spiritually and morally descend into confusion, self-destruction, and an utter inability to find redemption.

'...fear is without any true relationship to reality'.

Plot wise, I didn't enjoy it as much as I initially thought I would. There were certain aspects that didn't quite grip me as tightly as I had hoped. However, those final 30 pages were truly a game-changer. They were undoubtedly the most gripping part of the entire novel. The author's description of drug-induced paranoia was simply fantastic. It was so vivid and intense that it really made me feel as if I was experiencing it along with the characters.

However, the final transgressive act came as a complete surprise. I'm not entirely sure if it added a whole lot to the overall story. On one hand, it was a bold move that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. But on the other hand, I'm not sure if it was necessary or if it really enhanced the narrative in a significant way.

What really struck me the most, though, was just how poetic Bowle's prose is. His description of place is without a doubt the best of any author I've read. It's so beautifully written that it really brings the settings to life. This is truly a quotable read, filled with lines that you'll want to remember and share with others.