This Blinding Absence of Light

byTahar Ben Jelloun

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In this extraordinary non-fiction novel, based on a true story, Tahar Ben Jelloun traces the experiences of Salim who, in 1971, took part in a failed coup attempt to oust King Hassan II of Morocco. With sixty others Salim was incarcerated in a secret prison complex in the Moroccan desert: he was to remain there for nearly twenty years.



In starkly eloquent, beautiful prose, Ben Jelloun relates the prisoners' experiences as they struggle to survive. The son of a witty, feckless courtier who disowns him, Salim tells stories to keep sane - from the suras of his beloved Koran to the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire. Even in the darkest, most terrible conditions, sympathy, insight, the human quest for meaning and understanding, never desert Salim. The resulting novel is a wrenching yet exquisite celebration of the human spirit and its determination to survive.



'A masterpiece' Judges of the IMPAC award



'a sad and splendid book' New York Times Book Review

About Tahar Ben Jelloun

Tahar Ben Jelloun was born in Fez, Morocco, in 1944 and has lived in France since 1971. An internationally recognized novelist, poet, playwright, and essayist, Ben Jelloun has received numerous awards for his works, including the Prix Maghreb, the Prix des Hemispheres and the Legion of Honor. His books include The Blinding Absence of Light, The Sand Child and The Sacred Night, for which he won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1987. He is also a regular contributor to Le Monde.
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Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9780141022826
  • Length: 208 pages
  • Dimensions: 198mm x 14mm x 130mm
  • Weight: 153g
  • Price: £9.99