by Paul Bowles
First published 1994
Hassan speaks of another world where life follows different rules. In these stories from Morocco, characters drift between reality and the cannabis-induced state called m'hashish. The word describes someone behaving in ways that seem irrational or unexpected, whether literally under the influence or simply acting outside normal bounds. Mohammed Mrabet, born in Tangier around 1940, recounts these tales of transformation and consequence. Paul Bowles recorded and translated Mrabet's stories, capturing voices from the streets and cafes of North Africa. Each story explores what happens when people enter that altered state, examining both the appealing and troubling outcomes. The characters navigate a world where ordinary logic breaks down and new possibilities emerge. These are legends and lived experiences from a culture where hashish shapes both consciousness and storytelling tradition.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, african-literature, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: altered-states, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Morocco, North Africa, Tangier
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · Pieper Werner Medienexp.
Content warnings: drug-use