Much to the chagrin of his boss, wife, and colleagues, scrupulously moral Mourad refuses to accept "commissions" for his work, until overwhelming pressures make him give in, with disastrous results.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Ben Jelloun, a Moroccan emigre to France who won the 1987 Prix Goncourt for his novel The Sacred Night, weaves an intricate tale about a Moroccan man's slow capitulation to the lure of infidelity and bribery. Mourad, an engineer by training, works for the Ministry of Development in Casablanca; no new construction can proceed without his approval of the plans. Although his supervisor rationalizes bribery as "supplementary tax in disguise," Mourad is scrupulous in all his dealings-so much so that he is derided as "Mr. Morality." But as his meager salary fails to satisfy his controlling, hostile wife, Hlima, Mourad finds the allure of money-and the romantic overtures of his lovely, unhappy cousin Najia-increasingly hard to ignore. Casablanca, grubby and frenetic, is as vividly evoked through Ben Jelloun's taut, understated prose as are the moral entanglements and spates of hallucinatory guilt that beset his protagonist; the only missteps in this remarkable novel are the characterizations of Mourad's son and of Najia, who function too explicitly as moral spokespersons.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ben Jelloun, a Prix Goncourt^-and Prix Maghreb^-winning novelist, has set his latest novel, an engrossing depiction of a moral dilemma, in Morocco, the country of his birth. His hero, Mourad, has the potentially lucrative job of approving construction permits, but he refuses to play the bribery game, thus condemning himself and his family to poverty and, in the process, infuriating his coworkers and his wife. His children suffer from his lack of funds; his wife is unrelentingly shrewish; and Mourad, well, Mourad has begun to wonder if his jealously guarded integrity, a complete anomaly in a world of corruption, is based on a code of morality or on cowardice. Ben Jelloun paces this anatomy of a quandary perfectly, letting us hear the dueling voices of Moudar's conscience and sense the twinge of madness such a fierce inner debate engenders. His hero is beset by desire and, at first, dangerously naive, but as he takes action, the great irony of it all becomes clear to him, and he finds balance even in the midst of absurdity. Donna Seaman
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent novel by one of Morocco's finest writers.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Corruption (Paperback)
This fascinating novel, which can be read in one short sitting, portrays corruption at every level, from the individual to the international. Provides a lot of interesting food for thought about stresses of modern Moroccan middle class life and moral choices that all bureaucrats face. Corruption is one of the best easily readable Moroccan novels in years, investigating a core issue facing all North African societies.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An important story, well-told.,
By
This review is from: Corruption (Paperback)
Mourad is the last honest man in Morocco. Too bad for him. His wife hates him for it, his co-workers are ever suspicious, and even his children are brought into sad play. Eventually, something happens and he crosses a line. ben Jelloun does a terrific job of describing what lead to the critical event and what were the consequences. A good read.
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