For Bread Alone [Paperback]

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1987

Choukri's classic and moving work, which has already been translated into more than ten languages,speaks for an entire generation of North Africans.

Born in the Rif, Choukri moved with his family to Tangier at a time of great famine. His childhood was spent in abject poverty; eight of his brothers and sisters died of malnutrition or neglect. During his adolescence, described here with its attendant erotic escapades, Choukri worked for a time as servant to a French family. He then returned to Tangier, where he experienced the violence of the 1952 independence riots.

At the age of 20, and still illiterate, he took the decision to learn to read and write classical Arabic - a decision, which transformed his life. After mastering the language, he became a teacher and writer, finally being awarded the chair of Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta College in Tangier.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A true document of human desperation, shattering in its impact.' --Tennessee Williams

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: City Lights Books (August 1987)
• ISBN-10: 087286197X
• ISBN-13: 978-0872861978
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,147,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life on the fringe, October 22, 2002

By 

Ladyce West "Ladyce West" (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: For Bread Alone: An Autobiography OUT OF PRINT (Paperback)

I liked this book. That surprised me. This speaks directly to strength in narration and artistry of Mr. Choukri, who shows us, in this first volume of his autobiography, the despair brought about by ignorance and poverty. Our young man's apparent lack of hope for a better future is made clear from the start. In his teens, born in Marocco, during the French domination, he struggles to find the rules and reasons for the world around him. I say apparent lack of hope, because after the first few paragraphs we already know that he is sensitive, smart and will attempt to survive as best he can, without any help from his family or society. In this respect, I was satisfied early on, for I sensed it would be all right to attach my emotions to this hero; that he would not betray my confidence. Mr. Choukri's narration is also masterful in the depiction of the most despicable acts of violence both physical and moral. He is detached. So we can also keep our safe distance.

I confess to having a special reason for reading this book. Since I spent some time in the early 1980s in Oran, Algeria, I have been intrigued with the peoples of North Africa. And this book takes place in many of the cities and towns that are familiar to me. What surprises is to see that even though there was a good thirty years difference between the time this story took place and the 1980s, there were vestiges that for some, things still remained. I can only hope that there has been considerable improvement in the past 20 years.

This is a book that makes us think. And even though the subject: a disenfranchised youth in the life of petty crimes in the fringe of society is not unusual in the literature of developing countries, it is important to return to these themes once in a while, getting out of our comforatble, well educated bubbles, and rethink our own contributions to world around us.

I am a better person for having read this book. That's a sign of excellence.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peek into another culture..., September 12, 2009

By 

Dr. Joseph E. McGrory (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: For Bread Alone (Paperback)

This book is one of the first works by Choukri, a chronicle of his life as he moved himself from illiteracy to become a renowned writer and professor in his homeland. It is a frank narrative into the customs and often hidden behavior of Moroccan life, in earlier times. Recommended as an "easy read".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars misterious..., July 28, 2000

By 

CEM BIRDER (Istanbul, Mecidiyeköy Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Bread Alone (Paperback)

It is a pitty that Samia Mehrez, Professor of Modern Arabic Literature at the American University in Cairo had been accused for assigning to her class this book. This is a misterious and very important work; should be advised anyone interested in real Arabic literature.