Customer Reviews

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i was very pleased with this book.
Suzanna Clarke and her husband bought a house in the medina of Fez and this is the story of the renovation project and those involved- architects, workmen, bureaucrats and neighbors.
she gives us her experiences with a freshness that will charm even those who know the country well. although she had little prior knowledge of morocco, there are only afew errors (some details about Islam-ramadan, cats).
the book that "A House In Fez" most resembles is Peter Mayne's "A Year in Marrakesh" (also titled "The Alleys of Marrakesh") A Year in Marrakesh, especially for its light tone (no long lectures on history, politics or architecture here).
Peter Mayne was injured in an attack on a cafe in the events leading up to Morocco's independence (1956) and he only wrote the one book (in print!) about this country. We can only hope that the author and her husband, Sandy McCutcheon, also a writer, will enjoy many years of residence and give us updates, not only in their popular blog, but also with future books.

I have lived in and visited the Muslim world for almost 20 years now and enjoyed every bit of this book. It really captured how wonderful the people can be, and yet how frustrating things can also be...for those who are still on "Western" time. From being concerned about overpaying, to trusting your neighbors, to the "fun" of trying to work with "City Hall"...the book is spot on. But not to dwell on the difficult times, but the author also dives into the warmth of the local people, which is the best part of the book to me.

Suzanna Clarke's memoir entitled A House in Fez: Building A Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco, is not just the story of her restoring a three hundred year old house. I found her tale to be a delightful and insightful book about everything and everyone that is Morocco. The book is a very engaging introductory to Morocco's culture, complete with a magical blend of tidbits on the people, the place, and of times past, present and future. You will learn about the loveable people who are humorous, giving, and helpful, yet often frustrating when assisting Suzanna with her plan. The pace of Morocco as in most of the Middle East, is a tad slower than of the western world, every little project and chore can take a very long time to accomplish all at the will of Allah.

Suzanna and her husband Sandy, native New Zealander's, had traveled to Morocco a few times for vacation. They fell in love with this quaint and historic corner of the world and decided they wanted to buy a second home there. Traveling back and forth between countries, they soon found a gorgeous, yet run down, three century old riad, (a traditional Morocco house with central fountain enclosed courtyard) that they just had to have, even though they realized this would be the biggest challenge of their lives. Restoring an ancient house of this historic caliber is not cheap. They knew it would drain their budgets, and that the task would take a lot of their time. They are both busy journalists and this monumental project would take creative juggling of their careers.

From the time of purchase, Suzanna tells us her story of how difficult it was to find and deal with merchants and building contractors, how her blood pressure sky-rocketed with every time she needed to obtain permits from insane city officials, endless red-tape, how her patience was challenged every day with upsets, disappointments, lazy and carefree employees, and expensive fixes. Not to mention the drain on her marriage, as her and Sandy often had to alternate who would remain in Morocco as the other would fly home to keep the coffers full enough to pay for the new House in Fez.

Although at times I felt there was just a little too much detailed description of the day-to-day construction work, it was worth reading to learn of the history of Moroccan architecture, and of the city of Fez itself. Interspersed with the "house story" are many wonderful surprises of Suzanna's exploration of the city as she bit-by-bit learned of it's heritage, culture and residents. While turning the pages you hear their music, witness a celebration where Syrian whirling dirvishes swirl into dizzying white clouds, smell the aromatic spices in the souk, and taste the mouth-watering dishes of lamb tagines and couscous as they are concocted over open fire pits along the winding back alleyways, or on balconies by women of the veil.

Suzanna presents a light and easy read with this book, retelling her adventure of creating a magnificent authentic riad home, and in this process, gained a multitude of new Moroccan friends that become her new family. Humorous, educational, heartwarming, this book is a fabulous mixture of travel narrative and a story of rebirth and renewal for both Suzanna and Sandy, and also for the House in Fez!

I'm going to be in Morocco soon, serving in the Peace Corps, and read The Caliph's House, by Tahir Shan, before this (which I would rate as maybe 4 or 4.5 stars) - this I would give a 3.5/5.

There were paragraphs/sections I particularly enjoyed - whether because of marked wit or charm, or interesting historical insights of which I was not aware.

The book started off well, with quotes like, "Morocco has the mystique of a land from the Old Testament yet appears to be coping comfortably with modernization. Internet cafes rub shoulders with artisans' workshops; peasants on donkeys trot beneath billboards advertising the latest mobile phones", "it was a country where we felt more alive than anywhere else, our every sense engaged", "you looked the farmer or the stallholder in the eye as you quibbled in a good-natured way about the quality and price."

I was hoping of more of the same.

Unfortunately, after the first two chapters or so, the book veered off (and decidedly so) into a tome on building materials and house/kitchen renovation...at least 60% (being conservative) of the book is very detailed tidbits about building supplies and how the kitchen tiles were put in, just like so...for the first half of the book, this level of detail was something I forgave, in the hope that something "really good" was coming as a replacement for this "filler". But alas, most of the book is indeed minute detail about project work.

If you're interested in renovating a run-down "mansion" in Morocco, this may be of particular interest to you...but first read The Caliph's House, which seemed to have more characters, more anecdotes, more lasting humor. If you're interested in learning more about Moroccan culture, this offers mere glimpses. If you want a broader picture, I highly recommend CultureShock Morocco, by Orin Hargraves.

If you really want to discover Fez and Morocco in general, skip the tourist guides and read this book instead. I picked it up right after booking my first trip to the country, and after finishing it I arrived in Fez feeling like I already knew the city on an intimate level. No amount of descriptions of monuments or museums can prepare you like A House in Fez, which is filled with insights into Moroccan world-views and attitudes as well as history and a decent primer on Moroccan architecture. In addition, it's wonderfully well-written with a great flow, and the author's personality shines through without it being too autobiographical.

We have been thinking about living in Morocco, having spent some time there a few years ago. We loved it; the culture,history, the diverse geography and the people. Really enjoyed reading about other people experiences. The book was a really practical guide to what one might expect. Photos were fantastic, but a few more would have been even better. Would highly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in learning about other countries and cultures.

I enjoyed this book so much that it inspired me and my husband to go to Morocco, from where we have just returned. We spent 3 days in Fez in a beautiful riad similar to this one, and although we did not meet Suzanne there, we often wondered which door down an alley led to her riad. We made a point to stay in riads all over the country, in Rabat, Marrakech, and Oarzazate and loved them all. Read it, and maybe you will also be inspired to visit this fascinating city and country.

I always find it courageous when other people decide to move to another country far away from their home country, where the language, the culture and major religion are so different from their own. I love reading about their experience living in these countries as I am always curious about what life is like in other countries. Clarke's book "A House in Fez" provides a wonderful glimpse as to what it is like as a foreigner from western culture to live in Morocco.

Clarke's writing is captivating and it draws you in from the start of her journey to move and live in Morocco. Clarke discusses how she and her husband come to decide to live in Fez, Morocco... Along with the process of buying and renovating their very own riad (a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard)... And believe me the purchasing and renovating of their new home is quite an adventure and a test of patience if you live in a country where the home buying and renovating process are different from how things are handled back home. But that's part of the adventure right? What I admire most is that Clarke and her husband use traditional craftsmen to restore their riad to its former glory.

It is also fun to learn about all the people Clarke meets and becomes friends with along the way, plus learn about the various customs and culture of Morocco like Ramadan, the circumcision process, Sufi ceremonies, about the belief in djinn and so much more.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a light, breezy read. For me, that was the problem. The book deals with the challenges faced in purchasing and restoring a traditional home. There are problems aplenty, and when told light and breezy, became repetitious and tiresome. I would have liked to learn more about Morocco, more about the people and culture, and the history of Fez and the Medina, and as the title indicates, more about "Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco" - now that would have been interesting! The book would have been helped too with a glossary and drawings of the architectural features - so much to be say and so little said.

I loved this book. The detailed descriptions of the city and its people took me back to my wonderful visit to Fez.