A beautiful story of love and betrayal by the writer Tahar Ben Jelloun, Franco-Moroccan poet and painter, in a country, Morocco, where women must live “between two worlds”.
Casablanca lovers by Tahar Ben Jelloun, from the Académie Goncourt, is published in the collection Blanche, published by Gallimard.
BOOKS AND YOUTH – Listen to the full interview with Tahar Ben Jelloun
The story
His name is Nabile, her, Lamia. He is of modest origin, pediatrician, humanist, committed, intellectual, very much in love with his wife, and also with literature and cinema, two passions that he tries to pass on to his wife. It must be said that she is a bit of the opposite: a liberated Moroccan woman, raised in a comfortable cocoon, she is a pharmacist and entrepreneur, runs a drug factory, and together they have two children.
As in a film – Tahar Ben Jelloun was greatly inspired by Scenes from married life, Ingmar Bergman’s film – the story alternates from one to the other, from shot to reverse shot, depending on the years spent and the feelings of each. The novelist explains why he chose to zoom in on this particular couple.
“It’s a love story, and in any love story, there is betrayal, it goes together, and the betrayal is not going to come from where you expect it. And above all, I have wanted to pay tribute to the Moroccan woman, modern, new, who fights, who takes power, who no longer lets herself be done. Obviously, economic power helps a lot, and there is a desire to live her life as she does. hears, including in betrayal.”
Tahar Ben Jellounat franceinfo
Tahar Ben Jelloun tells a contemporary love story, anchored in a country where young people, especially women, must reconcile modern life and traditions, and live “between two worlds”.
Finally, this novel is also a very beautiful trip to Morocco. We pass from Casablanca ”the talented”, to Fez ”the traditional”, via Tangier ”the romantic”. All these cities that Tahar Ben Jelloun describes so well.
For this new novel Casablanca loversTahar Ben Jelloun chose to associate the music he loves.
“There is jazz music that comes back to me all the time, which is ”Summertime” which is always in my head, and which comes and goes. There is ”Night in Tunisia” by Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. These are music that I listen to all the time, which guide me, because in jazz, there is improvisation. And me, in the morning, when I start to write, I don’t know not what I’m going to write.”
Tahar Ben Jellounat franceinfo
Tahar Ben Jelloun will be present next weekend at the Paris Book Festival.
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And other reading ideas
Literary discoveries to be made, and for all, at Paris Book Festival (from April 21 to 23, 2023) in the ephemeral Grand Palais, and whose guest of honor is Italy. Without forgetting, at the same time, the Festival Sciences at the Museum of Arts and Crafts (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April), with a meeting of the authors in the running for the 14th edition of Taste of Science Prize.
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And finally, on the site of kibookin of SLPJpor all ages and all tastes, no more excuses for not finding your nugget to read or to offer!
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