A House in Fez details Australian author and protagonist Suzanna Clarke’s efforts to restore a traditional riad, or house, in the old city of Fez in Morocco. Along the way, she encounters countless setbacks, from language barriers to lack of materials to uncooperative contractors. However, Clarke also forms numerous new friendships, and, by the end of her project, she is proud of her new house and life in Fez. She often shares her experiences through the lens of contrasting “Western” culture with Moroccan culture, and conveys the challenges and rewards of starting a life from scratch far from one’s home. Before reading Clarke’s book, I had very little prior knowledge of Fez or home renovation, so I was able to read her story with an open mind but had nothing to compare Clarke’s descriptions to. Overall, I think that A House in Fez is an entertaining read for anyone who is curious about life in the old city of Fez, but I am unable to speak to how factually informative Clarke’s account is.
When I picked up A House in Fez, my first concern was with the overall premise of the book. Having studied the principle of orientalism, I was somewhat troubled by the idea of a relatively wealthy, self-proclaimed “Western” (Clarke, 8) woman traveling to Morocco in order to “rescue” (Clarke, 10) a house there, implying that the Moroccan people were incapable of doing so. However, Clarke herself seems aware of this dynamic and addresses it at several points throughout the book, as she emphasizes that she seeks to restore the riad to the way it once was, rather than modernize it, and researches the value of foreigners renovating houses in Fez before purchasing a home there. She finds the argument that people with the time and money to do so should restore the crumbling riads in Fez, in order to preserve Moroccan culture. A lover of art and architecture, I could follow this logic, but I was not sure how “Moroccan” a riad could be with Australians and Europeans living in it. Nevertheless, I pressed on through the book and found it to be enjoyable to read.
My biggest complaint about this book is the pacing. Once Clarke purchases the riad and begins renovating it, she begins a seemingly endless cycle of searching for employees, arguing about their payment, eventually letting them go, and finding new builders to work on her house. It is difficult to keep track of who Clarke has hired, who she has fired, and who has walked out on the project. Similarly, she makes several visits to the souk, or market, to haggle for building materials, and these trips muddy together as well. This is somewhat tedious for the reader, but I believe that Clarke includes these instances in her book because she wants to illustrate how different, and sometimes frustrating, it was to manage a renovation in Morocco.
My favorite parts of A House in Fez were Clarke’s accounts of Moroccan life outside of her ongoing renovation. I especially enjoyed her descriptions of traditional Moroccan rituals and ceremonies that are still carried out today, such as those surrounding circumcision, marriage, and baby showers. The festivity of these events illustrated how important family life and religion are to the people of Morocco and including them in the book informed my perspectives on the values of Fassis. I also enjoyed her portrayals of the people she met in her daily life, like her neighbor Kadijah and friend Ayisha. Including their stories allowed the reader yet another view into life in Morocco. Kadijah and Ayisha lived in cramped quarters and struggled to find work—a very different life from Clarke’s expensive endeavors to renovate a huge riad. These stories are what gave the me the best insight into what daily life in Morocco was like for Fassis.
On the whole, I feel that A House in Fez will be an entertaining read for anyone who is interested in Fez, home renovation, or both. Clarke’s rich descriptions of life in Fez allowed me to paint a very clear picture of city life in my head, even though I had never been there, and made me feel more prepared to experience life in Morocco for myself. She also took great care to detail each part of the restoration project, allowing me to get a sense of how much time, effort, and planning go into remodeling any home. Additionally, Clarke’s descriptions gave me a good mental image of what a traditional Moroccan home looks like. However, if I had not had a personal interest in Fez, I may have felt bogged down by the slow progress on the riad and the hassle of keeping all of the characters separate in my head. But, knowing that I would be traveling to Fez soon, I pressed on through the book and felt like I came out with a good understanding of Clarke’s view of Moroccan life and culture. In the coming weeks I will explore Fez and Morocco for myself, and I look forward to being able to compare my own experiences to Clarke’s.
Clarke, Suzanna. A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco. Pocket Books, 2008.
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