This Blinding Absence of Light Paperback – January 31, 2006

This book, due to it being essentially all in darkness, becomes highly metaphysical at points, discussing ways in which the narrator and other prisoners dealt with the bafflingly horrid conditions they were subject to. Hurts your heart to read in many places, but also a story of the ever-overcoming and -transcending spirit of us humans.Also an eye opener to how prisoners may have been tortured in other parts of the Islamic world, although this certainly has to be one of the worst accounts of any torture, by any people.This novel is as much about the religious aspect of one who has every reason to curse fate yet still pursues his God as his ultimate savior, as well as witnessing the one of the most uncomfortably bent and hideously twisted corners of human history.Prose is fantastic. Short chapters, wide number of topics and occurrences hit on so it moves very fast. 189pg

Such a great read, I recommend it to everyone!

Ben Jalloun's novel is based on the story of one Aziz Binebine, who was sentenced to a 20-year stretch of time in the hellhole prison of Tazmamart for his role in the 1971 attempted coup of King Hassan II's Moroccan government. The novel is fictional, but the underground prison of Tazmamart and living conditions there (it is now destroyed) are not.The book examines the story of one character, Salim, who like his fellow cadets from the coup attempt, was sent to this horrible place. Their "home" was an underground cell, so small that even something as ordinary as sitting was an impossibility. Cockroaches and scorpions were co-inhabitants, as was the constant darkness. The food kept the prisoners alive, but just barely. Many of the prisoners turned to their faith in Allah and to the Qu'ran to make it through their ordeal, while Salim turned deeply inward, letting go of both memory, because "to remember was to die," and of the physicality of his body.This Blinding Absence of Light is one of those books you must actually experience for yourself -- book reviews and descriptions of it can't really do the story justice. If you have a low tolerance for human despair, or you're in the mood for something happy, forget this one. Difficult to read at many points (and on many levels), this book left me considering the cruelty that can more often than not accompany power. It's also a reminder that in some cases, Hell already exists on earth.

Book is abit bleek but an awsome read, came in great condition as described

Must read.

I'd recommend this book to anyone. It's an eye-opening and tragic read based upon interviews of people imprisoned in underground prisons in Morocco. Thankful for Amnesty International and everyone else who helped release these prisoners.

You don't know nuthin'! At least you're not rotting away in an dank, absolutely dark underground dungeon for more than a decade, half-starving and going mad, where your only pleasure is to not feel anything in particular, and the occasional bird song that one hears.

There is a fair amount of suffering in this book. Very emotional and very well written.