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The Marrakesh One-Two
It all begins as Burt Nelson, struggling with the mysteries of the Arab mind, tries to complete a film version of the life of Mohammed. But things keep getting in the way--a bloody but failed coup in Morocco, a confrontation with Colonel Kaddafi, a hijacking. Richard Grenier has had careers as screenwriter, critic and foreign correspondent. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic and The American Spectator. "Grenier's Arab world, with its blood lusts, assassinations, coups d'etat, hijackings, is depicted with murderous realism and antic pleasure. Immensely entertaining." --Daniel Monahan
- GenresFiction
346 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 3, 2023
A mostly funny trip through the 1970s Middle East. Too uneven in my opinion to rate any higher. Some excellent observations on the stupidity of US foreign policy and the actions of the CIA. Nothing seems to have changed in that department over the last 40+ years. Not a read for anyone who gets offended easily. A fast read that was very funny in some parts but slow in others.
July 9, 2011
I read this many years ago, but I remember it was dangerously funny.
August 10, 2022
This is one of my all-time favourite books, which I’ve now read three (or it might even be four) times, but which is completely unknown and out of print.
It tells the story of Burt Nelson, who is a scriptwriter on the production team of a film about the life of Mohammed. Unfortunately, because Islam has serious objections to the portrayal of images of Mohammed, the film cannot depict Mohammed himself nor, because they are considered too holy, any of the other main protagonists in the story. Because the film is therefore necessarily controversial, Arab countries are nervous about hosting its production, causing the team to periodically relocate within the region in an effort to continue production.
The book is therefore a tour of the region and the people. A couple of things mark it out: first, it is side-splittingly funny (and contains by some distance the most hilarious sex scene I’ve ever read); and second, the author’s knowledge of the people, the region and the religion is truly astonishing.
This latter point is made even more remarkable by the fact that Richard Grenier’s biography makes no mention whatsoever of having spent any, let alone significant, time in the Middle East. Speaking as someone who was brought up by people from that region and from that era – the book is set in the late 1970s – I find his portrayal of the people jaw-droppingly accurate. Whilst it borders on portraying stereotype at times, it would be more accurate to say that it portrays type and architype. Indeed the only really stereotypical aspect of the book is that the American, Burt Nelson, turns out to work for the CIA on the side.
By way of example, there is a Libyan character in the book who asks Burt if he would like to ‘drink a cigarette’. That is a joke which would be lost on most non-Arabic-speakers, even those who’ve spent a lot of time in the region, so how someone who didn’t speak Arabic and didn’t spend time there came up with it (and much more besides) is mystifying.
That last point perhaps explains why the book wasn’t a success. It simply contains far too many inside jokes for it to be accessible to the overwhelming majority of Westerners. As for Arabs of the generation in which the book was published – it came out in 1983 - they don’t generally go big when it comes to self-deprecating humour; my father absolutely hated the book, though whether that stemmed from a lack of self-awareness or too much self-awareness I’ve never been clear.
There is a younger generation of Westernised Arabs who can’t take their parents’ prejudices and conspiracy theories too seriously, and who would absolutely love this book. Unless it is rediscovered, republished and marketed to them, sadly they’re not likely to discover it. A pity, because it is a genuine masterpiece.
It tells the story of Burt Nelson, who is a scriptwriter on the production team of a film about the life of Mohammed. Unfortunately, because Islam has serious objections to the portrayal of images of Mohammed, the film cannot depict Mohammed himself nor, because they are considered too holy, any of the other main protagonists in the story. Because the film is therefore necessarily controversial, Arab countries are nervous about hosting its production, causing the team to periodically relocate within the region in an effort to continue production.
The book is therefore a tour of the region and the people. A couple of things mark it out: first, it is side-splittingly funny (and contains by some distance the most hilarious sex scene I’ve ever read); and second, the author’s knowledge of the people, the region and the religion is truly astonishing.
This latter point is made even more remarkable by the fact that Richard Grenier’s biography makes no mention whatsoever of having spent any, let alone significant, time in the Middle East. Speaking as someone who was brought up by people from that region and from that era – the book is set in the late 1970s – I find his portrayal of the people jaw-droppingly accurate. Whilst it borders on portraying stereotype at times, it would be more accurate to say that it portrays type and architype. Indeed the only really stereotypical aspect of the book is that the American, Burt Nelson, turns out to work for the CIA on the side.
By way of example, there is a Libyan character in the book who asks Burt if he would like to ‘drink a cigarette’. That is a joke which would be lost on most non-Arabic-speakers, even those who’ve spent a lot of time in the region, so how someone who didn’t speak Arabic and didn’t spend time there came up with it (and much more besides) is mystifying.
That last point perhaps explains why the book wasn’t a success. It simply contains far too many inside jokes for it to be accessible to the overwhelming majority of Westerners. As for Arabs of the generation in which the book was published – it came out in 1983 - they don’t generally go big when it comes to self-deprecating humour; my father absolutely hated the book, though whether that stemmed from a lack of self-awareness or too much self-awareness I’ve never been clear.
There is a younger generation of Westernised Arabs who can’t take their parents’ prejudices and conspiracy theories too seriously, and who would absolutely love this book. Unless it is rediscovered, republished and marketed to them, sadly they’re not likely to discover it. A pity, because it is a genuine masterpiece.
February 28, 2016
If you like Graham Greene you'll like Grenier, although this is his only fiction work. Expats will recognize the inevitable clashes between cultures, in this case Westerners in Arab nations in the 70's. Decent vacation reading.
January 25, 2021
This is a wild read mentioning every country in the middle East.
June 29, 2021
I wish Grenier had written more novels.
November 12, 2024
A brilliant book with plenty of snorts and chuckles. Grenier writes first person as the supposed screen writer for "The Message", a book about the prophet Mohammed which would not portray Mohammed. That, in itself, made a joke of the real-life enterprise, and the movie spent tens of millions of dollars, then took in essentially nothing.
However, Grenier writes with such convincing authority you'd swear this is a memoir, not fiction ... although certainly there is a lot of it which is not fiction. It described with some accuracy historical events from the period, and a lot of how it describes the movie's production jives with other sources.
The man was a brilliant writer with an appealing sideways sense of humor. You can find and check out the book at archive.org.
However, Grenier writes with such convincing authority you'd swear this is a memoir, not fiction ... although certainly there is a lot of it which is not fiction. It described with some accuracy historical events from the period, and a lot of how it describes the movie's production jives with other sources.
The man was a brilliant writer with an appealing sideways sense of humor. You can find and check out the book at archive.org.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews