Hands down the most bizarre book I have ever read.

At surface level, the novel tells the stories of the numerous ways western culture causes the destruction of alien cultures. It tells the story of self-centered travelers.

After recently immersing myself in a foreign culture with an American cohort for two months I received first hand experience of how the ignorance and incomprehension of new cultures by the western world can poison an atmosphere.

I picked up this book about an American trio traveling North Africa and saw many examples of travelers traveling just to say they travelled.

However, the rooted question throughout this novel is:

“what does it feels like to completely lose yourself and mind?”

The third portion of this book was absolutely fever dreamy?? I felt insane reading it. What. Was. Happening. Is this what it feels like to see someone lose their sanity and sense of being???

Some quotes:

“there was the certitude of an infinite sadness at the core of his consciousness, but the sadness was reassuring, because it alone was familiar"

"How fragile we are under the sheltering sky. Behind the sheltering sky is a vast dark universe, and we're just so small."

“The seductive voice in each of us that promises freedom through refusing responsibility, refusing the labor of choice by which we create ourselves”