Opening Line
The very first line of this book is a flat out, straight-up metaphor lacking any visible context. A good rule of thumb to apply almost universally is this: if the opening line of a book is a metaphor, chances are much of the language which follows will also be metaphorical.
“There was a sadness in the stillness of dusk.”
Slangy
Some metaphor is direct and recognizable, like the above. Obviously, there is real ability for dusk to be sad, but it’s a feeling easily understood. Other metaphorical language is so pervasive in daily discourse that it might not be recognized as such quite so easily. Find the slang in the following and you have discovered the metaphor:
“I leapt up and ran into the labyrinth, cursing. In doing so, I had broken the first rule of the Arab world—never lose your cool.”
Literary Allusion
A popular form of metaphorical imagery is to draw a parallel with an existing work of literature. The more familiar the source of the comparison, the more effective and efficient the metaphor. And what is the go-to choice for literary allusions dealing with the Arab world? Even though most people have never read it, they recognize the meaning of the metaphor:
“Fes, undoubtedly Morocco's greatest jewel. It is the only medieval Arab city that remains entirely intact. Walking through the labyrinth of streets that make up the vast medina is like stepping into The Thousand and One Nights.”
Compound Metaphor
The promise extended by the opening line that this is a book overflowing with metaphor proves true. So true, in fact, that at times the metaphorical edge to a paragraph becomes a demonstration of the complexity afforded by compounding imagery together to serve a single purpose:
“New Year’s Eve was a day filled with hope. Like a snake sloughing an old, tired skin, it seemed that we were leaving the problems behind us, pushing forward into a new year of possibility.”
Where do You Sacrificial Animals, Anyway?
A major plot element involves ritualistic exorcism. You might think it’s easier to engage in animal sacrifices in certain places than it is in others. And you would be right. And Morocco seems to be one of the places where procuring such raw material for exorcism is almost too easy:
“He pushed a door and we were suddenly afloat on a sea of goats. There were hundreds of them, white, brown, and black, all squirming to avoid our legs.”
