"The Sheltering Sky" by Paul Bowles: Porter (Port) and Katherine (Kit) Moresby's marriage has seen better days. While still a young couple, all passion has left their relationship, with Port more consumed with existential angst than his wife's desires. The two are drifting through life, wandering together simply out of routine and Kit's inability to sever ties with the man she loves. When the Moresbys decide to take a trip through North Africa, their lives are changed forever amidst the unforgiving Saharan sands.

Oddly enough, the devoted woman not willing to give up on the disillusioned man instills the book with an "Under the Volcano" feel; the merits of which will depend entirely on your opinion of the Malcolm Lowry ode to alcoholism.

Port's friend Tunner accompanies the Moresbys on their journey, bringing with him the usual squeakiness of a third wheel. Despite their friendship, Port isn't exactly overjoyed to have Tunner along, since he knows his friend has eyes for his wife. And while Kit is starved for attention, she finds Tunner to be an overbearing bore. Her disapproval does little to diminish Tunner's efforts. The group dynamic is further complicated when Port befriends a peculiar young man named Eric Lyle, who is traveling with his mother. Port accepts an invitation from the Lyles to motor with them to the next city, but Kit is nauseated at the prospect of spending several hours in a car with the mother and son. Of course, she's also disgusted with Port for agreeing to such a thing without even considering her, so she defiantly elects to follow with Tunner by train. Can you see where this is going? Hey, a woman's got needs. Kit and Tunner's affair, along with Port's unfortunate association with the Lyles, are just two of the factors that send their lives spiraling out of control, bringing death and dismay.

I had wanted to read "The Sheltering Sky" for years. It has long been touted as a milestone existential text, with the Moresbys' trek through the Sahara symbolizing man's journey through life. And while there are plenty of philosophical undertones, including a few passages of absolute brilliance, the overall product is somewhat disappointing. I wanted more philosophy and less soap opera. Then again, maybe expectations had been built up beyond reason. It's kind of like Sam Malone and "The Bad News Bears." Everyone was telling Sam how great it was, but then when he finally saw the movie, it was just Tatum O'Neal throwin' a ball around. So while"The Sheltering Sky" isn't a bad book, it's just Tatum O'Neal throwin' a ball around. Big deal.

There are two annoying aspects to Mr. Bowles' storytelling. The first is that he as a slight tendency to think for his reader. The best gift an author can give is the thrill of discovery. If a reader can't connect the dots, well, that's his or her loss. Don't compromise the work for the benefit of the unenlightened. The second flaw is directly connected to the first. In an apparent attempt to make things easier for his reader, Mr. Bowles repeatedly reveals his characters thoughts in the form of a mental quotations, only to contradict the very statement in the next breath through spoken dialogue. If handled properly, the reader should already be aware of the character's true feelings, making such mental asides both cumbersome and confusing.

It may not live up to all the hype, but "The Sheltering Sky" is still worthy of a read. Existential thought abounds, even though it does get lost at times in some of the more dramatic aspects of the story. There's one page in particular, where Port expounds on the value of treasured memories and experiences, and how people seldom appreciate them even though there's a finite number of times one will recall them in their lives, that is as strong as any piece of writing 70 proof has encountered.

I'd like to give "The Sheltering Sky" four shots on the basis of subject matter alone. Unfortunately, the way the philosophy is delivered doesn't quite live up to its worthy message. Place it a notch below the likes of "Notes from Underground," "The Stranger," and "Nausea."

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