Hideous Kinky book review – A memoir of a Moroccan childhood

First things first, I absolutely hate the title of this book, Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud. This has nothing to do with the contents of the book, I just have to get that out there.

Hideous Kinky. What the heck does that mean?! Why is a book about Morocco given such a ridiculously weird name? Like, is Kate Winslet Hideous and Kinky? Why is Kate Winslet on the cover of the book? The people want to know, and I am the people.

“Hideous Kinky” stands for the “call and response” game the two daughters would play. They liked how the words sounded despite not knowing their meaning, and it was their inside joke.

Mystery solved. But the title is still bad.

I had so many questions going in. All I knew about Hideous Kinky was that it’s set in Morocco, and I’m doing a series of book reviews of books set in Morocco since my life is also currently set in Morocco. So, I set my visceral distaste for the title of the book aside, and I’m glad I did.

To buy the book for Kindle or as a paperback, click here (affiliate link).

It was also a movie featuring Kate Winslet (another mystery solved). Click here for the Hideous Kinky trailer, if you’re so inclined.

Otherwise, onto the review!

The mom in Hideous Kinky

Honestly, I think a lot of people give this book a lower rating just because they don’t like the mother. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly frustrating to watch this mother bring her children from a developed country just to borderline neglect and abandon them in a developing country, but that doesn’t necessarily make this a bad book. in fact, I think telling the book from the young child’s perspective was an interesting look at how children view their parents’ questionable choices and the childlike acceptance of adult irresponsibility that we all understand, at least a little bit.

That being said, I see why it’s frustrating for some people. They were points for I just wanted to shake the mom because she’s legitimately so annoying and irresponsible. Not only for how she treats her daughters but her decision to beg and manipulate locals for money. It’s so tone-deaf and revolting to see somebody take from people who have so little simply because she didn’t want to live a “normal” life back in England.

Also, it’s exceptionally frustrating to watch the mother bring around a parade of random men around her two young daughters. But, again, that doesn’t make it a bad book, nor does it make the author a bad writer. There are plenty of books, like Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died where the mother’s behavior is not a reflection of the quality of the book itself, the book simply mirrors the reality of a tragic childhood.

Depiction of Morocco

Unlike other books I’ve read with Morocco as a backdrop of some Westerners’ soul-searching journey, Morocco actually plays a significant role in this book. Not only Morocco but Moroccans, which are often absent from many books set in Morocco, interestingly enough. Not this one, though, as the majority of the characters in the book are Moroccan. Which is pretty cool.

It’s fascinating to see how Morocco has changed since the 1970s. Which is to say, not very much. The Morocco that the author describes is very similar to the one that I currently live in. The way she describes Marrakesh, the vehicle journeys, the people, the culture, and the vibe, are all incredibly similar to what you still experience now. And I really like this. I think it speaks to resilience within the Moroccan culture to outside influence and change, but in a good way. If you had told me that this book was set in 2022, I would’ve believed it because, in many ways, very little has changed in the past 50 years.

The book is confusing

So one issue I had with Hideous Kinky is that it is, at times, confusing. Confusing to figure out who is saying what and to whom they are speaking. Here’s an example:

“We were edging now towards a white barrier. Two men in uniform inspected each car before the barrier lifted into the sky and let them through. There was a tapping on the glass. We sat very still and John rolled down the window, letting in a blast of cold and salty air and a whiskery face with bright blue eyes. ‘Hi, where you heading?’ he said, sticking his head right in and peering at us in the semi-darkness.‘ Tangier tonight… and then on to Marrakech.’

‘Hey, I’m heading that way myself. Dave. Call me Dave.’ And he rested his elbows in the open window and smiled.Dave ambled along beside us as we neared the barrier. ‘So this is your first trip, you’ll love it, you won’t want to leave. Where you from? Let me guess? London. Forget London, man. Marrakech. That’s where it’s at.’

Hideous Kinky, Esther Freud

See what I mean? They’re in a car, waiting for security guards who are inspecting cars before letting them through the border. Then there’s a knock on the glass and it’s… not a board guard? But it’s another random dude who wants a ride? How were we supposed to know they’re different people? I read and re-read this like 4 times trying to figure it out.

This happened several times throughout the course of the book, you won’t have a clear idea who is saying what and it’s a little bit hard to follow. At first, this seemed like an oversight or poor editing, but then I also started to wonder if that’s just what it’s like to be five years old, surrounded by adults in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and nobody is talking to you anyway. Confusing and disorienting and hard to follow.

Maybe I’m giving the author too much credit. But maybe not.

Conclusion

Not much happens in this book. It is not a gripping tail, it is not a harrowing journey, and not a ton happens. It’s just the frustrating story of an irresponsible mother and her two children spending a little bit of time in Morocco before returning home. I enjoyed it more for its depiction of Morocco than anything else, and I would suggest it to somebody who’s looking for a realistic portrayal of Morrocan life.

What are your thoughts on Hideous Kinky? Am I totally off-base? Share your thoughts below! 👇