La Boîte à Merveilles: Ahmed Sefrioui's Autobiographical Novel

La Boîte à Merveilles is an autobiographical novel by Moroccan writer Ahmed Sefrioui, first published in 1954. The book presents a slice of life within the context of North African Francophone literature of the century, following the Maghreb tradition of an autobiographical style, written in the first person.

Ahmed Sefrioui, the author, was born in Fès around 1915 to parents of Berber origin, who were very Arabized. His father was an old baroudeur before the installation of the Protectorate and established himself as an artisan miller in Fès around 1910. Sefrioui attended an Islamic school at the age of five and then enrolled in a Franco-Moroccan school in his neighborhood. His education led him to the College Moulay Idriss, and after completing his secondary education, he began working as an interpreter and later passed the examination to join the Service des Métiers et Arts marocains.

La Boîte à Merveilles is the first novel by Sefrioui, who recalls his youth in this older, picturesque culture, "embalming" his past rather than glorifying it. The book follows the narrator, a child growing up in the ancient city of Fez, and describes the people there, but the real story happens when the narrator's father loses his savings and has to go to the outskirts to work hard and regain money.

The book has been recognized as exceptional in style and content, often used as a vehicle for teaching French to students of Maghrebian origin. Extracts from the book have been used for the first year Baccalauréat examinations by the French and Moroccan ministries of Education.

La Boîte à Merveilles has been criticized for its shallow autobiographical nature and repetitive themes, with some critics arguing that it is unnecessary and poorly written. Despite these criticisms, the book remains an important work in Moroccan literature of French expression and continues to be studied and discussed in educational and literary circles.