All I Wanted Was Company by John Hopkins

All I Wanted Was Company (1999) is a short novel by John Hopkins. In the story, the protagonist Norman searches for companionship and peace of mind.

The novel begins when Norman leaves America for a trip to Tangier, Morocco with his older girlfriend Alice. They settle in, buying a house there. Norman is plagued by asthma, and fails to notice that Alice is ill as well. Alice eventually leaves Morocco and returns to New York City, while Norman recovers and waits for her return. Then, Norman hears that Alice’s illness is severe, and he travels to America, but he is too late to see her.

Feeling lost, Norman returns to his home in Tangier. He befriends Harry, an Englishman, and then finds love again with Miss Toledano, an older woman from Morocco. When she leaves him, and Harry dies, Norman decides to leave for the desert.

Though the plot is sparse, John Hopkins’s storytelling makes you feel in some ways as though a friend is talking to you and telling you a story while showing you pictures. Still, you are left feeling incomplete, without a full understanding of why the characters are the way they are.

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