Bye-Ways

"Bye-Ways" by Robert Hichens is a story set in the late 1800s that follows Desmond Renfrew and Claire, his famous actress wife, as they honeymoon in Morocco and struggle with the allure of fame and personal freedom. The book looks at wanting something deeply, who we are, and the mysterious people they meet. Early in the novel, Desmond is restless, bothered by his surroundings but also deeply pondering his marriage to Claire, focusing on her beauty, her fame and his need to protect her; his concerns grow when he realizes their protection is gone and Claire is missing. His frantic search uncovers Claire watching a performance, deeply captivated by a snake charmer, which symbolizes her own connection to performance and art which foreshadows the book’s important themes of life, who people are, and the wildness of the world around them both.