1950. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. I get the sense this book was partly crafted in the presence of opium and hookah pipes. This is a haunting tale of a nihilistic trip through North Africa and the Sahara. It is compelling yet nightmarish and hallucinogenic. A well told story yet depressing and traumatic. I had always kind of wanted to travel to the Sahara but after reading this, probably not.
