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A Strangeness in My Mind
A Strangeness in My Mind: A Novel | Orhan Pamuk
Since his boyhood in a poor village in Central Anatolia, Mevlut Karatas has fantasized about what his life would become. Not getting as far in school as he'd hoped, at the age of twelve, he comes to Istanbul-"the center of the world"-and is immediately enthralled both by the city being demolished and the new one that is fast being built. He follows his father's trade, selling boza on the street, and hopes to become rich like other villagers who have settled on the desolate hills outside the booming metropolis. But chance seems to conspire against him. He spends three years writing love letters to a girl he saw just once at a wedding, only to elope by mistake with her sister. And though he grows to cherish his wife and the family they have, his relations all make their fortunes while his own years are spent in a series of jobs leading nowhere; he is sometimes attracted to the politics of his friends and intermittently to the lodge of a religious guide. But every evening, without fail, he still wanders the streets of Istanbul, selling boza and wondering at the "strangeness" in his mind, the sensation that makes him feel different from everyone else, until fortune conspires once more to let him understand at last what it is he has always yearned for. Told from the perspectives of many beguiling characters, A Strangeness in My Mind is a modern epic of coming of age in a great city, and a mesmerizing narrative sure to take its place among Pamuk's finest achievements.
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AbstractMonica
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Pickpick

Just finished this 600 page book! The story was rich with imagery, and revolved around Mevlut. A boza seller that moved from his village to Istanbul as a child. You see the growth of the city throughout Mevlut‘s life, as he stays loyal to his city and the people he loves. This is a book that needs to be savored!

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AbstractMonica
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Started this one last night. This has been on my TBR list for maybe 4 years now. Wish I would have picked it up sooner. The storytelling is wonderful so far- It‘s over 650 pages, but it‘s moving quickly!

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eeclayton
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Pickpick

I can't remember why I put this book on my TBR many years ago, considering that I hadn't enjoyed The Black Book very much. But it was a good choice because I found Strangeness much more accessible. Although the returning references to the letters bugged me after a while, I liked Mevlut and his story, and the whole book as an ode to the ever-changing Istanbul was delightful.
This was my June #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
15 likes1 comment
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qchammer
Pickpick

Really enjoyed the use of different character perspectives to explore the external vs the internal: intention of the heart versus intention of our words. To love a city so deeply and honor a craft so wholly. Uniquely heartwarming

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Davut
Kafamda Bir Tuhaflik | Orhan Pamuk
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Parvez
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Pickpick

One who moves deep into the novel shall find that after all its not not him - Mevlut - but, its time which is the protagonist force of the novel. Time that create and alter the spaces - both corporeally as well as emotionally. You will just feel that span of almost 40 years. Perhaps, the reader would too get aged with tale

30 likes1 stack add
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Parvez
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Currently reading!!!
Really liking it.
#orhan pamuk

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LubicaP

I went to Orhan Pamuk's talk at Southbank last Friday and of course I ended up buying this afterwards. His enthusiasm for building and discusding stories is infectious.

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Abailliekaras
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Pickpick

The story of Mevlut, a boza-seller, & his family. I love Orhan Pamuk's honesty & his curious, loving explorations of Istanbul. He infuses the melancholy of the city into his writing, chronicles the changes - (too) much detail of construction & houses - & describes family dynamics with great care & intricate sentences. I found this one too slow & less beautifully written than his earlier work (but it's a high bar). But a rich, satisfying read.

Cinfhen I tried this one, but it felt very bogged down...I bailed early on 🙈 7y
Abailliekaras I agree @Cinfhen I nearly bailed for the same reason! I don't know whether the translation is partly to blame. It was close to a so-so for me but overall so rich and thought-provoking & I think achieves what he set out to do (perhaps too much history though). Tough to review because I've loved all his other books! 😬 7y
rockpools Out of interest, which of his books would you recommend starting with? 7y
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Abailliekaras @RachelO Silent House is a good early one. My Name is Red is my favourite (but long); The Museum of Innocence may be his most accessible & is the one I first read (& loved). The New Life is very meta so perhaps not that one. Other Colours, a collection of essays, is a great read too. 7y
rockpools Thank you. He's an author I'm curious about, but have heard such mixed things! 7y
Abailliekaras @RachelO I love that he writes from the heart. But it's a very particular, textured style that's not for everyone. 7y
46 likes6 comments
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Abailliekaras
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"You saw for yourself: no-one can buy me ... I've been so furious at them all!"

It took 250 pages, but a female character is showing some spirit and I'm happy.

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Abailliekaras
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Lovely spring morning. Progress report: Mevlut is an endearing character & I'm enjoying the rich details, but the history slows it down & I don't think this translation is as beautiful as earlier books, with the intricate sentences you can lose yourself in.

GatheringBooks which book cover/ version do you have? i have this in my tbr stack. 7y
Abailliekaras @GatheringBooks it's the uk hardback edition. Has been in my TBR for ages! 🙈 7y
43 likes2 comments
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Abailliekaras
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I was lucky enough to meet Orhan Pamuk and have this signed - a couple of years ago now! It's high time I started it. Spring in the air this morning. #bookandcoffee ☕️

MrBook Ooooh! You're so lucky! 😁👏🏻 7y
Abailliekaras @MrBook I know, it was a treat! 7y
45 likes1 stack add2 comments
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wordclot
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A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk contains some beautiful and evocative sentences about this state of being and how it can influence the shape of being.

#astrangenessinmymind #orhanpamuk #inotherwords

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wordclot
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Loneliness is an indescribable malady - and yet one which can, perhaps, be called a fount of wisdom. Although, occasionally, it chooses irrationality to have a drink with; it also allows itself to be examined by objectivity, albeit discreetly - so that genuineness has a chance to thrive.

#astrangenessinmymind #orhanpamuk #inotherwords

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I-read-and-eat
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Orhan Pamuk's A Strangeness in my Mind is very dear to me. A good friend reccomanded it when I suffered from a burn-out and anxiety attacks. This book calmed me down when I felled anxious and made me see the simple beauty of the world. Since then I have read more of his work and loved it, though this first book was something special. I would love to meet this man who, unkowingly, helped me get back on my feet again.

#KostovaGiveaway @Liberty

Bambolina_81 I haven't read this one...your review is very encouraging ! 7y
I-read-and-eat @Bambolina_81 I would love to know what you think of it when you've read it! 7y
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Anjuk
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My Goodreads stats

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BostonBookAddict
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Epic fail today. I went out with the intentions of finding a solution to my overflowing bookcases (basically I need a drill bit to make more holes for my extra shelves) and ended up at B&N. I needed up with 4 new books and still no extra room for them. So currently my whole apartment is disastrous. Books everywhere and in the process of mgmt replacing my fridge. Stuff is everywhere!!

sisilia Same problem here. I need to get new bookshelves 8y
BostonBookAddict @sisilia I am starting to think I do too. Just no room for them right now :-( 8y
17 likes2 comments
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SophiaJai

"Love is a disease... And marriage is the only cure."

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Spiderfelt
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Bailedbailed

Since starting to work at a library last year, I've engaged in a personally curated course I'm calling 'Dip and Dive'. We can all agree that there are more books we want to read than time available. Books are like snacks; I don't need to finish everything, especially if it isn't scrumptious. It is enough to be familiar with an author's tone, the book's style, perspective and subject. This is my 2nd Pamuk, and I can safely say I've tried him.

LiteraryinPA That's a cool strategy. I'll have to consider it! 8y
18 likes1 comment
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SophiaJai

Writing in a nutshell: "Would he be able to rest without telling someone what he'd been through?"

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Ksvz
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Bailedbailed

Nobel Prize Winner Audio I really wanted to like this but I couldn't find redeeming or compelling aspect to this work. 20% in and I could feel my brain cells expiring en mass from boredom. I wonder in this case if something was literally lost in translation. I have such guilt about bailing but I am learning that sometimes it's better to let go +

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I-read-and-eat
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Pickpick

This book was therapy for me. The beauty of Pamuk's writing drew me in from page one. You can feel the nostalgia and the flowing almost magical writing makes Istanbul and Mevlut come alive. Mevlut's life is full of love, loss, succes and failure and not that much different from anyone else's life. An extremely ordinairy man who shows you that we are all exceptionally beautiful creatures, and for me an ode to life and love! Read it!

MrBook Great review and pic! 😊👍🏻 8y
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Hidie
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Still reading this even if it's taking me forever. Not really plot-driven so it's a bit slow going for me....

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sofiaga
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And I promised not to buy more book until the Costa Rican bookfair in September #failed.

MrBook Nice stack! 8y
RealLifeReading Nice! (Also I think being on Litsy isn't helping with not buying books😂) 8y
sofiaga Definitely not @RealLifeReading. I got Orphan Pamuk's book because I saw it here! 8y
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Yossarian
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Pickpick

Judging by the cover, I liked the way the dusk jacket has thought bubbles that are actual holes showing the cover art on the actual hardcover.

Substantively, I probably learned more about the last 50 years of Turkish history than from any other source. The plot was good, but left numerous issues unresolved (e.g., a character has a romantic rival and a business rival -- who killed him?) Maybe that's real life, but I was hoping for more.

Simona @Yossarian In general I liked this book (especially history facts) but I was disappointed with the end. 8y
Yossarian @Simona I agree. Many things were foreshadowed, but there was little payoff. 8y
ReadingEnvy I wonder at the things Pamuk can't/won't say as writers are still in danger in Turkey. 8y
MichellisLife I've read the book on my kindle and have been contemplating whether or not to pick up the physical copy. I loved the book and Bookoutlet finally had it on sale for $7.99. After you showed what the cover looks like underneath the jacket I had to click BUY. 8y
101 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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ShelfSpaceLimited
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I am set and ready to go. 15 minute countdown. @24in48

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Yossarian
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It would have been very timely to review this one, as I just finished it last night, it's set in Istanbul over the last 50 years, and they just had a coup there today. Unfortunately, I couldn't put together a coherent review because a wild Rattata appeared!

MrBook 😂👍🏻 8y
BookishFeminist Damn Rattatas, ruining everything. 🐀 8y
KennethTolesJr Those things are pesky! They're everywhere! Those and Pidgeys... 8y
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Mama_Jay Ha! 8y
bookishchelle Rattata! PokémonGo is stealing my reading time! 8y
Arabiatta @bookischelle 😂 I'd uninstall my app to recover some reading time but it's too darn addictive! 8y
147 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Yossarian
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Me too. I always sound like I'm lying when I'm telling the truth.

Hooked_on_books I love Pamuk. I find his books very strange while I'm reading them, but then they really linger long after I'm done. I find that delightful. 8y
BookishFeminist But seriously though, why is it so many folks immediately jump to the conclusion you're lying so that we feel this way?🙄 that drives me nuts & happens to me too 8y
Noonnie Omg I was shocked because I tought, for just one second, that you painted on your book, but then I realized that you did not, so that's awesome 8y
Yossarian @BookishFeminist I can always tell a person's flaws by what they worry you are doing to them. You worry most about being a victim of the sins you are most likely to commit. 8y
109 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Yossarian
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Nothing distracts me in a translated book as much as a pun. Are "emotion" and "motion" one letter apart in Turkish also? Or did the translator change the line to keep the sense of the joke, but not the direct meaning?

LeahBergen Aargh. Exactly. 8y
Dogearedcopy I'm going to vote with the latter since "emotion" in Turkish is "dugyu"; "motion" is "hareket"; and modern the modern Turkish alphabet uses Latinized characters 8y
BookishFeminist This always nags at me too. I am often in awe by translators sometimes when there are lots of jokes & plays on language. Poetry in translation is particularly baffling to me but in the best way possible. 8y
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Abailliekaras I adore Orhan Pahmuk & have been saving this up to read soon... But I'm very curious to know why he changed translators from Maureen Freely, who did such a beautiful job on his earlier books.. 8y
ScriboGero When you translate you have to change certain things in order to preserve the spirit and voice in the book. The best translations are not word for word by idea by idea. 8y
Abailliekaras I'm so curious as to why he changed translators. I loved Maureen Freely's work. 7y
86 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Yossarian
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Dragging today after being up too late last night.

TheBookAddict Me too...😔😴😴 8y
LivinginaLibrary Can definitely relate! 8y
KimHM Fortunately, the weekend cometh 😎 8y
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JanuarieTimewalker13 Hahaha! So true! 8y
Kshakal I have been there! 8y
Cyn.Microcosm That is fantastic! 8y
Magmar Same 8y
Sue That's awesome 8y
Lissie That is so me when i get really into a book! 😬❤️ 8y
Dolly Books put me to sleep. Can't tell you how many times I've jolted awake when hit in the head or dropped what I was reading. Sleep deprivation... 8y
AnnaDesourdy Seeeeeeriously 8y
subwayreads Same same 8y
AuthorQwantuAmaru Have tried to read him but can't get through more than a few pages... 8y
222 likes13 comments
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Yossarian
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Haven't gotten much reading done in the last 24 hours ...

BookishFeminist 😤😤 Yep, can't read when anyone is in the house unless they're sleeping. Constant interruptions. 8y
LivinginaLibrary Same! I pick up a book during the day and everyone needs something or has a question! 8y
JPeterson It's one of the worse things. I have more trouble if I'm listening to a book, and even with headphones, people try to talk to me. *Looking at you, lady in the laundry room.* 8y
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heikemarie My fiancée doesn't get it. I'm reading!!! Go away. ? 8y
Cortg Shhh! I'm hiding on the deck. No one knows I'm reading🤓 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yep! I've been there for awhile now. I need to start hiding so I can get reading again. 8y
StellaDz I can't read at all on my breaks and lunch, at work, for this very reason... So annoying!! 8y
Starswan892 I avoid the work break room just so people won't interrupt me. 8y
erzascarletbookgasm lol, love your chart 8y
LindaGrace812 Srsly. 8y
Alytrue So me 8y
211 likes2 stack adds11 comments
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Yossarian
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Two hours until fireworks break, so sitting out in the beautiful dusk. My neighbors just put their house on the market yesterday, if anyone would like to sit and read 30 feet away...

Gezemice It is raining here, so I am on my way over. 8y
BookishFeminist Oh how I wish- maybe if I read there long enough I'd get squatter's rights. 🤔 8y
Yossarian @BookishFeminist I think if you openly and notoriously read there for 21 years straight, you can claim adverse possession, but only if you're reading a hardback for more than half of the 21 years. 8y
BookishFeminist @Yossarian 😭 I'll go grab my copy of Infinite Jest 8y
Yossarian @BookishFeminist I'm not sure if the courts have issued a precedent on whether reading Footnotes count towards the 21 years. 8y
105 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Yossarian
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Hoping to finish up A Strangeness In My Mind over the long weekend, if the other two events in the triathlon don't take two much time.

Elisa Love this. This is my kind of triathlon. 8y
Thedrunkstrawberry Yaassssssss 8y
SoniaC Lol definitely my type of triathlon 8y
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Reviewsbylola Haha, I just completed my nap portion back to reading! 8y
Mayread I translate as book w snack, book w wine & bath, nap, more book. 8y
Gezemice Sports! 💪💪👍 8y
ReadingOver50 My favorite things 😄 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Happy weekend all! 8y
Shvonne That's a triathlon I can do. 8y
SusanInTiburon Adopting this as my new Friday refrain. 8y
MyNamesParadise The only triathlon I'm qualified for! 8y
bookishchelle That's my kind of triathlon! 🤓📚❤️ 8y
Em890 I may have to use this. 8y
emmaleegough Wow! I had no idea I have been part of so many triathlons! 8y
erzascarletbookgasm hahaha, I can do this. Book, eat, nap, perhaps, who needs a bath? Enjoy your long weekend. 8y
253 likes1 stack add17 comments
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Yossarian
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Changed books, but sitting in about the same place at sundown that I was sitting at sunrise. (I swear I moved some in middle, though!)

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Oo! I didnt know about this one! Ive read My Name is Red and have a couple of others of his in my TBR. You like this one? 8y
Yossarian @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com it's very strong. I loved the first half. It's starting to drift a little, so I'm not sure what the stories about anymore, but I'm optimistic it'll pull together by the end. 8y
[DELETED] 2678557665 I'm reading it as well and loving it so far. Pretty epic story and enjoying the tangled web of characters and relationships. 8y
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Abailliekaras I cannot wait to read this, look forward to your comments. I had the honour of meeting Orhan Pamuk, one of my author heroes and so gracious! 8y
MichellisLife I absolutely loved this book. It seemed a bit long at times but I loved the look at the culture, marriages, family ties, friendships and everything else this book explores. 8y
Yossarian I'm not really sure what's supposed to be going on. It started out as Mevlut's story, with some interjections. Now it's all interjection with little drips of Mevlut. 8y
MichellisLife The interjections happen throughout. The story is told from the other characters perspectives and a third person party telling Mevlut's story. Everything revolves around Mevlut, though you do get so see the other character's lives as well. 8y
Yossarian @MichellisLife Yes, but in the first half, it was Mevlut's story, and people would jump in with, "What Mevlut didn't know is ..." or "Mevlut is misremembering what I said..." The last few chapters have just been Ferhat, Samiha, and Suleyman, with no Mevlut in sight. 8y
MichellisLife I think I remember that now. Yeah it starts off that way but as you begin to need more back ground info for each character's life choices you start getting longer passages from them. They were my least favorite but still essential to seeing how everyone reasoned with their life choices. 8y
123 likes22 stack adds10 comments
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Hestapleton
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Bailedbailed

While Pamuk is a lovely writer, this is not the book I need at the moment. Every book has a one and place to be read and I am not ready for this one. It's simply to slow-paced and I'm craving thrillers. Here's to focusing on other books and returning to this one in the future.

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Hestapleton

In the middle of a serious book slump. Pamuk is great, but I need a book that can't be put down-- a book that makes you stay up till 5 am cause you HAVE to know how it ends. Any recommendations?

Liberty Before the Fall! Homegoing! I Let You Go! 8y
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Rick_Eaglestone
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Mehso-so
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Yossarian
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This book is oddly structured. It is mainly told in third person about Mevlut. But then, frequently, secondary characters will interrupt in first person to agree, or disagree, or give a different perspective. Haven't decided yet if it's a great strategy for structuring the novel, or just a cop-out.

Simona My decision was - interesting way to give the voice some secondary characters and different perspectives... and in the light of the extension family - someone always interrupt you to tell the truth, opinion, be smarter, be better... so I think must be great strategy 👌 9y
Simona @Yossarian I forgot ☺️ 9y
jdsbeeswax Thought that it was a great device for telling the story of someone who had no self reflection 9y
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Sammie This reminds me of the book The Adventures of Eovaai which has this "footnotes" of various "commentators" and "translators" as a way of showing how the female voice/writings are drowned out 9y
Yossarian @Simona @jdsbeeswax sometimes I feel like it's adding, but other times I feel like I'm just reading a screenplay when it gets overused. I'm reserving judgment for now. 9y
Spiderfelt I was wondering the same thing. Listening in my car as I drive to work, I have had to back it up several times after stopping. The interjecting characters confuse me. Where did this voice come from? Did I miss something? After listening to the previous five minutes, I realized the character really did come from nowhere. 8y
31 likes6 stack adds6 comments
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Simona
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Pickpick

I'm between like and so so. I liked it because of the story (plot is about Mevlut, his inner life and his relation with Instabul), which is slow and rich, captures period of last 50 years and we get glimpse into some historical and social events. So-so, because the end didn't work for me.

10 likes3 comments
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Simona
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1st line... and third book (for me) from The Man Booker International Prize.

SGJ Solid start. Been meaning to read some of this dude for forever now. 9y
Simona @SGJ I've read two of its work and obvious theme of his stories is traditional life which is the withdrawal of the modern world. 9y
10 likes2 stack adds3 comments