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didsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Trust Elif Shafak to tear my heart into several million pieces and knit it whole again.
This one revolves around typical issue on how Muslim women 'branded' in a society. The double standard of it between a woman and a man - though they committed the same sin. She did what she does best, telling a multigenerational story - passing traumas from parent to children.
My main take on this : The audacity of men - in general. Tell me about it, huh.
This one revolves around typical issue on how Muslim women 'branded' in a society. The double standard of it between a woman and a man - though they committed the same sin. She did what she does best, telling a multigenerational story - passing traumas from parent to children.
My main take on this : The audacity of men - in general. Tell me about it, huh.
donnalisa's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
joshua28's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kawthar114's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mxlisxylmz's review against another edition
5.0
I don‘t know what it is about her books but Shafak has a way of making me feel so connected with the atmosphere and the characters in a way no other author can. I think it is because of my own turkish background and my love for the symbolic, which this book (and other books of hers) are full of. My love for this book is hard to explain and I can only encourage everyone to read it. All the (small and big) revelations about the characters, the major plotwist and just her style of writing are something everyone must experience.
audreyvm's review
3.0
I liked it. I did. But I didn't really like it, and I didn't love it, and I felt guilty throughout for not doing. I almost didn't even finish it, and I can't quite put my finger on why.
bunnie225's review
2.0
There are a few things I liked about this book. The descriptions of the remote village by the Euphrates, a peek into another life. The unfolding of many childhoods confronted by weak and dissolute parenting. The forlorn London sky and setting being the backdrop of a terrible crime.
But there are things I did not like and distanced me from the book while I read it. The forceful moving forward of the plot, the simplistic narration, the symbolism and incidents tying all too neatly into each other. None of it seemed natural and this novel, while offering the reader an insight into the private lives of people suffering from cultural dissonance, does little to explore the phenomenon or address the main plot of the book. It almost feels like one of those stories written from a prompt - pushed and forced into shape in order to accommodate the main premise.
But there are things I did not like and distanced me from the book while I read it. The forceful moving forward of the plot, the simplistic narration, the symbolism and incidents tying all too neatly into each other. None of it seemed natural and this novel, while offering the reader an insight into the private lives of people suffering from cultural dissonance, does little to explore the phenomenon or address the main plot of the book. It almost feels like one of those stories written from a prompt - pushed and forced into shape in order to accommodate the main premise.
justjoel's review
2.0
I have mixed feelings about this one and can't really decide on a rating.
There were parts of the book that were almost lyrical, and then parts that felt like they didn't quite fit. I think some of the issue might have been how it moved back and forth in time, cycling through different characters along the way.
I enjoyed some of the insights into a different culture and seeing a slice of the immigrant experience in the UK, but the overwhelming number of superstitions and then the almost magical-realism aspect that seemed to lead credence to some of them at times was a little much for my taste. And overall, the book was just depressing.
Going to say it was just okay for me. There were some good parts, but the negatives outweighed them, in my opinion.
2 out of 5 stars.
There were parts of the book that were almost lyrical, and then parts that felt like they didn't quite fit. I think some of the issue might have been how it moved back and forth in time, cycling through different characters along the way.
I enjoyed some of the insights into a different culture and seeing a slice of the immigrant experience in the UK, but the overwhelming number of superstitions and then the almost magical-realism aspect that seemed to lead credence to some of them at times was a little much for my taste. And overall, the book was just depressing.
Going to say it was just okay for me. There were some good parts, but the negatives outweighed them, in my opinion.
2 out of 5 stars.