Scan barcode
bookwarmm's review against another edition
4.0
I very much enjoyed reading this book! Even though it deals with many difficult topics and revolves around a number of people living very difficult lives full of trauma and sorrow, the writing, the characters and the plot of this book felt so cozy and warm to me (I do not really know how to explain it properly), maybe it was the feeling of being able to identify with each of the protagonists who all formed this loving friend group of outsiders. Though each of the main characters are very unique and different from one another, they have this shared quirkiness that holds them together like a very strong rope that wont ever break even though it is put to the test many of times. Reading this book felt to me like being a part of this very warm community of the different friends.
While this book provided me with this great sense of comfort, it also deals with topics, such as mental health, LGBTQ+, sex work, etc. that are very close to my heart and in my opinion very important to be talked about in literature for more than just educational purposes. On the other hand Elif Shafak did a great job at teaching me personally about the history and present times of a country and a city I never gave that much thought to other than knowing many people in my home country go there for vacation and me only having a remote knowledge of the of the current political situation there.
The ending of the book was so beautiful and relieving in my opinion even though i can imagine not everyone might think this.
I only gave this book four stars cause it took me a while to really get into the book and I sometimes had some difficulties concentrating on all the topics and different side stories which is quite a pity from my side.
(I apologize for my english mistakes!)
While this book provided me with this great sense of comfort, it also deals with topics, such as mental health, LGBTQ+, sex work, etc. that are very close to my heart and in my opinion very important to be talked about in literature for more than just educational purposes. On the other hand Elif Shafak did a great job at teaching me personally about the history and present times of a country and a city I never gave that much thought to other than knowing many people in my home country go there for vacation and me only having a remote knowledge of the of the current political situation there.
The ending of the book was so beautiful and relieving in my opinion even though i can imagine not everyone might think this.
I only gave this book four stars cause it took me a while to really get into the book and I sometimes had some difficulties concentrating on all the topics and different side stories which is quite a pity from my side.
(I apologize for my english mistakes!)
xandrarama's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I appreciated this glimpse into the lives of marginalised women in Istanbul during times of rapid social change, and the structure of Part 1 of the book was innovative (beginning with the death of the protagonist and progressing to flashbacks of her life over the 10 minutes and 38 seconds before her brain activity ceased). Part 2 seemed kind of pointless, though, and the five supporting characters it foregrounded never felt like real people to me. No matter how harrowing things got, I felt emotionally detached throughout the whole book; maybe this was a deliberate choice by the author, but it didn’t make for a particularly engaging read.
hanzy's review against another edition
3.0
When starting this tale, I found myself hooked almost instantaneously. This book felt like it was written with the right intentions but sadly, a lot of prejudiced and skewed interpretations made its execution, poor. I liked the premise, the big picture that was drawn upon, and the message, but the nitty-gritty details alluding to misrepresentations is what put me off.
laura_jayne's review against another edition
Beautiful writing, but I forgot to check the trigger warnings. I might try something else by the author instead
moody_alloy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
cerstin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
alliekcav's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
illiteratewench's review against another edition
4.25
I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed Elif Shafak's 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. I really appreciated the themes of friendship and found family. As someone who has a negative and strained relationship with family, I was able to relate to this more than, say, books like Pachinko that focus on biological family.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World focuses on Leila, a recently murdered prostitute. The title comes from a study that found brain activity 10 minutes 38 seconds after a body was declared dead, leaving Shafak to explore what might be happening in the brain in that time as the body dies. This makes the book a twist on the "life flashing before my eyes before death" troupe, as Part I of the book follows Leila as she looks back on her life and the five dearest friends she held. When each friend is introduced, we get a chapter following them, making this a kaleidoscopic sort of book. For me, this really worked to paint a realistic picture of a time and place otherwise foreign to me. Especially by following people on the margins of society (sex workers, trans characters, disabled characters), I felt like I could really understand the culture of Istanbul of the time. I also appreciate the real historical events depicted.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World focuses on Leila, a recently murdered prostitute. The title comes from a study that found brain activity 10 minutes 38 seconds after a body was declared dead, leaving Shafak to explore what might be happening in the brain in that time as the body dies. This makes the book a twist on the "life flashing before my eyes before death" troupe, as Part I of the book follows Leila as she looks back on her life and the five dearest friends she held. When each friend is introduced, we get a chapter following them, making this a kaleidoscopic sort of book. For me, this really worked to paint a realistic picture of a time and place otherwise foreign to me. Especially by following people on the margins of society (sex workers, trans characters, disabled characters), I felt like I could really understand the culture of Istanbul of the time. I also appreciate the real historical events depicted.