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schatzkatze's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Autobiografischer Roman der Autorin, der von ihrer Zeit als Gastarbeiterin bei Telefunken erzählt (ihr erster Aufenthalt im Berlin) und danach von ihrer Zeit als kommunistische Aktivistin und Schauspielschülerin in Istanbul. Linke und sich engagierende Arbeiter werden von der Regierung verfolgt, eingesperrt und gefoltert. Die Grauen Wölfe töten Linke und es herrscht ein Klima der Angst (im Vergleich wirken die Studentenunruhen und die Reaktion der deutschen Regierung harmlos). Das Buch endet mit ihrem endgültigen Aufbruch nach Berlin (im Prinzip setzt dann „Ein von Schatten begrenzter Raum“ dort ein).
readingcities's review against another edition
5.0
"It's difficult for me to comment on Sevgi's writing because I love it, and analysing something you love is a daft activity. Of course she's a story-teller, an irresistible all-night story-teller, and late in the morning wakes up telling another story. And when you hear them, you realise the extent of the emptiness they have filled." - John Berger, "About Badness"
mattdube's review against another edition
3.0
This was another one I picked up off the new release wall, kind of curious about Turkish culture and all that, and this one, ostensibly about a young woman who is an economic migrant to Berlin, was close enough to what I know from reading Pamuk that I thought I might like it.
And I do like it, but I feel like it's too very different books, sort of stuffed together. The stuff in Berlin is all in the first half, which is kind of a book about finding love and following art in the late sixties in Berlin. It reminded me a little of the second part of Persepolis mixed with a little of the Highsmith I read. It's got some funny takes on morality and the main character's desire to lose her virginity, it's got strong characters who are very idiosyncratic and has some great set pieces. The first section of that part of the book is great-- these weird little lyrical sections that are beautiful and strange and give voice to a collective experience, a we, as often as they do to a singular speaker. The later two chapters aren't as good-- there are attempts to be artful, like the weird conceit of people in love doubling, sort of to show how you watch yourself when you're in love, but I felt that awkward; if it worked, I would love it, but here I didn't feel it did work.
The second half of the book sees narrator return home to Istambul and become radicalized as the country does. The poetic lyricism of the first section is mostly abandoned to make room for the politics, which are no doubt admirable but a little trenchant-- the narrator is left-socialist, but that's a hard story to tell from this distance, because it doesn't turn out well-- the last chapter is about the crackdown, about the torture of artists and students and police leaving bloody footprints, and you really can't come back from that, nor do things get any better, really. It's just a slog.
I believe in the portrait, btw; It feels very real, and it's a chapter of history, greater Europe's reaction to the student movements of the sixties and seventies that I feel more and more like I don't understand, and I'm always interested. But it really does feel like a totally different book than the one I read under the same cover. And it's a book that I don't think I like quite as much.
So, a good book, but one that works a bit at cross-purposes, at least to me, and one in which the political commitments are no doubt sincere, but left unresolved by the book's conclusion.
And I do like it, but I feel like it's too very different books, sort of stuffed together. The stuff in Berlin is all in the first half, which is kind of a book about finding love and following art in the late sixties in Berlin. It reminded me a little of the second part of Persepolis mixed with a little of the Highsmith I read. It's got some funny takes on morality and the main character's desire to lose her virginity, it's got strong characters who are very idiosyncratic and has some great set pieces. The first section of that part of the book is great-- these weird little lyrical sections that are beautiful and strange and give voice to a collective experience, a we, as often as they do to a singular speaker. The later two chapters aren't as good-- there are attempts to be artful, like the weird conceit of people in love doubling, sort of to show how you watch yourself when you're in love, but I felt that awkward; if it worked, I would love it, but here I didn't feel it did work.
The second half of the book sees narrator return home to Istambul and become radicalized as the country does. The poetic lyricism of the first section is mostly abandoned to make room for the politics, which are no doubt admirable but a little trenchant-- the narrator is left-socialist, but that's a hard story to tell from this distance, because it doesn't turn out well-- the last chapter is about the crackdown, about the torture of artists and students and police leaving bloody footprints, and you really can't come back from that, nor do things get any better, really. It's just a slog.
I believe in the portrait, btw; It feels very real, and it's a chapter of history, greater Europe's reaction to the student movements of the sixties and seventies that I feel more and more like I don't understand, and I'm always interested. But it really does feel like a totally different book than the one I read under the same cover. And it's a book that I don't think I like quite as much.
So, a good book, but one that works a bit at cross-purposes, at least to me, and one in which the political commitments are no doubt sincere, but left unresolved by the book's conclusion.
aquariusdancinginthedeepblue's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
astralvirgo25's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
One of the best books I’ve ever read and the best reading experience I’ve had of reading in German and being able to understand the humour
sarihelikopter's review against another edition
5.0
Soluksuz okuduğum ikinci Özdamar kitabı oldu. Hayat Bir Kervansaray'ı okumuştum önce; yarı otobiyografik (hatta belki ağırlıklı otobiyografik) olan Kervansaray Türkiye'deki ilk yıllarını anlatıyor, trende (yanlış hatırlamıyorsam doğumuyla) başlayıp yine trenle Almanya'ya giderken bitiyordu. Haliçli Köprü ise tam bıraktığı yer olan trende başlıyor ve Almanya'daki ilk yıllarına hızlı bir giriş yapıyor. Fabrikada işçi olarak çalışıp kadınlar yurdunda kaldığı, tek kelime Almanca bilmediği yılları, sonrasında İstanbul'a gelip, tiyatro eğitimleri alıp tekrar geri dönüşünü okuyoruz.
Beni Özdamar'da en çok etkileyen şey dil, zaman ve olay örgülerini kusursuz bir bütünlükte kullanması. Coşkuyla anlattığı şeylerde kelimeler ışıldıyor, ne yaşadığından emin olmadığı yerlerde cümleler bir kendinden çıkıyor bir başkasından. Her şey, her zaman çok akışkan ama aynı zamanda asla kopuş yaşanmıyor.
Aynı zamanda Özdamar'ın bu kitaplarda yansıttığı keskin görüşlülüğe de epey hayranım. Kafasında bir hedefi olan, o hedefe gerçek anlamda el yordamıyla gitmeye çalışan ama doğru hamleleri de çoğunlukla gören bir kadın var burda. İnatçı, kararlı ve söz dinlemek gibi bir alışkanlığı olmayan. Ailesini de alıştırıyor kendine, kendi özgürlük alanını kendi tanımlıyor yıllar boyu.
Tüm bunlarla birlikte 12 eyül döneminin bence çok kuvvetli metinlerinden biri kitabın son iki üç bölümü. Ne bir dramatizasyon var, ne taraf tutmazlık ne de anlamlandırma çabası. O zamanlar az da olsa bir birikime sahip genç bir kadının gözünden olup bitenler sadece.
Bunca ödüllü bir yazar olmasına şaşırmıyorum asla, aksine Türkiye'de bu kadar az tanınıyor olmasından hicap duyuyorum. Bu kadar ilgisiz oluş, bu kadar gideni takip etmeme bana korkunç geliyor.
Çevrilmeyen çokça kitabı var hala, umarım özellikle bu yıl çıkan kitabı hızlıca çeviri listelerine alınır da bir an önce biz de okuruz.
Beni Özdamar'da en çok etkileyen şey dil, zaman ve olay örgülerini kusursuz bir bütünlükte kullanması. Coşkuyla anlattığı şeylerde kelimeler ışıldıyor, ne yaşadığından emin olmadığı yerlerde cümleler bir kendinden çıkıyor bir başkasından. Her şey, her zaman çok akışkan ama aynı zamanda asla kopuş yaşanmıyor.
Aynı zamanda Özdamar'ın bu kitaplarda yansıttığı keskin görüşlülüğe de epey hayranım. Kafasında bir hedefi olan, o hedefe gerçek anlamda el yordamıyla gitmeye çalışan ama doğru hamleleri de çoğunlukla gören bir kadın var burda. İnatçı, kararlı ve söz dinlemek gibi bir alışkanlığı olmayan. Ailesini de alıştırıyor kendine, kendi özgürlük alanını kendi tanımlıyor yıllar boyu.
Tüm bunlarla birlikte 12 eyül döneminin bence çok kuvvetli metinlerinden biri kitabın son iki üç bölümü. Ne bir dramatizasyon var, ne taraf tutmazlık ne de anlamlandırma çabası. O zamanlar az da olsa bir birikime sahip genç bir kadının gözünden olup bitenler sadece.
Bunca ödüllü bir yazar olmasına şaşırmıyorum asla, aksine Türkiye'de bu kadar az tanınıyor olmasından hicap duyuyorum. Bu kadar ilgisiz oluş, bu kadar gideni takip etmeme bana korkunç geliyor.
Çevrilmeyen çokça kitabı var hala, umarım özellikle bu yıl çıkan kitabı hızlıca çeviri listelerine alınır da bir an önce biz de okuruz.
obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition
3.0
Schöne Sprache und gelegentlich schöne Wortspiele. Ich fand die Geschichte einer türkischen Frau, die als Arbeiterin in den 60ern nach Deutschland kommt, weil sie Geld braucht um Theaterschauspielerin zu werden interessant und eine Perspektive, die ich so noch nicht gelesen hatte. Manche Szenen bleiben mir sicherlich im Kopf. Stellenweise fand ich das Buch aber doch ziemlich langatmig und zu wenig zielgerichtet.
youpie's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jesssicawho's review against another edition
1.0
I did not enjoy the author's style at all. I gave it my best shot, but just couldn't get through it. Would be interested in hearing others' opinions on why they liked/didn't like.