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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had a very hard time getting through Liela's childhood. Not because it was badly written or communicated, no. But because Leila herself never experienced joy, peace or contempt while she was in Van. Shafak writes in a manner that hits you so hard that you can feel everything that Leila is going through. Once she leaves Van, and starts finding her friends, that is when she truly experiences life and can get out of her perpetual misery. That too, not because the world gets any better, but the friendships she formed, makes it bearable and makes the wretched world livable. Sometimes, you wish to live more in the wretched world, because these friends exist.
Beautifully written, perfect ending ❤️
To anyone who was disappointed or heavily criticized the ending, I think you might have failed understanding the shift in tone and the impact Shafak wanted to leave on her readers.
Beautifully written, perfect ending ❤️
To anyone who was disappointed or heavily criticized the ending, I think you might have failed understanding the shift in tone and the impact Shafak wanted to leave on her readers.
very much enjoyed the first half of the book. not sure what happened there in the second half of the book, it felt like i was reading an entirely different book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
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
An excellent book both on the page and audio. I loved this unusual structure and how compassionate Shafak was to our main character and her friends. Beautiful writing
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The human brain has been found to remain active up to 10 minutes 38 seconds after death. This scientific fact, as also mentioned in the book, acts as the premise of the story of 'Tequila Leila', and her friends.
Tequila Leila, as she is known amongst her peers and customers, is a prostitute in her forties, lying in an alley in Istanbul, her body murdered, her mind racing through her memories in its last minutes left on the earth. Things from the deepest corners of her memory come back to her clear as a day. Her story moves from her mother's marriage to her birth and childhood and spans decades to its fateful culmination. We see her grow up in Van, in a religious family led by the patriarch father, abused as a child and denied even simple freedoms of childhood. She runs away in hope of a better future to Istanbul, only to be sold to a brothel and spend most of her life there. This story could have been sad and depressing, but it's much more than that. Leila makes an identity of her own even as a prostitute, makes friends who are just as outcasts from society, even falls in love. In her 'chosen family' she finds happiness and purpose. Her friendships are pivotal to the story. A dwarf, a transvestite, an obese singer, a black sex-worker, a man leading a dual life - none of her friends have a 'normal' life, their stories abound with abuse and discrimination. Yet they find support in one another, trust each other and after Leila's death take extreme measures to ensure her peace. It is a perfect example of what an important role friendships can play in sustaining life force.
Shafak takes us to the nooks and corners of Istanbul. She weaved the historical events in Turkey into the story. The parts on 'cemetery of the companionless' are tragic, and yet this is the setup of the only almost hilarious scene in the book. Her love for the city is evident, as much as disappointment in its limitations. Istanbul is as much a character in this story as the rest of the people. It's beautiful writing.
Tequila Leila, as she is known amongst her peers and customers, is a prostitute in her forties, lying in an alley in Istanbul, her body murdered, her mind racing through her memories in its last minutes left on the earth. Things from the deepest corners of her memory come back to her clear as a day. Her story moves from her mother's marriage to her birth and childhood and spans decades to its fateful culmination. We see her grow up in Van, in a religious family led by the patriarch father, abused as a child and denied even simple freedoms of childhood. She runs away in hope of a better future to Istanbul, only to be sold to a brothel and spend most of her life there. This story could have been sad and depressing, but it's much more than that. Leila makes an identity of her own even as a prostitute, makes friends who are just as outcasts from society, even falls in love. In her 'chosen family' she finds happiness and purpose. Her friendships are pivotal to the story. A dwarf, a transvestite, an obese singer, a black sex-worker, a man leading a dual life - none of her friends have a 'normal' life, their stories abound with abuse and discrimination. Yet they find support in one another, trust each other and after Leila's death take extreme measures to ensure her peace. It is a perfect example of what an important role friendships can play in sustaining life force.
Shafak takes us to the nooks and corners of Istanbul. She weaved the historical events in Turkey into the story. The parts on 'cemetery of the companionless' are tragic, and yet this is the setup of the only almost hilarious scene in the book. Her love for the city is evident, as much as disappointment in its limitations. Istanbul is as much a character in this story as the rest of the people. It's beautiful writing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes