Reviews

A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk

ktrain3900's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The word that most came to me while reading this was "Dickensian" which for me is a for better and for worse term. It means a sprawling epic, well-written, with scores of interesting characters...but it also means the female characters felt a bit lacking or less-developed than the male characters. I understand that the main character, our David Coppefield if you will, is male, but the story felt most full when the female characters were more present and human; I didn't feel this happened enough, or with much nuance (the male characters got far more nuance). Overall this was fine, and absorbing, but nothing special for me. 

szelesteirita's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

2.0

I have been used to be expecting far, far better from Pamuk and, apparently, he put in a lot of effort into this one. Istanbul is his favorite topic - his memoir was also a very good introduction to the life in the city. This love shows here as well. There are a variety of perspectives you see Istanbul from - that of migrants, conservatives, communists, street paddlers, cart owners, electricity department employees, waiters, those doing their necessary millitary time, house maids,taxi drivers, shop owners etc. The protagonist himself undertakes some of these jobs while Pamuk's universe always aquire Tolstoyean proportions.

If Tolstoy like epics are your high, you are in for a treat here. Personally I could not found myself building any momentum as the center of this universe is story of a family that reads like a daily soap story. The characters just didn't interest me and, a big pain was the prose which had little that impressed me - that is another area I am used to expecting much better quality from Palmuk.

osynligabarnet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

tearsinthesea's review against another edition

Boring 

h_berry0410's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

sshouse's review

DNF..,

sh00's review against another edition

3.0

Итак, вот вам мои странные мысли. Орхан Памук - это Мураками для тех, кто вырос из Мураками. Он хочет объединить Стамбул своего воображения с реальным Стамбулом - и "Музей Невинности" уже прорвался из литературного слоя реальности. Желание сцепить книги между собой деталями мне непонятно - вся конструкция разом не поднимется на поверхность, слишком слабые сцепки. Лично я читал эту книгу примерно так же, как я ем рахат-лукум - вообще я его не очень, но раз уж начал, то уже неохота бросать. 20 февраля Памук будет в СПб, а 24 - в Москве, грешно не сходить и не подписать у него "Снег" или "Чёрный город". Если вы ничего не читали у Памука, то с этой книги не надо начинать знакомство с автором, а с тех, которые я упомянул - можно бы.

thegulagula's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story revolves around the life of a boza seller, Mevlut Karatas throughout his life as a young boy until his old age. As a proud boza seller who spent his nights walking through the city (boza is a local drink that has always been a subject of argument of an alcoholic drink or not), he watches as the city of Istanbul gradually became a concrete jungle before his eyes. 

As the author tells Mevlut’s story in between historical events that happened during different phases of Mevlut’s life, it arouses one’s curiosity of how Istanbul (or Turkiye) becomes how it is today. The way the author narrates Mevlut’s stories from different characters’ perspective is also interesting as we get to know how each of them feels, because public opinions are always different then private opinions (based on this book).

 

This is the kind of book I’d pick up to know more about the place I’ve been to/am about to go.

elemmakil's review against another edition

3.0

Kummallinen mieleni on ensimmäinen Pamukilta lukemani kirja, ja jää ehkä myös viimeiseksi. Kirja kertoi viehättävällä tarinalla Mevlutin, lapsena pienestä maalaiskylästä Istanbuliin muuttaneen katukauppiaan, elämäntarinan. Ääneen pääsevät myös kaikki Mevlutin sukulaiset ja ystävät. Tarinan kertoja vaihtelee nopeasti Mevlutin ja muiden välillä niin, että Mevlutin tarina kerrotaan kolmannesta persoonasta, kun taas muut puhuvat eräänlaisia haastattelumaisia monologeja, niin että puhuja on merkattu kunkin kappaleen alussa. Olin aistivani tässä Svetlana Aleksevijetsin vaikutuksen.

Kirjan kansitekstin mukaan se on [i]rakkaudentunnustus Istanbulille[/i], joka on erittäin hyvä kuvaus opuksesta. Paksu, tiiliskivimäinen kirja kuvailee katukauppiaan silmin Istanbulin kehityksen Euroopan suurimmaksi kaupungiksi. Vaikka se tihkuukin nostalgiaa ja varmasti antaa kaupungin tuntevalle lukijalle paljon enemmän, niin myöskin kaltaiselleni ummikolle välittyy tunne Istanbulista kaupunkina, jolla on oma luonne joka on muuttunut ja kehittynyt vuosisatojen aikana.

Paljon muutakin kirjassa tapahtuu ja käsitellään, mutta kaiken kaikkian ihan kelpo teos. Rönsyilevä, verkkainen, monipuolinen, mutta myös vähän tylsä ja itseään toistava. Sellaista se elämäkin kai on.