A Strangeness in My Mind: A Novel | 
pickJust finished this 600 page book! The story was rich with imagery, and revolved around Mevlut. A boza seller that moved from his village to Istanbul as a child. You see the growth of the city throughout Mevlut‘s life, as he stays loyal to his city and the people he loves. This is a book that needs to be savored!
Started this one last night. This has been on my TBR list for maybe 4 years now. Wish I would have picked it up sooner. The storytelling is wonderful so far- It‘s over 650 pages, but it‘s moving quickly!
pickI can't remember why I put this book on my TBR many years ago, considering that I hadn't enjoyed The Black Book very much. But it was a good choice because I found Strangeness much more accessible. Although the returning references to the letters bugged me after a while, I liked Mevlut and his story, and the whole book as an ode to the ever-changing Istanbul was delightful.
This was my June #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
pickReally enjoyed the use of different character perspectives to explore the external vs the internal: intention of the heart versus intention of our words. To love a city so deeply and honor a craft so wholly. Uniquely heartwarming
pickOne who moves deep into the novel shall find that after all its not not him - Mevlut - but, its time which is the protagonist force of the novel. Time that create and alter the spaces - both corporeally as well as emotionally. You will just feel that span of almost 40 years. Perhaps, the reader would too get aged with tale
I went to Orhan Pamuk's talk at Southbank last Friday and of course I ended up buying this afterwards. His enthusiasm for building and discusding stories is infectious.
pickThe story of Mevlut, a boza-seller, & his family. I love Orhan Pamuk's honesty & his curious, loving explorations of Istanbul. He infuses the melancholy of the city into his writing, chronicles the changes - (too) much detail of construction & houses - & describes family dynamics with great care & intricate sentences. I found this one too slow & less beautifully written than his earlier work (but it's a high bar). But a rich, satisfying read.
"You saw for yourself: no-one can buy me ... I've been so furious at them all!"
It took 250 pages, but a female character is showing some spirit and I'm happy.
Lovely spring morning. Progress report: Mevlut is an endearing character & I'm enjoying the rich details, but the history slows it down & I don't think this translation is as beautiful as earlier books, with the intricate sentences you can lose yourself in.
I was lucky enough to meet Orhan Pamuk and have this signed - a couple of years ago now! It's high time I started it. Spring in the air this morning. #bookandcoffee ☕️
A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk contains some beautiful and evocative sentences about this state of being and how it can influence the shape of being.
#astrangenessinmymind #orhanpamuk #inotherwords
Loneliness is an indescribable malady - and yet one which can, perhaps, be called a fount of wisdom. Although, occasionally, it chooses irrationality to have a drink with; it also allows itself to be examined by objectivity, albeit discreetly - so that genuineness has a chance to thrive.
#astrangenessinmymind #orhanpamuk #inotherwords
Orhan Pamuk's A Strangeness in my Mind is very dear to me. A good friend reccomanded it when I suffered from a burn-out and anxiety attacks. This book calmed me down when I felled anxious and made me see the simple beauty of the world. Since then I have read more of his work and loved it, though this first book was something special. I would love to meet this man who, unkowingly, helped me get back on my feet again.
#KostovaGiveaway @Liberty
Epic fail today. I went out with the intentions of finding a solution to my overflowing bookcases (basically I need a drill bit to make more holes for my extra shelves) and ended up at B&N. I needed up with 4 new books and still no extra room for them. So currently my whole apartment is disastrous. Books everywhere and in the process of mgmt replacing my fridge. Stuff is everywhere!!
bailedSince starting to work at a library last year, I've engaged in a personally curated course I'm calling 'Dip and Dive'. We can all agree that there are more books we want to read than time available. Books are like snacks; I don't need to finish everything, especially if it isn't scrumptious. It is enough to be familiar with an author's tone, the book's style, perspective and subject. This is my 2nd Pamuk, and I can safely say I've tried him.
Writing in a nutshell: "Would he be able to rest without telling someone what he'd been through?"
bailedNobel Prize Winner Audio I really wanted to like this but I couldn't find redeeming or compelling aspect to this work. 20% in and I could feel my brain cells expiring en mass from boredom. I wonder in this case if something was literally lost in translation. I have such guilt about bailing but I am learning that sometimes it's better to let go +
pickThis book was therapy for me. The beauty of Pamuk's writing drew me in from page one. You can feel the nostalgia and the flowing almost magical writing makes Istanbul and Mevlut come alive. Mevlut's life is full of love, loss, succes and failure and not that much different from anyone else's life. An extremely ordinairy man who shows you that we are all exceptionally beautiful creatures, and for me an ode to life and love! Read it!
Still reading this even if it's taking me forever. Not really plot-driven so it's a bit slow going for me....
pickJudging by the cover, I liked the way the dusk jacket has thought bubbles that are actual holes showing the cover art on the actual hardcover.
Substantively, I probably learned more about the last 50 years of Turkish history than from any other source. The plot was good, but left numerous issues unresolved (e.g., a character has a romantic rival and a business rival -- who killed him?) Maybe that's real life, but I was hoping for more.
I am set and ready to go. 15 minute countdown. @24in48
It would have been very timely to review this one, as I just finished it last night, it's set in Istanbul over the last 50 years, and they just had a coup there today. Unfortunately, I couldn't put together a coherent review because a wild Rattata appeared!
Me too. I always sound like I'm lying when I'm telling the truth.
Nothing distracts me in a translated book as much as a pun. Are "emotion" and "motion" one letter apart in Turkish also? Or did the translator change the line to keep the sense of the joke, but not the direct meaning?
Haven't gotten much reading done in the last 24 hours ...
Two hours until fireworks break, so sitting out in the beautiful dusk. My neighbors just put their house on the market yesterday, if anyone would like to sit and read 30 feet away...
Hoping to finish up A Strangeness In My Mind over the long weekend, if the other two events in the triathlon don't take two much time.
Changed books, but sitting in about the same place at sundown that I was sitting at sunrise. (I swear I moved some in middle, though!)
bailedWhile Pamuk is a lovely writer, this is not the book I need at the moment. Every book has a one and place to be read and I am not ready for this one. It's simply to slow-paced and I'm craving thrillers. Here's to focusing on other books and returning to this one in the future.
In the middle of a serious book slump. Pamuk is great, but I need a book that can't be put down-- a book that makes you stay up till 5 am cause you HAVE to know how it ends. Any recommendations?
This book is oddly structured. It is mainly told in third person about Mevlut. But then, frequently, secondary characters will interrupt in first person to agree, or disagree, or give a different perspective. Haven't decided yet if it's a great strategy for structuring the novel, or just a cop-out.
pickI'm between like and so so. I liked it because of the story (plot is about Mevlut, his inner life and his relation with Instabul), which is slow and rich, captures period of last 50 years and we get glimpse into some historical and social events. So-so, because the end didn't work for me.
so-so
