Quote of the day: 

My father always said, 'Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their book shelf' - so I make sure I read. -Emilia Clarke



BLOGORATTI -Book review of Orhan Pamuk's A Strangeness in My Mind




This week's book reading is titled 'A Strangeness in My Mind' written by Orhan Pamuk -a Turkish novelist , screenwriter and the recipient of the 2006 Novel Prize in Literature. He is one of Turkey's most prominent novelists with his work achieving both critical and commercial success in Turkey and beyond.

Translated from the Turkish by Ekin Oklap, A Strangeness in My Mind tells the story and adventures of Mevlut Karataş, a seller of yogurt and boza (Turkish drink of fermented wheat), his family, friends and also depicts a portrait of life in Turkey between 1969 and 2012. Born in a poor Anatolian village 700 miles from Istanbul, the story is told in different parts (from adulthood to childhood) starting from when Mevlut who had left for Istanbul at age 12, returns to the province of his birth to begin a rather strange affair with a woman  whom he had fallen in love with at a family wedding, but all is not as it seems as he would soon find out,after a secret courtship of love letters passed via his cousin that lasted for 3 years.

The situation that he found himself in would go on to determine the rest of his days, and the environment he lives in. It is an adventure of dreaming dreams, about life, struggles, hope, love, lost pleasures, determination and disappointment -all against the backdrop of social change sweeping across Turkey during that time.

Orhan Pamuk really knows how to weave a story and get the reader submerged in a different world and time. This novel is written with warmth and sentiment, be prepared to be enthralled by the adventure. If you enjoy long reads then this is for you -it is 734 pages long. However, the story flows very well and you may finish it faster than you think. But surely it is a must read and a delightful one to add to your personal collection.

What book are you reading at the moment?


Peace. Love. Light* 



Current Listen: John Coltrane -Giant Steps