whitmc's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. I wanted to love this book SO BADLY. The back cover starts "Armenian American woman living in San Francisco . . . " Hello, that's me. And the author was nearly imprisoned in Turkey for writing the book, which made it an excellent first candidate for my March Women Author's focus. But wow...this was just so, so bad. About halfway through I realized the disjointed storylines were not going to come together, they would remain hard to follow and disjointed. I also realized I wouldn't like any of the characters, which was true. What I didn't realize halfway through was that it would just get worse, and there is a twist at the end that was so unnecessarily disgusting, I nearly threw the book at the wall. And by the time you learn the mysterious link between the two young women the story is about, you are so weary of the characters, you no longer care. And there are piles of loose ends--like what about the main guy from the Armenian message board that the main character had a crush on? And the Cartoonist in the cafe? All loose ends!
So not for me. I feel bad writing such a rant about a book that really does an amazing attempt to bring attention to the dichotomy between Armenians who are still feeling the pain of the genocide generations later, and modern Turks who are looking forward, not backward. In that aspect, Shafak made a really good attempt. I just wish it was done with better writing and focus.
So not for me. I feel bad writing such a rant about a book that really does an amazing attempt to bring attention to the dichotomy between Armenians who are still feeling the pain of the genocide generations later, and modern Turks who are looking forward, not backward. In that aspect, Shafak made a really good attempt. I just wish it was done with better writing and focus.
thebookconfessions's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't expect this to be this good as it was. It's my first by this author and definitely not my last.
Such a quiet lyrical read and yet profound and impactful.
Such a quiet lyrical read and yet profound and impactful.
_sarahramadan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.5
tamara_mousa's review against another edition
5.0
There is a summary about it in my blog - https://www.tamarayousefmousa.com/
sanitakacuba's review against another edition
3.0
Read this book before my trip to Istambul, and I must say - I was SO excited to taste all the food mentioned in the book! So, it was a very tasteful read.
Overall, it is a telling book of family relationships and societal interrelations in Turkey and among Turkish and Armenians, adding a hint of feminism. I liked it but the plot was just a bit too obvious.
Overall, it is a telling book of family relationships and societal interrelations in Turkey and among Turkish and Armenians, adding a hint of feminism. I liked it but the plot was just a bit too obvious.
markf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I wasn't expecting that
nnastia's review against another edition
5.0
So beautifully written I did not want it to end.. Very delicately intertwined national and family histories of different and yet similar cultures, both in homeland and diaspora settings. It was a fantastic read.
alexpaulm's review against another edition
4.0
Turkish desserts, incest and a little bit of Armenian genocide. The ideal recipe for the ideal story… What can go wrong?
4 stars for the mastery of the language and the storytelling, but oh boy! I am shooketh!
4 stars for the mastery of the language and the storytelling, but oh boy! I am shooketh!