Reviews with content warning for Infertility - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

I loved part one (Mind) and thought this was on its way to 5 stars, but parts 2 (Body) and 3 (Soul) lost me. Shafak is a masterful writer and her descriptive style perfectly suits the novel's time and setting. My main criticism with this is the same for my last Shafak read (The Island of Missing Trees) - too much information is given to the reader. Especially in Part 2, there were too many perspectives and explicit details that I thought would have been more powerful left untold. I loved the found family aspect of this book and the way their grief manifested among them. I wish we were given more time with each of the friends but overall this was another well balanced blend of history and fiction. I highly recommend checking the content warnings on this one.

Content Warnings

carolinebl's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

I love how Elif Shafak writes of Istanbul, honestly and brutally whilst also lovingly. This is another complex, dark, funny and deeply human novel. The story of Tequila Leila deserves to be told, though in many ways this was the story of the people that formed her life. Some aspects of characterisation were too much for me, such as the names (Sabotage, Zaynab122 etc.) but it was overall a beautifully written story of friendship and struggle.

I still have questions about D/Ali. And did Leila know that Sabotage was in love with her? I’m glad he didn’t die with her body, but was forced to confront his divided life.

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milliminal's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

What I liked:
The concept, the narrative, the cast of diverse characters and stories, the vivid and immersive descriptions of Istanbul

What I disliked:
The sheer amount of trauma, which almost started feeling like sensationalism, especially when accompanied with little to no reflection on it. (I wish I had read the trigger warnings before hand.) How much the first part slogged in comparison to the second and third parts.

It was a good read but does not make me motivated to read other works by Shafak.

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leahrosiee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

roseraindrops's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Moderate Spoilers ahead :) ...
This book was very different from anything I have ever decided to read before, and although at points I felt deep hatred and disgust for some of the characters and a bleak sense of sadness and helplessness, I think this book is actually very important and delves into so many important, contemporary issues through Leila, and her perhaps unlikely, ragtag group of friends. I mean, just from the content warnings alone you can see that this is not for someone looking for a lighthearted read, but although uncomfortable at times, Shafak beautifully tells the stories of the lives of the outcasts in Istanbul:

'Tequila' Leila - the main character who is a dead sex worker reflecting on her life, she has self-harmed, been sexually abused, has had her brother die due to his severe Down's syndrome and has a mother who suffers from extreme mental health issues, partly due to multiple stillbirths. She is hopeful, adventurous and kind, and makes an assortment of friends to build up her own 'found family':

D/Ali - an artist and 'revolutionary' male university student
Zaynab122 - a highly religious Muslim woman, originally from Lebanon, has dwarfism and works as a cleaner in Leila's brothel

"Religion for her had always been a source of hope, resilience and love - a lift that carried her up from the basement of darkness into a spiritual light. It pained her that the same lift could just as easily take others all the way down. The teachings that warmed her heart and brought her closer to all humanity, regardless of creed, colour or nationality, could be interpreted in such a way that they divided, confused and seperated human beings, sowing seeds of emnity and bloodshed." (272)

This quote has definitely stuck with me.

Jameelah - a woman who was trafficked for sexual exploitation from Somalia, has an eating disorder
'Sabotage' Sinan - a son of a single mother and childhood friend to Leila, debatably the only 'respectable' member of the group as a well established, married man with children and a good, well-paying job. However, has a disconnection from his double life with his outcast friends compared to his family.
Hollywood Humeyra - a woman who escaped an abusive marriage to become a singer/dancer in Istanbul, suffers from many health issues
Nostalgia Nalan - a dyslexic, atheist trans-woman working in the streets as a sex worker/in clubs

"Nalan thought that one of the endless tragedies of human history was that pessimists were better at surviving than optimists, which meant that, logically speaking, humanity carried the genes of people who did not believe in humanity" (306)

Sorry, I know that was just a huge list, and I don't want to pigeonhole or define the characters by particular characteristics or experiences that have happened to them but I just wanted to show the huge diversity, representation and different perspectives/experiences I am talking about within this book!!! It covers such a wide range of topics, mainly focusing on the realities for immigrants and women (particularly sex workers) in Turkey.

This book has 3 main parts, all stylistically very different:
Part 1 - The Mind: this is the longest section all bought together through the use of the clock, like a countdown in which Leila relives her memories, starting from her birth right up to her murder. I listened to an interview with Shafak, and she bases this clock literary technique on recent scientific research into how long the brain stays active after death.
Part 2 - The Body: here we follow Leila's friends as they try to properly put her body to rest as she would have wanted - the style dramatically changes here to become an odd blend of grief and humour with drunken car chases and digging up and falling into graves. I found this section a bit bizarre to be honest but it still had some really interesting concepts based on real-life events/places in Istanbul eg. the cemetery of the companionless
Part 3 - The Soul: this is only a few pages but a good ending - I wouldn't say it's hopeful enough to counter the despair and tragedy throughout the book but Leila finds peace.

"Her mind had fully shut down, her body was already decomposing and her soul was chasing a betta fish" (304)

I enjoyed the descriptive writing style throughout - it wasn't over the top but especially in section 1, everything flowed beautifully. With recalling previously hidden memories, Shafak focuses on tiny details/imagery and especially smells to focus on and start every different recollection with, creating a distinct tone for each memory. The city of Istanbul is also described in such detail, it almost plays a role as a character in the novel - it has a distinct personality as a place of such stark contrasts and oppositions.

"Sometimes where you feel most safe is where you least belong" (20)

I must admit that although I understand the purpose of the nicknames and a way for them to reclaim their identities etc. I found it was sometimes overused unnecessarily and a bit cringy in the very reflective and meaningful scenes.

This point is completely my bad but I did not realise there was a glossary at the back! In retaining some of the authentic dialogue, occasionally there is a word or phrase from the original language that has been used so a pro tip from me - definitely use the back instead of looking it up lol. 😂😅

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