I don't regularly read things on the Booker longlist and don't give much credence to the prize itself, however, this book looked incredibly interesting so I bought it.
To give a general overview, the reader is looking at a collection of documents which make up the book. The main plot is a triple murder carried out by Roderick Macrae, a 17 year old from a village called Culduie. The book includes Roderick Macrae's own memoirs written in jail whilst awaiting his trial, several witness testimonials, post-mortem reports for the victims and a criminal psychologist's report on Roderick.
The book is always a "why did the crimes take place" rather than a "whodunnit". In this, I found it rather unusual and interesting but that may be due to my usual aversion to crime fiction. What really makes this book stand out is the background it's woven into. The classism and injustice prevalent in 19th century Scotland at parts made it difficult for me to read the book. The psychiatrist's report is especially difficult as it's obvious he expects physical differences between "learned gentlemen" and those of the "lower ranks". In fact, this form of classism is so commonplace at the time that Roderick is surprised when the psychiatrist wants to visit him in jail. He remarks " 'Have my crimes so elevated me that gentlemen now seek out my company?' ".
Their visit to the factor was one of the hardest passages I have read which and another example which signifies the injustice of their situation. Roderick and his father visit the factor as they are being bullied by the village constable and acquiring a multitude of fines due to not complying with the regulations. Therefore, they want to see the regulations. The factor responds "Of course, there are regulations, but you cannot see them. The regulations exist because we all accept that they exist and without them there would be anarchy." and goes on to accuse them of "wishing to consult the regulations in order that you might break them with impunity"
Getting back to the motive of the murders one is left with strong sympathy for Roderick. Regardless of why he committed the crime, the environment he grew up in was so unsupportive of his academic prowess and the cruelty he endured under both his father and his neighbour so strong that it's hard to imagine a person becoming the best they can be under the situation. I feel that Roderick would have turned out to be a completely different person had he been raised in a less harsh environment and most likely he would've avoided the psychological trauma which led him to the crimes.
The 'revelation' at the end of the book of an alternative motive didn't do much to add to the story for me. I suppose it was to lead the reader to think that Roderick might indeed have been a criminal at heart instead of just a young boy who wanted to avenge his family. It certainly makes Roderick's account untrustworthy but at this stage the reader had already seen inconsistencies between his account and the post-mortem reports. It made me question Roderick in a harsher light certainly but it couldn't take away for sympathy for him and the others who lived in this incredibly harsh environment.
Title: The Goldfinch
Author: Donna Tartt
Language: 5/5
Content: 4/5
Overall: 9/10
Imagine a 864 page book centered around a not widely known painting by Fabritius called The Goldfinch (at least I hadn't heard of it which isn't saying much given my general ignorance on all manner of art) and you might not think much of it. The wide assumption would probably be that it's boring and in some ways that's not entirely inaccurate although boring is not the right word for it- slow-moving perhaps. My prejudice for the book stemmed not only from this mistaken expectation but also from my contempt towards any form of award-winning literature. As it happens, The Goldfinch is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2014. I will not get into the general views I hold about this award but this was probably the occasion I have been most delighted about being wrong.
The very heavy book is somehow poetic without being too descriptive. There are passages with extremely detailed description which almost read like a modern twist on classical Russian literature but the tone is mostly straightforward. It's almost a detached, matter-of-fact way of writing which stops the book from being the story of psychological development. This is no Crime and Punishment and even though the subject is a child who loses his mother at a young age under tragic circumstances, there isn't a Raskolnikov-esque internal struggle.
Instead, we watch Theo grow-up in broken environments and make choices as a result of those environments from a far-away camera lens without ever becoming him. If anything, it's a risky way of writing which makes the book stand out.
After losing his mother at a tragic museum bombing, Theo becomes obsessed (if that is the right word) with The Goldfinch but this extreme interest is more about what the painting becomes to him in time rather than a pure intellectual excitement. In a way, this makes the novel an ode to beauty in it's various forms and if I needed a short and sweet four word description that is what I would pick. The Goldfinch to Theo (a very clever and intellectual man) is a childhood memory, a piece of his mother, a widely-celebrated work of art but it's also his destruction and downfall. Towards the end Boris says "..I personally have never drawn such a sharp line between 'good' and 'bad' as you. For me: that line is often false. The two are never disconnected. One can't exist without the other." and that is probably the best summary.
This passage really spoke to me so I'd like to include it here: "And as much as I'd like to believe there's a truth beyond illusion, I've come to believe that there's no truth beyond illusion. Because between 'reality' on the one hand, and the point where the mind strikes reality, there's a middle zone, a rainbow edge where beauty comes into being, where two very different surfaces mingle and blur to provide what life does not: and this is the space where all art exists, and all magic. And-I would argue as well-all love."
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Wikipedia in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
Title: The Imitation Game
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cinematography and Acting: 5/5
Content: 4/5
Overall: 9/10
It feels like I haven't seen a movie in ages and it's been good to return to movies with a film this amazing.
Alan Turing has always fascinated me and I suppose the fact that I'm an engineer has made me identify with this movie a bit more. However, regardless of my personal interest in the history of technology, I feel like this is one of the best films I have seen.
The story is set out beautifully with flashbacks inserted into the timeline. This helps the audience really understand the loneliness and emotional distance Turing must have felt. Woven into Turing's emotional story however, is his passion to solve a puzzle. His talent and passion for this is so great that he has helped shape history. Unfortunately, a lot more people know of Taylor Swift than him. You might believe this is purely down to the usual disinterest people have when it comes to science. That may play a part of course but a far more tragic factor is also involved. He was treated disgustingly (not that many years ago) for being homosexual. Hence, this film also serves as a reminder of the tragedies in our history.
Benedict Cumberbatch's acting is incredible. He plays the role of the ostracised genius to perfection. It's probably an incredibly difficult job to portray a socially awkward person's emotional history but Cumberbatch has done it faultlessly.
Before I had seen the film, my only worry concerning the cast was Keira Knightley. I have never been the biggest fan of her acting and I was worried that her overly dramatic style could have harmed the film's overall success. I still wouldn't say she was incredible but she was significantly better than I expected and compared to Cumberbatch's shining performance, she managed to hold her own.
All in all, this was probably one of the best films of 2014 and the only reason it doesn't get a 10 is because I am incredibly reluctant to declare anything to be perfect.
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Wikipedia in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it couldn't be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
*"The Imitation Game poster" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Imitation_Game_poster.jpg#mediaviewer/File:The_Imitation_Game_poster.jpg
Title: The Tent
Author: Miral al-Tahawy
Language: 4/5
Content: 4/5
Overall: 8/10
This novel reads like a fairy tale, or a dream. Time seems to play no part and images flow into each other seamlessly.
This is a story told from the eyes of a Bedouin girl, Fatima, who floats between reality and dreams. Zahwa, her imaginary friend seems to be a counterpart to Fatima- living a parallel life. Fatima's life, as is typical of Bedouin girls, is spent amongst women. There is a depressed and hence absent mother, older sisters and a dominating and cruel grandmother. Her father, often absent, is like a distant, loving memory.
The novel is so beautifully written that the reader feels this incredible sense of suffocation whilst reading the book. It's as if we are in the story spiraling further from reality and into dreams with Fatima. The second overwhelming feeling is femininity. Something from the translator's notes stuck with me as I believe it is probably the single best description of this piece of literature.
'There is no 'women's n' (nun al-niswa) in English, no feminine plural endings, no feminine nouns and adjectives, and it is hard to recreate the scent of woman that permeates the Arabic original of The Tent.'
Almost definitely not to the extent of the original, but the scent of woman permeates the translated version as well.
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Goodreads in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material
Title: The Cuckoo's Calling
Author: Robert Galbraith
Language: 3/5
Content: 3/5
Overall: 6/10
This is going to be a fairly short review and I have to start with a disclaimer. This might actually be the first mystery novel I have ever read. I didn't quite know what to expect as I have mixed feelings about J.K Rowling as a writer. I like the Harry Potter series as much as the next person but having also read The Casual Vacancy, I know she is equally capable of producing poorly thought out novels.
Here is what's good about it. Unlike The Casual Vacancy, this book flows. In fact, I found myself not being able to drop it at times. There is the odd forced simile that doesn't quite work which I've come to expect of J.K Rowling when she writes books for adults but otherwise, it is easy to read. There is nothing exceptional about the language but it's ok.
The same thing also goes for the content. As I said, I haven't read many mystery novels so I don't have a lot to compare this to but it seemed fairly run-of-the-mill. The mystery and the manner in which it was solved seemed realistic and plausible so that is definitely a point in favour of the novel but on the other hand the plot didn't seem to have anything extra-ordinary.
All in all, The Cuckoo's Calling was fun to read but I can't see it becoming a classic one day. A good beach read.
*P.S. I have finally decided to post regularly on my blog. You can expect a new post every Friday :)
Title: 40 Rules of Love
Author: Elif Safak
Language: 3/5
Content: 4/5
Overall: 7/10
This book is a story of parallels. Two parallel stories set centuries and worlds apart, to be exact. However, the stories and the people taking part in them have more in common that you'd think.
The Forty Rules of Love is, as you might imagine, a story about love in all it's forms. It includes friendship, romantic love and divine love and makes the reader question whether there is actually much of a difference between what we distinguish as different types of love.
On one hand, there is the story of Rumi and his love Shams Tabrizi and on the other hand is Ella, a typical American middle-class housewife. The novel switches between the two timelines allowing the reader to almost flow through the timeline in parallel universes. I personally believe it's a very successful way of setting out the book.
It definitely serves as a good introduction to Sufism and hopefully will cause people to read Rumi's poems. Sufism is incredibly interesting not only from a philosophical standpoint but also from the angle of religious interpretation and a book this popular is a non-negligible tool in raising awareness.
Other than that, I actually found some aspects of the novel childish, cliche even. Especially towards the end I felt like Safak got carried away with trying to form parallels and took the easy way out. She might have meant it to serve as yet another example of one of the Forty Rules: 'While the parts change, the whole remains the same. For every thief who departs this world, a new one is born. And every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one. In this way not only does nothing remain the same but also nothing every really changes.' If so, not only is this an 'outer reading' of the rule, it is also a misrepresentation of the Sufi belief.
On a brighter note, I thought the language was flowing and devoid of forced sentences. It wasn't anything to write home about but it wasn't bad either.
There are however, also sophisticated pleasant details in the book such as every chapter starting with the letter B as it is in the Mathnawi.
All in all, I believe it was an enjoyable book to read which gave a reader-friendly introduction to a very important poet and his beliefs. At this point, I should say that I put off reading this book for years because I was hesitant about Elif Safak as a writer. I had read 'The Bastard of Istanbul' which I had loved but thought she wrote books on topics she knew would be popular. I also happened to read this book at a time in my life where I made a couple of major decisions. I am not sure if that also affected by views but I can easily say I very much enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading a few of Safak's other books (starting with re-reading The Bastard of Istanbul)
Title: Black Sky, Black Sea
Author: Izzet Celasin
Score: 3/10
I was aimlessly wandering down the aisles of a Waterstones when I saw this book in the translated books section and after a quick inspection I was intrigued. It seemed to have something to do with the student protests in Turkey in the 70s and 80s (a subject the European world seems to be sadly ignorant of) and I hoped against all hope that it would feature the Black Sea region, fascinating for both it's natural beauty and the complex cultural history of its inhabitants.
I was incredibly disappointed. Not because there seemed to be no interest on the writer's part to give a cultural overview of the various minorities and regions in Turkey but because it didn't even give a thorough understanding of the political situation which forms the background to this story. Someone completely ignorant of the historical aspects of the setting can read this book and believe that the 'leftist' students were divided in two: the Maoists and the Soviet supporters. This is not only a pathetic simplification of the various groups that had formed throughout the decade but it is also disrespectful to the thousands imprisoned, tortured and executed (mostly under false charges) for having left-wing ideals.
The main character, Baris (meaning peace in Turkish) is annoyingly ignorant of the events around him and seems to not have an opinion at all. You might believe this is the writer's way of trying to be objective but this is also not the case. Not a single 'fascist' character features in the book either. Pimps and prostitutes do, but a single member of a right-wing group does not. The main and only connection to the politics of the time Baris has is through a girl he falls in love with. Zuhal, despite being a member of an armed guerrilla group, also doesn't seem to know what she believes in or what she is fighting against shattering the only political standing the book would have had.
The black sea region exists only as a backdrop to a poor re-enactment of one of the bloodiest massacres of the time, known as the Kizildere operation.
I realise that you might think the book will have adequate insight into a section of Turkey's history due to it winning some awards for best political novel but you would be wrong. I find it incredibly sad that due to the lack of books translated into English on this topic, books such as this can be given 'best political novel' awards. There are some very in depth novels and non-fiction books written on the topic in Turkish and the lack of English translations is absolutely appalling.
This brings me to my main point: if you want to read a book about a romantic teenager's relationship with various girlfriends, go for it. This book is probably what you're looking for. If instead you would like to gain some historical knowledge, skip it.
Title: Her
Director: Spike Jonze
Score: 7/10
What makes us human? Is it our anatomy or is it the way we think? I believe most of us will reply with the latter. Spike Jonze asks us this exact question in this touching film.
The film starts with a close-up of Theodore Twombly's (acted by Joaquin Phoenix) face where it feels like he's breaking the fourth wall; he isn't, he's merely looking towards us but the effect nonetheless remains. He purchases a new operating system that has the ability of 'intuition'. She is called Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), a name she picked from a book in the second after he asked her what her name is. Samantha learns from him and she grows and changes as a personality.
They eventually start a friendship which leads on to a relationship. Theodore is an introvert and with the effect of flashbacks we are given the impression that he's an extremely lonely man seeking company in any way that he can, including having telephone sex with strangers. He starts to change with Samantha.
Eventually, both characters grow. Is Samantha becoming human or is she 'too human'? Where does 'humanness' start and end? Her tries to answer these questions in a brilliantly acted story.
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Wikipedia in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
Title: American Hustle
Director: David O. Russell
Score: 7/10
After having seen American Hustle swipe up BAFTA awards for best original screenplay and best supporting actress I had to see this film. I have to say I wasn't extremely interested when I first saw the trailer which is why I probably left it so long. It didn't seem very different and I thought it was going to be yet another funny conman-turned-good movie.
I will say this: the story is not what makes this film. I probably wasn't too wrong in that the scenario was pretty predictable and felt like we had seen it before. The characters, however, are nothing like we have ever seen before and they are what makes this film truly unique.
The acting was superb. Jennifer Lawrence was absolutely brilliant and she really deserved the best supporting actress award. She played the part of the quirky (to say the very least) wife to perfection. Amy Adams's acting was probably the weakest link, it was a bit bland with no distinguishing features.
The characters were extremely real. There were no black and white personalities. The attachment a conman has towards his first real friend and his adopted son, the extreme ambition of an FBI agent who just wants to get ahead, a man torn between two women all seemed like genuine portrayals of people.
All in all, I'm extremely glad I have watched this film as it was a brilliant combination of real-life drama and hilarity.
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Wikipedia in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
Title: The Wolf of Wall Street
Director: Martin Scorsese
Score: 7/10
I have been continually impressed by the product of the collaborations between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio so I had extremely high expectations of this film and I was not disappointed.
Technically speaking it was probably one of the best of Scorsese's latest movies and DiCaprio's acting was superb. I genuinely cannot think of a single actor who would make a better 'Wolf'. DiCaprio portrayed the depravity and extremity of the millionaire lifestyle with such accuracy that the audience was often left gaping in awe. This perfect acting even made the fact that an almost 40 year old DiCaprio was at times acting a 20-something Jordan Belfort forgivable.
This does not, however, mean that The Wolf of Wall Street was easy to watch. Even the sheer hilarity of the film at times couldn't soften the disturbance one felt while watching the many scenes which depicted extreme drug abuse and 'in your face' sex acts. This certainly is not a criticism directed towards the movie. If anything I believe Scorsese and DiCaprio have shown great courage in portraying a life honestly with all it's extremities. I have not personally read the autobiography on which this movie was based but from what I understand most important events were depicted in exactly the same way as the book describes them.
All in all, I highly recommend this film. Just don't make the mistake of thinking it's a light-hearted comedy you can enjoy on a Friday afternoon.
*The product artwork I use within this review is taken from Wikipedia in order to identify the subject of the review. It is low enough in resolution such that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
Title: Tamam miyiz?
Director: Cagan Irmak
Score: 8.5/10
There aren't many Turkish films that make me feel sorry for the international audience for the misfortune of not being able to fully understand the emotion as some things are always lost in translation. This film is one of them.
The film shows the unlikely friendship of two men who come from two different social classes. On the one hand there is Temmuz (July) who struggles with society and his father due to his homosexuality and on the other hand is Ihsan who has the same problems due to his severe disability. The two governing relationships shown in the film are the relationships of the mothers with their sons and the friendship of Ihsan and Temmuz.
Despite all their differences Ihsan and Temmuz find common ground in the issues they have with society and their fathers and try to be complete with each other.
Cagan Irmak is one of my favourite directors as I think he has mastered the art of depicting raw emotion. The acting may almost seem a bit theatrical for non-Turkish viewers but it really conveys the behaviour of Turkish people. He was widely praised for his movie Babam ve Oglum (My Father and My Son*) although this shows that his not-as-popular films are just as well made.
Cagan Irmak is a masterpiece with soundtracks and this film was no exception. The soundtrack always served to heighten the effects of the film without being overdone. The camera work was equally exceptional-dragging the audience into the movie at times and leaving the audience as spectators at others. The acting was superb. Aras Bulut Iyinemli proved he was up to a challenge with his difficult role as Ihsan and he really succeeded. Deniz Celiloglu as Temmuz was no less inspiring. Zuhal Gencer and Sumru Yavrucuk were also exceptional supporting actresses.
Watch this movie. You will not be disappointed. It's leaps and bounds ahead of some of the more internationally acclaimed Turkish movies.
* These are not the official translations. I have just tried to translate the titles as best as I could.
* This movie poster is taken from http://www.beyazperde.com/filmler/film-221934/fotolar/detay/?cmediafile=21051087. It is low enough in resolution that it could not be used as counterfeit or pirated material.
Title: And the Mountains Echoed
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Score: 8.5/10
I have read all three of Khaled Hosseini's books and as much as I loved The Kite Runner, I was as disappointed by A Thousand Splendid Suns. I felt like he used a formula to get as many readers as possible by churning out the same emotions and settings over and over again. To be completely honest, I expected this book to be similar.
I was wrong. Even though the back cover of the book more or less states that it's a story about two siblings whose lives are changed, this novel actually consists of many stories- all very loosely related. Understandably, the paths of the siblings and their family cross with many people, some of which have been explained and investigated thoroughly. The first-person narrative switches between these characters making the book very dynamic.
However, the best thing about this book was just seeing how mature of a writer Khaled Hosseini has become. There are no black and white characters. All personalities are extremely grey and human. On one hand there is Idris (who I believe is a character based on the author himself) whose willingness to help slowly disintegrates as he finds himself struggling with the usual problems at work and at home. He was one of my favourite characters because I found him to be a very honest description of many people. There are always more of us that want to help than ones that actually do help. Forgoing the stability and predictability we work our entire lives to acquire can't be easy.
Then there is Nila Wahdati, a woman overcome with the desire to be complete, without knowing what she actually needs or wants.
The relationships are as human and grey as the characters. A boy and his struggling relationship with his mother, the touching friendship of two men who live together for more than half a century, the yearning to find a long-lost sibling...
Another thing that really contrasted with the author's previous books and something that I believe is an improvement is that people from different cultural backgrounds feature into the story, adding wealth. The doctor from Greece, the many friends from France and the American neighbours all helped to enrich the book with their own little stories.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. The stories will be relatable to most readers and if not, everyone will recognise something of somebody in them. In this context, that is what makes this book a success.
