A Strangeness in My Mind

Starred review from August 24, 2015
This mesmerizing ninth novel from Nobel laureate Pamuk (Silent House) is a sweeping epic chronicling Istanbul's metamorphosis from 1969 to 2012, as seen through the eyes of humble rural Anatolian migrant workers who come to the increasingly teeming metropolis in search of new opportunities in love and commerce. Though relayed through different points of view, the fable-like story's chief protagonist is the ruminative Mevlut Karatas, son of a cantankerous peddler of yogurt and boza (a thick, fermented wheat drink), who carries on his father's trade despite its fading popularity. The book includes a dip into Mevlut's childhood in Central Anatolia and his move to Istanbul with his father when he is 12. He later meets the beautiful Samiha at a wedding and is tricked by his cousin into eloping with Samiha's less attractive older sister, Rayiha. Mevlut and Rayiha have a happy marriage nonetheless and raise two daughters as he tries to gain a foothold in business. Mevlut's progression from naïve, perpetually searching wanderer to a more fulfilled and wizened soul, despite his mostly unsuccessful attempts at getting a leg up financially, is laid bare. His walkabouts and skirmishes with his family are engrossing, but what really stands out is Pamuk's treatment of Istanbul's evolution into a noisy, corrupt, and modernized city. This is a thoroughly immersive journey through the arteries of Pamuk's culturally rich yet politically volatile and class- and gender-divided homeland.

April 1, 2016

Portraying Istanbul over a period of five decades, Pamuk's (Silent House) latest novel introduces listeners to Mevlut, a street vendor of boza (a mildly alcoholic Turkish drink) and yogurt. As a protagonist, Mevlut is more an observer than an active participant; the novel opens with his realization that he eloped with the wrong woman (he glimpsed a beautiful girl at his cousin's wedding and wrote her letters for years, but when he has her on the train to Istanbul he discovers that he was tricked into taking the "less attractive" sister). He doesn't abandon her, however, so perhaps this is enough to make him a hero, although his disappointment with the match seems to set the tone for much of his not-entirely-rewarding life (money is always a challenge, and his effort at opening a business is not particularly successful, among other misfortunes). The novel is told in a fragmented style, sometimes switching perspectives as often as from paragraph to paragraph, and, along with the frequent shifts in time periods, this can be difficult to follow in audio. Narrator John Lee's English accent lends the reading a feeling of British imperialism at times, and the pace is slow enough to convince listeners that half a century really has passed. VERDICT Most evocative in its portrayal of a changing Istanbul, this audiobook may have more traction in libraries where dedication to international literary fiction is strong. ["The novel's central concerns are human nature, communication, and interpersonal relationships, and this great writer explores these themes with a universal warmth, wit, and intelligence": LJ 9/15/15 starred review of the Knopf hc.]--Victoria Caplinger, NoveList, Durham, NC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 4, 2016
Reader Lee has a pleasing baritone voice and a slightly clipped British accent that’s easy to settle into. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to create numerous other voices, because even though the story is told from the perspective of multiple characters, they’re delineated clearly by the author in sections. The chief protagonist, Mevlut Karatas¸, sells boza (a thick, fermented wheat drink) in Istanbul. For more than four decades from 1969 to 2012, he walks the streets at night with a carrying pole on his shoulders, calling out his wares. We follow Mevlut’s through the years, from childhood to marriage, and walk with him through the poor, middle-class, and rich neighborhoods of the city. We watch Istanbul expand and diversify. Along with Mevlut, we struggle with the cultural, political, and religious evolutions that alter everyone’s lives. Nobel laureate Pamuk has written a lyrical ode to the city and the people he loves. Lee takes us on Pamuk’s wondrous journey through Istanbul, its people, places, and history. A Knopf hardcover.