Why didn't I pick "Snow" or "My name is Red"? Well for starters they weren't readily available at the library, and I do like museums so I decided I couldn't possibly go wrong with "The Museum of Innocence" by Orhan Pamuk. So that was my pick for Turkey. On hindsight I would have loved to read "Forty Rules of Love" by Elif Shafak. Oh, well
I don't know how I really feel about the book. A tale of unrequited, obsessive love driving the hero Kemal to build a museum in honor of his object of affection - Fusun - certainly not the kind of book that I normally like to read. With 80+ chapters and not much of a plot, I wonder what made me not give up the book, and it was because of Istanbul!
I have heard about Istanbul from a few Turkish friends that I had the fortune of knowing a few years back. Still, what I was not prepared for were the remarkable parallels between Istanbul in the '70s and '80s to the metros of India that I grew up in, minus of course the political violence (at least in my hometown in India). I was also stunned by the cultural similarities between the two countries - both dealing with their secular image vs religious right, on the path to modernization vs long held cultural values, trying to protect their industries while facing increasing global competition, and their women struggling to find a place for themselves amidst all these changes.
Everytime the story focused on Kemal's lifetime of obsession with Fusun i lost interest, but the moment Istanbul showed up even as a backdrop I was drawn back in. Although it is not a book I would recommend to everyone, it still was worth the effort.
Onto Mali now.
My only exposure to Mali is through its glorious music. From Ali Toure, Toumani Diabate, and the unbelievable Khaira Arby, music from Mali has enriched our lives! Mali has a rich oral tradition and therefore it's literature is not widely known as much as its music. Thanks to Amadou Hampate Ba, Mali's most famous writer/historian some of these traditions have been captured for posterity.
I read "Fortunes of Wangrin" by Amadou Hampate Ba, which traces the rise and fall of the savvy Wangrin as he navigates the French colonial system and his own countrymen, amassing wealth by exploiting the loopholes while at the same time doing Robinhood like deeds. The book is full of wit, and is also a nice window into the early 20th century Mali - the local customs, colonialism, French administrative practices and the griots. The griots were the original "memory keepers" - people of the oral tradition and one can trace the roots of Malian music to the griots. Every time Wangrin gets into a tough situation he uses his uncanny intelligence to get out of it, in the process making more enemies who want to see his downfall.
It was quite an easy read, and anyone who has experienced the colonial system either first hand or been in a country still recovering from it (even after 60+ years as in India) will find this book interesting.
I don't know how I really feel about the book. A tale of unrequited, obsessive love driving the hero Kemal to build a museum in honor of his object of affection - Fusun - certainly not the kind of book that I normally like to read. With 80+ chapters and not much of a plot, I wonder what made me not give up the book, and it was because of Istanbul!
I have heard about Istanbul from a few Turkish friends that I had the fortune of knowing a few years back. Still, what I was not prepared for were the remarkable parallels between Istanbul in the '70s and '80s to the metros of India that I grew up in, minus of course the political violence (at least in my hometown in India). I was also stunned by the cultural similarities between the two countries - both dealing with their secular image vs religious right, on the path to modernization vs long held cultural values, trying to protect their industries while facing increasing global competition, and their women struggling to find a place for themselves amidst all these changes.
Everytime the story focused on Kemal's lifetime of obsession with Fusun i lost interest, but the moment Istanbul showed up even as a backdrop I was drawn back in. Although it is not a book I would recommend to everyone, it still was worth the effort.
Onto Mali now.
My only exposure to Mali is through its glorious music. From Ali Toure, Toumani Diabate, and the unbelievable Khaira Arby, music from Mali has enriched our lives! Mali has a rich oral tradition and therefore it's literature is not widely known as much as its music. Thanks to Amadou Hampate Ba, Mali's most famous writer/historian some of these traditions have been captured for posterity.
I read "Fortunes of Wangrin" by Amadou Hampate Ba, which traces the rise and fall of the savvy Wangrin as he navigates the French colonial system and his own countrymen, amassing wealth by exploiting the loopholes while at the same time doing Robinhood like deeds. The book is full of wit, and is also a nice window into the early 20th century Mali - the local customs, colonialism, French administrative practices and the griots. The griots were the original "memory keepers" - people of the oral tradition and one can trace the roots of Malian music to the griots. Every time Wangrin gets into a tough situation he uses his uncanny intelligence to get out of it, in the process making more enemies who want to see his downfall.
It was quite an easy read, and anyone who has experienced the colonial system either first hand or been in a country still recovering from it (even after 60+ years as in India) will find this book interesting.
