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Mutluluk
Meryem: Van Gölü kıyısındaki bir kasabada, Allah'ın kendisini sevmesinden başka bir şey beklemeyen 17 yaşında bir kız.
Prof. Dr. İrfan Kurudal: İstanbullu tanınmış bir aydın. Hayattan hiçbir beklentisi kalmamış. Sahip olduğu her şeyi geride bırakarak, teknesiyle amaçsız bir Ege yolculuğuna çıkıyor.
Cemal: Gabar Dağları'nda PKK peşinde koşmuş bir komando. Askerliğini bitirip eve döndüğünde ömrünün en zor göreviyle karşı karşıya kalıyor: Ailenin yüzkarası amca kızını töre gereği öldürmesi gerekiyor.
Her biri mutluluğu arayan Meryem, İrfan ve Cemal, kendilerinin, birbirlerinin ve ülkenin ruhunun derinlerine doğru çalkantılı bir yolculuğa çıkıyorlar. Peki, onları neler bekliyor?
Prof. Dr. İrfan Kurudal: İstanbullu tanınmış bir aydın. Hayattan hiçbir beklentisi kalmamış. Sahip olduğu her şeyi geride bırakarak, teknesiyle amaçsız bir Ege yolculuğuna çıkıyor.
Cemal: Gabar Dağları'nda PKK peşinde koşmuş bir komando. Askerliğini bitirip eve döndüğünde ömrünün en zor göreviyle karşı karşıya kalıyor: Ailenin yüzkarası amca kızını töre gereği öldürmesi gerekiyor.
Her biri mutluluğu arayan Meryem, İrfan ve Cemal, kendilerinin, birbirlerinin ve ülkenin ruhunun derinlerine doğru çalkantılı bir yolculuğa çıkıyorlar. Peki, onları neler bekliyor?
343 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2002
133 people are currently reading
2939 people want to read
About the author
Zülfü Livaneli
68 books1,764 followersMüzisyen, Yazar, Yönetmen, Politikacı.
Tam adı Ömer Zülfü Livaneli’dir. 1946 yılında Konya-Ilgın’da doğan Livaneli, yazarlık kimliğinin yanında saygın bir müzisyendir. Müziği ile birçok ulusal ve uluslararası ödül almış ve eserleri John Baez, Maria Farandouri gibi sanatçılar tarafından yorumlanmıştır. Kültür, sanat ve politika alanında Türkiye’nin önemli isimlerinden birisi olan sanatçı, sanat yaşamı boyunca 300’e yakın besteye ve 30 film müziğine imzasını attı.
Bugüne kadar üç uzun metrajlı film yönetti; "Yer Demir Gök Bakır", "Sis" ve "Şahmeran". Valencia Film Festivali'nde "Altın Palmiye" ve 1989'da Montpelier Film Festivali'nde "Altın Antigone" ödülüne layık görüldü. "Sis", "En iyi Avrupa Film Ödülü"ne aday gösterildi. Sanatçının filmleri Türkiye, ABD, Fransa, Almanya, İsviçre, ve Japonya'da gösterime girdi ve BBC, WDR, İspanya, Kanada ve Japon televizyonları gibi bir çok televizyon şirketine satıldı.
Ekim 1986'da Cengiz Aytmatov'un daveti üzerine Federico Major, Yaşar Kemal, Arthur Miller ve diğer ünlü sanatçı ve düşünürlerin katıldığı Kırgızistan ve daha sonra Wengen, Granada ve Mexico City'de toplanan Issyk - Kul Forumu'nda yer aldı.
Livaneli, Elia Kazan, Jack Lang, Vanessa Redgrave, Arthur Miller, Mikhail Gorbaçov gibi ünlü kişilerle birlikte dünya kültürünün ilerlemesi ve dünya sanatlarının gelişmesine katkıda bulunmak üzere çalışmalarda bulundu.
1996 yılında Paris’te merkezi bulunan UNESCO (Birleşmiş Milletlerin Eğitim Kültür Bilim Kurulu) tarafından büyükelçilik verilen sanatçı Livaneli, orjinali ilk kez 1978’de çıkan "Nazım Türküsü"adlı albümde Nazım Hikmet'in şiirlerinden bestelediği şarkıları bir araya getirdi.
Sabah Gazetesi'nde köşe yazarlığına yaptı. Bir dönem CHP'den Milletvekili olarak aktif siyaset hayatına da katıldı.
Tam adı Ömer Zülfü Livaneli’dir. 1946 yılında Konya-Ilgın’da doğan Livaneli, yazarlık kimliğinin yanında saygın bir müzisyendir. Müziği ile birçok ulusal ve uluslararası ödül almış ve eserleri John Baez, Maria Farandouri gibi sanatçılar tarafından yorumlanmıştır. Kültür, sanat ve politika alanında Türkiye’nin önemli isimlerinden birisi olan sanatçı, sanat yaşamı boyunca 300’e yakın besteye ve 30 film müziğine imzasını attı.
Bugüne kadar üç uzun metrajlı film yönetti; "Yer Demir Gök Bakır", "Sis" ve "Şahmeran". Valencia Film Festivali'nde "Altın Palmiye" ve 1989'da Montpelier Film Festivali'nde "Altın Antigone" ödülüne layık görüldü. "Sis", "En iyi Avrupa Film Ödülü"ne aday gösterildi. Sanatçının filmleri Türkiye, ABD, Fransa, Almanya, İsviçre, ve Japonya'da gösterime girdi ve BBC, WDR, İspanya, Kanada ve Japon televizyonları gibi bir çok televizyon şirketine satıldı.
Ekim 1986'da Cengiz Aytmatov'un daveti üzerine Federico Major, Yaşar Kemal, Arthur Miller ve diğer ünlü sanatçı ve düşünürlerin katıldığı Kırgızistan ve daha sonra Wengen, Granada ve Mexico City'de toplanan Issyk - Kul Forumu'nda yer aldı.
Livaneli, Elia Kazan, Jack Lang, Vanessa Redgrave, Arthur Miller, Mikhail Gorbaçov gibi ünlü kişilerle birlikte dünya kültürünün ilerlemesi ve dünya sanatlarının gelişmesine katkıda bulunmak üzere çalışmalarda bulundu.
1996 yılında Paris’te merkezi bulunan UNESCO (Birleşmiş Milletlerin Eğitim Kültür Bilim Kurulu) tarafından büyükelçilik verilen sanatçı Livaneli, orjinali ilk kez 1978’de çıkan "Nazım Türküsü"adlı albümde Nazım Hikmet'in şiirlerinden bestelediği şarkıları bir araya getirdi.
Sabah Gazetesi'nde köşe yazarlığına yaptı. Bir dönem CHP'den Milletvekili olarak aktif siyaset hayatına da katıldı.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
January 22, 2022
The story begins in a village in Eastern Anatolia where ignorant customs and beliefs plague the population. A fifteen year old raped girl, Meryem, is believed to have committed a major 'sin' and stained the honor of the family whereas her rapist uncle remains pious as ever. According to the tradition, Meryem must commit suicide to restore the honor of family. But she defies the custom and wants to live.
Her uncle, who happens to be a sheikh in the village, is one of those men who preach virtues and morals to others and conceal their own sins and trashiness under the garb of piety and religiosity. Women are considered evil and lowly beings who must spend their entire lives behind the doors.
The ignorance and stupidity of the people is further aggravated by remaining secluded and clueless about the world outside the village.
Her twenty year old cousin, Cemal (i.e Jemal) is a commando in Turkish army fighting against Kurdish guerillas on the mountains. On his return to village after being discharged from the army service, he is commanded by his father to take Meryem to Istanbul and and murder her there.
Cemal learns violence instead of rationality and is deeply influenced by his father's preaching.
On the other hand, we follow the story of a 44 year old professor, Irfan, going through existential crisis after living a pretentious and pompous life among elite-class. He is described as being 'Don Quixote at night' and 'Sancho Panza in the morning'. Instead of becoming a creative thinker, irfan became a pretentious dandy who couldn't produce anything worthwhile - since he judged himself to be devoid of noteworthy thoughts or feelings.
The paths of these three characters collide and their lives change significantly.
Irfan, Meryem and Cemal - in Turkish film, Mutluluk (Bliss)
The novel is slow paced but a compelling read. The premise sounds much too grim but the book isn't always so. The character development in the story is excellent and each character serves a means to observe various point of views. There are various themes in the novel especially patriarchy and misogyny with underlying political and social commentary. The disparity existing among people of different class, culture and background is brought to light. A country torn into Eastern tradition and Western modernity. . There's religion, nihilism, secularism and people having different morals, traditions and customs reflecting their outlook on life.
The novel is about broadening one's horizon about world and people inhabiting it. Learning to shed the shell of prejudices and cherished beliefs. So do these characters, to some extent at least.
It's a story of courage amidst adversity with a ray of triumph and hope that will surely make you think at several points.
---
Archive.org link to borrow the book:
https://archive.org/details/bliss0000...
Her uncle, who happens to be a sheikh in the village, is one of those men who preach virtues and morals to others and conceal their own sins and trashiness under the garb of piety and religiosity. Women are considered evil and lowly beings who must spend their entire lives behind the doors.
The ignorance and stupidity of the people is further aggravated by remaining secluded and clueless about the world outside the village.
Her twenty year old cousin, Cemal (i.e Jemal) is a commando in Turkish army fighting against Kurdish guerillas on the mountains. On his return to village after being discharged from the army service, he is commanded by his father to take Meryem to Istanbul and and murder her there.
Cemal learns violence instead of rationality and is deeply influenced by his father's preaching.
On the other hand, we follow the story of a 44 year old professor, Irfan, going through existential crisis after living a pretentious and pompous life among elite-class. He is described as being 'Don Quixote at night' and 'Sancho Panza in the morning'. Instead of becoming a creative thinker, irfan became a pretentious dandy who couldn't produce anything worthwhile - since he judged himself to be devoid of noteworthy thoughts or feelings.
The paths of these three characters collide and their lives change significantly.
Irfan, Meryem and Cemal - in Turkish film, Mutluluk (Bliss)
The novel is slow paced but a compelling read. The premise sounds much too grim but the book isn't always so. The character development in the story is excellent and each character serves a means to observe various point of views. There are various themes in the novel especially patriarchy and misogyny with underlying political and social commentary. The disparity existing among people of different class, culture and background is brought to light. A country torn into Eastern tradition and Western modernity. . There's religion, nihilism, secularism and people having different morals, traditions and customs reflecting their outlook on life.
The novel is about broadening one's horizon about world and people inhabiting it. Learning to shed the shell of prejudices and cherished beliefs. So do these characters, to some extent at least.
It's a story of courage amidst adversity with a ray of triumph and hope that will surely make you think at several points.
---
Archive.org link to borrow the book:
https://archive.org/details/bliss0000...
March 27, 2017
Kitabı beğendim ama üç yıldızdan fazla veremeyeceğim.
Bu kitap 2000'lerin başlarında yaşayan bir insan için harika bir kitap olabilir ama şu anda kitapta konuşulan konular her ne kadar devam etse de soğudu artık. İnsan yeter başka bir şeylere bakalım diyor. Yazar Türkiye hakkında ne varsa anlatmış, kadınların çektikleri, tecavüz, PKK'yla savaş, köylerin yakılması, askeri operasyonlar, haksızlıklar, İstanbul'a göç, fakirlik, zenginlik, meyhaneler, eğlenceler, Kardak krizi, Êzidiler, Ege'ye Kürt akını... ne ararsanız var kitapta.
Yazar kararsız kalmış gibi geliyor bana. Şu şekilde bir kararsızlık: kitabı siyasi ve dünya görüşü olarak karakterlerin gözünden mi yazmak gerekiyor yoksa yazarın kendi görüşleri gereğince mi yazmak. Kadınlar ve cinsiyet hakkında yazarken Meryem'in gözünden yazmış her seferinde hiçbir şekilde karakterlere müdahale ederek onların aslında gerçek hayatlarında kullanmayacakları kelime/söz oyunlarına yer vermemiş. Ama konu Kürtler ve PKK olunca yazar kendi görüşlerini geri tutmamış.
"Cemal'in Gabar dağlarında komando birliğinde olduğu ve Kürtlere karşı çarpıştığı biliniyor"
"...çatışmada öldürdükleri üç militanı"
"üç Kürt gencini"
"gerilla grubunun lideri"
Bunlar sadece bir kaç örnek. Anlatıcı ve karakter kim olursa olsun bir veya iki yer dışında hiçbir şekilde terörist lafı geçmiyor ki PKK=Terör şiarı bu ülkede çok derinlere kök salmıştır.
İhsan Fazlıoğlu'nun bir kitabını okuyordum orada şöyle bir cümle geçiyordu: "Evet! Fark, fark etmekle başlar; ancak her fark ediş, bir fark edenin bir şeyi fark edişidir. Böyle tuhaf ne dediğinin farkında olmayan bir söz işte. O kadar gereksiz ve anlamsız gelmişti ki bana kitabı yarım bırakmıştım. Mutluluk'ta da şöyle bir saçmalıkla karşılaştım kitaba devam etmekte zorlandım:
"...görenler şaşkınlıktan şaşkınlığa düşecek, neye uğradıklarını şaşıracaklardı."Yorum yapmıyorum artık ben buna :D
Olumsuz eleştiriye son olarak da şunu ekleyeyim:
"...Profesör dört ayak üstüne düşmüştü...."Bu şekilde okuyunca sanki adam bir şey kazanmış, şansı yaver gitmiş gibi geliyor insana ama aslında adam gerçekten de ellerinin dizlerinin üzerine çöküyor bir ton dayak yedikten sonra. Belki yazar bir ironi yapmak istedi bilemeyeceğim. Öyle değilse aşırı derece saçmalık.
Songs-Recommended-by-this-Book:
Gnossienne: No. 1 by Erik Satie
Flute Concerto in G Major: I. Spiritoso by Jean-Pierre Rampal
Are you lonesome tonight by Elvis Presley
What shal we do with a drunken sailor by The Irish Rovers
Book-recs-by-this-book:
El Greco'ya Mektuplar Nikos Kazancakis’in bir sözünü hatırlamıştı. El Greco’ya Mektup adlı otobiyografisinde Kazancakis, “Işık Elen’de kutsal, lyonya’da ise şehevidir,” buyurmuştu.
The Power Of Myth Joseph CampBell'in Masks of God ve Bill Moyers’le mülakatlarından oluşan The Power Of Myth de vardı. O sabah kitaptan şu cümleleri okumuştu: “Mitoslar her şeyi sizin için biçimlendirirler. Mesela belli bir yaşta bir erişkin olmanız gerektiğini söylerler size. Bu belirli yaş, ortalama olarak doğru bir yaş olabilir ama aslında, bireyin hayatında, kişiden kişiye çok fark eder. Kimileri geç olgunlaşırlar ve erişkin aşamasına daha geç yaşta gelirler. Nerede durduğunuza dair bir duygu olmalı içinizde. Yaşayacak bir tek hayatınız var.”
Manhattan Transfer John Dos Passos’un Manhattan Transfer romanındaki sahneyi yaşadığını düşünüyordu. Hani herkesin sakallı olduğu bir dönemi anlatan o güzel romanda, adam eczanenin önünden geçerken yeni çıkmış Gillette reklamındaki sinekkaydı tıraşlı adama özenerek bir takım alır, eve gelince banyoya kapanarak tıraş olur ve dışarı çıktığında çocukları, “Aaa babama bak!” diye onu yabancılarlar ya; işte aynen o durumu yaşayacaktı.
March 4, 2008
I held off on reading this book for a while because the description sounds so depressing, but this was very misleading.
This is a story of hope and triumph. It is very intense in places, but the overall feel is very hopeful and beautiful.
This is a story of hope and triumph. It is very intense in places, but the overall feel is very hopeful and beautiful.
June 9, 2008
Three characters cross paths in O. Z. Livaneli’s Bliss: a professor facing a mid-life crisis; an ex-soldier experiencing PTSD; a young woman condemned to death by her family after being raped.
Bliss, translated by Çiğdem Aksoy Fromm, is my first—but certainly not my last—foray into Turkish literature. If I were hoping for a book promoting Turkish tourism, I would be sorely disappointed. Livaneli does not sugarcoat his native country. Instead, he exposes Turkey’s dark side: ethnic conflicts, shantytowns, and institutionalized misogyny.
After spending two years fighting the Kurds as a commando, Cemal returns to his village only to be ordered by his father to take his young cousin, Meryem, to Istanbul where he must kill her.
Fifteen-year-old Meryem has been raped and ostracized by her family. When she does not commit suicide to hide her “shame,” she is expelled from the village. The cousins’ situations may feel appalling and antiquated to the Western reader, yet the book takes place in the 21st century.
Eventually, the two meet İrfan, who is experiencing an identity crisis. As a Turk, he feels neither European nor Asian; an atheist, he is confused by his Muslim heritage.
Livaneli’s characters are conflicted, complex, and compelling. More than anything, he shows the reader that there is no such thing as a compact national identity.
I keep reading books about Turkey, hoping to get a grasp on the nation and culture before I move there. However, Bliss is a good reminder that no country, no culture, can be adequately summarized in a travel guide.
Bliss, translated by Çiğdem Aksoy Fromm, is my first—but certainly not my last—foray into Turkish literature. If I were hoping for a book promoting Turkish tourism, I would be sorely disappointed. Livaneli does not sugarcoat his native country. Instead, he exposes Turkey’s dark side: ethnic conflicts, shantytowns, and institutionalized misogyny.
After spending two years fighting the Kurds as a commando, Cemal returns to his village only to be ordered by his father to take his young cousin, Meryem, to Istanbul where he must kill her.
Fifteen-year-old Meryem has been raped and ostracized by her family. When she does not commit suicide to hide her “shame,” she is expelled from the village. The cousins’ situations may feel appalling and antiquated to the Western reader, yet the book takes place in the 21st century.
Eventually, the two meet İrfan, who is experiencing an identity crisis. As a Turk, he feels neither European nor Asian; an atheist, he is confused by his Muslim heritage.
Livaneli’s characters are conflicted, complex, and compelling. More than anything, he shows the reader that there is no such thing as a compact national identity.
I keep reading books about Turkey, hoping to get a grasp on the nation and culture before I move there. However, Bliss is a good reminder that no country, no culture, can be adequately summarized in a travel guide.
March 18, 2013
The novel tragically begins, a remote village blaming a fifteen-year-old girl for her rape. Issues of "patriarchy" and "women's empowerment" come to the fore. Meryem is not the only tragic victim in the story. Both her cousin Cemal and their sailing acquaintance Irfan are running away from psychological pain. Cemal has been a commando leader; Irfan cannot tolerate more contentiousness and falseness among his colleagues, i.e.,
"...Irfan yearned to surmount the restrictive, tiresome security of his life, which, disguised as happiness, threatened to overwhelm him. To do this, he needed to change. A personal metanoia should be experienced at least once in a lifetime."The online dictionary defines "metanoia" as "change in one's way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion." For Irfan the sociologist, conversion through adventurous sailboating makes more sense. Meryem's female tragedy, leading to her adventuresomeness, is literally running away from ritual sacrifice. Cemal her male cousin bears the scars of wartime and the myth of indoctrination as well as the patriarchal duty of his village. So, he appears quite "reticent" and unemotional yet he cannot fulfill his murderous duty. The characterization of the protagonists is outstanding, imo. For each one, the author gives the reader a close-up of her/his point of view. The setting must be within the first two years (2000-2002) of the twenty-first century. That derives from my calculations--post dissolution of the Soviet Union, timeframe of the headscarf controversy, statement about the twenty-first century, prepublication of this novel. The author presents his picture of contemporary Turkish society.
November 19, 2015
Η ευτυχία είναι ένα βιβλίο στο οποίο διασταυρώνονται οι ζωές 3 διαφορετικών ανθρώπων και μέσα από ουστιαστικά καταδεικνύονται προβλήματα και παραδόσεις που ταλανίζουν ακόμα και σημερα τη σύγχρονη Τουρκία Ο Λιβανελλί με την πένα του καταφέρνει οσο λίγοι να συνδυάσει τις ζωές των τριών αυτών διαφορετικών ανθρώπων, του πενηντάχρονου καθηγητή Ιρφάν του νεαρού στρατιώτη Τζεμάλ και της 15χρονης Μεριέμ και μέσα από τις ιστορίες του τολμά με θάρρος και χωρίς να αποκρύπτει τα κακώς κείμενα να καταδείξει την σκοτεινή πλευρά της Τουρκίας, της σύγχρονης Τουρκίας που βαδίζει ανάμεσα στην προσπάθεια να πατήσει σε Ευρωπαϊκά δεδομέα και από την άλλη παραπατά εν μέσω εθνικών δεισιδαιμονιών και παραδόσεων που δεν έχουν θέση σε καμία σύγχρονη κοινωνία. Ένα πορτραίτο μιας χώρας που καλείται να ξεπεράσει τον ίδιο της τον εαυτό. Ταυτόχρονα το βιβλίο αποτελεί ένα πορτραίτο της ανθρώπινης ψυχής και της αγωνιώδους αναζήτησης της ευτυχίας.
Ο Ιρφάν ένας μεσόκοπος καθηγητής που υποφέρει από αυπνίες και κρίση ταυτότητας ξεκινά ένα ταξίδι προκειμένου να ανακαλύψει τον πραγματικό του εαυτό. Από την άλλη έχουμε την 15χρονη Μεριέμ η οποία μετά το βιασμό της αποτελεί την ντροπή της οικογένειας με αποτέλεσμα να καλέσουν τον ξάδερφο της Τζεμάλ ο οποίος βρισκόταν στο μέτωπο του πολέμου για να εκετελέσει τη θανατική της καταδίκη. Ο κάθε ήρωας καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει τη δική του προσωπική κρίση. Ο καθένας παλεύει με το δικό τους προσωπικό πεπρωμένο μέχρι που με ένα μαγικό τρόπο οι δρόμοι τους συναντιώνται. Και είναι πραγματικά εκπληκτικός ο τρόπος με τον οποίο ο Λιβανελλί επιτυγχάνει να ενώσει αυτούς τους τόσο διαφορετικούς χαρακτήρες και να μιλήσει στην καρδιά του αναγώστη. Και οι τρεις έχουν υποστεί ένα είδος βίας και δίνουν τη δική τους προσωπική μάχη με οδηγό την ευτυχία. Σιγουρα η πιο ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία του βιβλίου ήταν η ιστορία της μικρής Μεριέμ που ουσιαστικά αποτελεί το μάτι του αναγνώστη απέναντι στο μουσουλμανικό κόσμο και στη θέση της γυναίκας σε αυτόν και της ψυχολογικής και σωματικής βίας που είναι αναγκασμένες να υποστούν. Συγκινητική η δύναμη αυτή του κοριτσιού που κατάφερε να νικήσει τον φόβο και την άγνοια της και τελικά να λυτρωθεί.
Ο λιβανελλί με ευθύτητα, ειλικρίνεια και χωρίς καμία τάση μελοδραματισμού γράφει μια πραγματικά τολμηρή και συνάμα συγκινητική ιστορία όπου οι παραδόσεις έρχονται σε αντίθεση με το νέο δυτικό κόσμο, όπου η έλλειψη παιδείας και άγνοιας πρωταγωνιστεί και που η περίφημη λάνθασμένη αίσθηση της τουρκικής τιμής και του εθνικισμού η οποία έχει σαν αποτέλεσμα την αδυναμία μιας χώρας να ξεφύγει από το μαύρο παρελθόν της, ένα παρελθόν που φαίνεται να χει σταματήσει το χρόνο στην κατά τα αλλα πανεμορφη αυτή χώρα. Ο Λιβανελλί καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει ήρωες που ταλανίζονται από αυτά τα στερεότυπα και ταυτόχρονα αγωνίζονται μαζί ως συνοδοιπόροι και ο καθένας ξεχωριστά να βγουν πάνω αυτό δίνοντας μας μια αντιπροσωπευτική εικόνα της σύγχισης μιας κοινωνίας και μιας χώρας που ακόμα παλεύει να ανακαλύψει μάλλον να αποκτήσει την δική της ξεκάθαρη ταυτότητα. Ευρισκόμενη σε ένα κρίσιμο σταυροδρόμι καλείται να επιλέξει αν θέλει να συνεχίσει να κλείνει τα μάτια σε καταστάσεις όπως αυτές που περιγραφονται στο βιβλίο και να κλείνει την πόρτα στις ευρωπαικές σειρήνες . Η επιλογή είναι δική της όπως και το μέλλον της. Εκείνη θα αποφασίσει αν θα ανοίξει ή θα σφαλίσει τις πόρτες απέναντι σε ένα διαφορετικό αύριο, χαίρομαι όμως που ακόμα και ετσι υπάρχουν φωνές όπως αυτή του Λιβανελλί που μέσα από τα κείμενα τους φωνάζουν και καταδεικνύουν την ανάγκη για αλλαγή και είναι αυτό που κρατώ περισσότερο από το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο. Η ευτυχία είναι κάπου εκεί κοντά για όλους αρκεί να ξέρουν να μην αφήσουν να ξεφύγει μέσα από τα χέρια τους.
Ο Ιρφάν ένας μεσόκοπος καθηγητής που υποφέρει από αυπνίες και κρίση ταυτότητας ξεκινά ένα ταξίδι προκειμένου να ανακαλύψει τον πραγματικό του εαυτό. Από την άλλη έχουμε την 15χρονη Μεριέμ η οποία μετά το βιασμό της αποτελεί την ντροπή της οικογένειας με αποτέλεσμα να καλέσουν τον ξάδερφο της Τζεμάλ ο οποίος βρισκόταν στο μέτωπο του πολέμου για να εκετελέσει τη θανατική της καταδίκη. Ο κάθε ήρωας καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει τη δική του προσωπική κρίση. Ο καθένας παλεύει με το δικό τους προσωπικό πεπρωμένο μέχρι που με ένα μαγικό τρόπο οι δρόμοι τους συναντιώνται. Και είναι πραγματικά εκπληκτικός ο τρόπος με τον οποίο ο Λιβανελλί επιτυγχάνει να ενώσει αυτούς τους τόσο διαφορετικούς χαρακτήρες και να μιλήσει στην καρδιά του αναγώστη. Και οι τρεις έχουν υποστεί ένα είδος βίας και δίνουν τη δική τους προσωπική μάχη με οδηγό την ευτυχία. Σιγουρα η πιο ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία του βιβλίου ήταν η ιστορία της μικρής Μεριέμ που ουσιαστικά αποτελεί το μάτι του αναγνώστη απέναντι στο μουσουλμανικό κόσμο και στη θέση της γυναίκας σε αυτόν και της ψυχολογικής και σωματικής βίας που είναι αναγκασμένες να υποστούν. Συγκινητική η δύναμη αυτή του κοριτσιού που κατάφερε να νικήσει τον φόβο και την άγνοια της και τελικά να λυτρωθεί.
Ο λιβανελλί με ευθύτητα, ειλικρίνεια και χωρίς καμία τάση μελοδραματισμού γράφει μια πραγματικά τολμηρή και συνάμα συγκινητική ιστορία όπου οι παραδόσεις έρχονται σε αντίθεση με το νέο δυτικό κόσμο, όπου η έλλειψη παιδείας και άγνοιας πρωταγωνιστεί και που η περίφημη λάνθασμένη αίσθηση της τουρκικής τιμής και του εθνικισμού η οποία έχει σαν αποτέλεσμα την αδυναμία μιας χώρας να ξεφύγει από το μαύρο παρελθόν της, ένα παρελθόν που φαίνεται να χει σταματήσει το χρόνο στην κατά τα αλλα πανεμορφη αυτή χώρα. Ο Λιβανελλί καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει ήρωες που ταλανίζονται από αυτά τα στερεότυπα και ταυτόχρονα αγωνίζονται μαζί ως συνοδοιπόροι και ο καθένας ξεχωριστά να βγουν πάνω αυτό δίνοντας μας μια αντιπροσωπευτική εικόνα της σύγχισης μιας κοινωνίας και μιας χώρας που ακόμα παλεύει να ανακαλύψει μάλλον να αποκτήσει την δική της ξεκάθαρη ταυτότητα. Ευρισκόμενη σε ένα κρίσιμο σταυροδρόμι καλείται να επιλέξει αν θέλει να συνεχίσει να κλείνει τα μάτια σε καταστάσεις όπως αυτές που περιγραφονται στο βιβλίο και να κλείνει την πόρτα στις ευρωπαικές σειρήνες . Η επιλογή είναι δική της όπως και το μέλλον της. Εκείνη θα αποφασίσει αν θα ανοίξει ή θα σφαλίσει τις πόρτες απέναντι σε ένα διαφορετικό αύριο, χαίρομαι όμως που ακόμα και ετσι υπάρχουν φωνές όπως αυτή του Λιβανελλί που μέσα από τα κείμενα τους φωνάζουν και καταδεικνύουν την ανάγκη για αλλαγή και είναι αυτό που κρατώ περισσότερο από το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο. Η ευτυχία είναι κάπου εκεί κοντά για όλους αρκεί να ξέρουν να μην αφήσουν να ξεφύγει μέσα από τα χέρια τους.
May 17, 2018
Herhalde mutluluk dedikleri de bu olsa gerek: Biraz güvenlik, biraz can sıkıntısı.
4,5/5
Yazardan okuduğum dördüncü kitabının yorumuyla sizlerleyim. Kitaplarını uzun aralıklarla okumayı tercih ediyorum. Sanırım her kitabının sonrasında kendisinin kalemine tekrar merak ve özlem duymam biraz zaman alıyor. Mutluluk kitabının da öncesinde defalarca kez filmine denk gelip izlediğim ve başrol oyuncusunu çok sevdiğim için kitabının olduğunu duyduğum ilk andan beri okumak istediğim başlıca kitaplarındandı. Böylece nihayetinde elime alıp filmi de aklımda rüzgar gibi savrulup gelip geçerken okumaya başladım. Kitabın olayları sadece Meryem'in bakış açısı altında inceleyeceğini sanıyordum çünkü filmden hatırladığım kadarıyla genel hatlarıyla sadece Meryem'in sorunlarını izliyorduk. Ama romandaysa asıl ana üç karakterimizin hayatına dair özel anlatımlarla karşılaşıyoruz. İlk bölümünden itibaren her ne kadar filmini izlememle beraber gidişatını biliyor olsam da kitabını da ayrı bir merakla okudum. İlk yüz sayfa kadarında yazarın dinimiz ve ülkemiz hakkında bazı asılsız cümleleri karakterler üzerinden yazması sinir katsayımı arttırdı. Bu durum böyle devam ederken bir yandan da neden bu kadar ünlü bir yazar olduğu ve kitapları onlarca dile çevrildiği halde ülkemizi ve dinimizi böyle yansıtmayı tercih ettiğini düşünüp durdum. Fakat bu tutumum kitabın yarısına kadar devam etti. Kitabın yarısında insanların dini nasıl kullandıklarına dair konuşmalar ve aslında kutsal kitabımızda nasıl buyurulduğuna dair asıl gerçekliği taşıyan açıklamaları görünce çok şaşırdım ve o andan itibaren yazarın kalemine tamamen farklı bir bakış açısıyla bakmaya başladım. Sonuçta her düşüncenin bulunduğu, ki çoğunlukla herkesin birbirine saygı göstermediği yüzlerce tutum içerisinde yaşayan ve insanların düşüncelerini farklı şeylere yormaları kadar doğal olan bir düzenekte yaşıyoruz. Böyle olunca da nasıl normal hayatta karşılaşıyorsak hem sağcı, hem solcu, hem de dini sömürüp tamamen farklı ve yobazca yansıtanlar olarak her türden insanın düşüncesinin kitapta yansıtıldığını görmüş oldum. Her ne kadar yazardan önceki okuduğum Serenad kitabında bazı düşünceler bana hala affedilmez derecede gelse de bu kitabından sonra kalemini farklı bir düşünce yapısıyla okuyacağım. Kitabın ana gidişatına gelirsek de sonlarına doğru iç burkan, özellikle Meryem'in hatırasının canlanmasından sonraki hali tavrıyla gözlerimi dolduran, son satırlarınıysa soluksuz okutan bir kitaptı. Filminde orijinal kitabının aksine farklı bir son kullanılmıştı ama kitabındaki son da çok güzeldi. Okumak isteyenlere kesinlikle öneririm. Yazardan bir diğer okuyacağım kitabın yorumuyla görüşmek üzere...
4,5/5
Yazardan okuduğum dördüncü kitabının yorumuyla sizlerleyim. Kitaplarını uzun aralıklarla okumayı tercih ediyorum. Sanırım her kitabının sonrasında kendisinin kalemine tekrar merak ve özlem duymam biraz zaman alıyor. Mutluluk kitabının da öncesinde defalarca kez filmine denk gelip izlediğim ve başrol oyuncusunu çok sevdiğim için kitabının olduğunu duyduğum ilk andan beri okumak istediğim başlıca kitaplarındandı. Böylece nihayetinde elime alıp filmi de aklımda rüzgar gibi savrulup gelip geçerken okumaya başladım. Kitabın olayları sadece Meryem'in bakış açısı altında inceleyeceğini sanıyordum çünkü filmden hatırladığım kadarıyla genel hatlarıyla sadece Meryem'in sorunlarını izliyorduk. Ama romandaysa asıl ana üç karakterimizin hayatına dair özel anlatımlarla karşılaşıyoruz. İlk bölümünden itibaren her ne kadar filmini izlememle beraber gidişatını biliyor olsam da kitabını da ayrı bir merakla okudum. İlk yüz sayfa kadarında yazarın dinimiz ve ülkemiz hakkında bazı asılsız cümleleri karakterler üzerinden yazması sinir katsayımı arttırdı. Bu durum böyle devam ederken bir yandan da neden bu kadar ünlü bir yazar olduğu ve kitapları onlarca dile çevrildiği halde ülkemizi ve dinimizi böyle yansıtmayı tercih ettiğini düşünüp durdum. Fakat bu tutumum kitabın yarısına kadar devam etti. Kitabın yarısında insanların dini nasıl kullandıklarına dair konuşmalar ve aslında kutsal kitabımızda nasıl buyurulduğuna dair asıl gerçekliği taşıyan açıklamaları görünce çok şaşırdım ve o andan itibaren yazarın kalemine tamamen farklı bir bakış açısıyla bakmaya başladım. Sonuçta her düşüncenin bulunduğu, ki çoğunlukla herkesin birbirine saygı göstermediği yüzlerce tutum içerisinde yaşayan ve insanların düşüncelerini farklı şeylere yormaları kadar doğal olan bir düzenekte yaşıyoruz. Böyle olunca da nasıl normal hayatta karşılaşıyorsak hem sağcı, hem solcu, hem de dini sömürüp tamamen farklı ve yobazca yansıtanlar olarak her türden insanın düşüncesinin kitapta yansıtıldığını görmüş oldum. Her ne kadar yazardan önceki okuduğum Serenad kitabında bazı düşünceler bana hala affedilmez derecede gelse de bu kitabından sonra kalemini farklı bir düşünce yapısıyla okuyacağım. Kitabın ana gidişatına gelirsek de sonlarına doğru iç burkan, özellikle Meryem'in hatırasının canlanmasından sonraki hali tavrıyla gözlerimi dolduran, son satırlarınıysa soluksuz okutan bir kitaptı. Filminde orijinal kitabının aksine farklı bir son kullanılmıştı ama kitabındaki son da çok güzeldi. Okumak isteyenlere kesinlikle öneririm. Yazardan bir diğer okuyacağım kitabın yorumuyla görüşmek üzere...
March 22, 2020
Meryem's life starts tragical and goes as it. At the same time the professor goes to depart a journey due to his fears which started suddenly. Actually, he wants to escape from everything and he get one radical decision despite of his good life conditions. Cemal, Meryem's cousin spends difficult times in the army while he fights against to terrorists. When he comes back to village he departs through to Istanbul to Meryem in order to kill her. But incidents change there. There are interesting stories and characters explained in train journey. Also, there are other interesting points in the book such as some conflicts and in the public life and honor killing. Two different life story combine at an Aegean coast town surprisingly. One retired ambassador attends to them at the end of the story. Ultimately Meryem finds herself. It was good story.
One section.
“Human takes another human' poison”
One section.
“Human takes another human' poison”
April 13, 2013
Really 4.5 stars for me. I had never heard of this author before and I'm really glad I read this (thank you, Asmah!). It was interesting to read not long after having read Orhan Pamuk's Snow. Some similar themes, and a similar time period, but very different stories. Livaneli took three central characters who at the beginning of the story were in different places and each dealing with a personal crisis. Their paths meet and each struggles with their crisis, undergoes some type of transformation, and then they go their separate ways. I liked how well Livaneli wove their stories together and how deftly he handled the main theme, which is sexual violence against women/honor killings in Turkey.
I think I have more to say but I can't get my thoughts together...maybe i'll be back.
I think I have more to say but I can't get my thoughts together...maybe i'll be back.
March 6, 2011
Since living in Istanbul I have really been trying to read up on Turkish authors beyond the obvious of Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak. This novel by Livaneli really surprised me - a beautiful translation of an amazing story. All three main characters are so interesting and distinct and I'm not sure of many other authors who would be able to blend the stories of a fifteen year old girl, 50+ man, and 20 year old soldier together so seamlessly. The story had a lot of literary merit but on another level I also appreciated how the characters and their situations alluded to and discussed issues in contemporary Turkey. Rather than just give simple perspectives on issues (eg, women covering their heads), Livaneli doesn't shy away from the complexities, and instead offers us characters in which to consider these issues. It is so much more human to think about such issues through the lives of others as opposed to through our own perspectives which are more removed... I watched the film right after finishing the book and I was disappointed at how it trivialized the depth of the book by taking out some really important scenes (eg, the train ride) and changing plot point - particularly the ending!
September 1, 2016
The lives of three individuals collide - each struggling to figure out life’s path - set against the backdrop of conflicting traditional religious beliefs and culture versus those of a progressive modern-day Turkey. There’s Meryem - a young uneducated girl, raised in the traditional environment, who is raped by her uncle, but no one knows the identify of the raper. As the head of the family, her uncle orders that she must die, having brought shame on her family and orders his son, Cemal, to do the deed. Torn between carrying out his duty and his reluctance to kill the cousin he grew up with, the story takes them out of their village into the metropolis of Istanbul where Cemal struggles to decide his course of action. Meanwhile Irfan, a well-known professor and television personality, despite his apparent comfortable life, is undergoing a “what’s life all about” soul-searching experience. The three meet and the professor takes Meryem under his wing, unaware initially of the circumstances surrounding Meryem and Cemal's travels far away from their home village. Livaneli aptly portrays the struggles between the traditional and modern Islamic beliefs mirrored in our world today.We don’t come away with a winner except that we cheer for Meryem and the decision she makes at the end of the book...
September 28, 2020
Türkiye'de çokça görülmüş halen de görülmekte olan, mutsuzluk, çirkinlik, hurafe, adaletsizlik dolu bir olayın kesiştirdiği 3 karakterin hikayesi. Okurken bu 3 karakterden sadece Meryem gerçekten mutluluğa ulaşmak için hazır bence, en mutsuz, en yaralı, en vurulmuş olanı. Bir tek onun cesareti varmış gibi, nasıl canlı, nasıl yaşından olgun...Meryem, belki hikayelerinin sonrasını bilmediğimiz Cemal ve Prof. İrfan'a da yeni bir umut vermiştir. Meryem olmanın çok zor olduğu bir ülkede diğer Meryem'lere yol olabilmiş midir hikayesi bilemeyiz. Beni bir kez daha öfke ve umutsuzluk sardı okurken, bu yobazlığın, bu hurafelerle dolu inanışın, bu ikiyüzlü cellatların arttığı hikayelerde kaç kadın en azından hikayenin sonunda Meryem kadar şanslı olabilecektir?
March 20, 2013
Bliss tells the story of three Turkish people at the beginning of the 21st century - Meryem, a small-village teenager with a 1st grade education; Chemal, from the same village and fighting the Kurds in the mountains; Irfan, a Harvard-trained professor who married an incredibly wealthy woman and moved to Istanbul.
As the novel starts, Meryem has been shamed by being raped by her uncle, the religious leader of the family, and Chemal is supposed to "take her to Istanbul," which in her village means "take her to the woods and shoot her." But then they actually go to Istanbul, and end up meeting Irfan, and their lives intersect.
I was more interested in the minor characters and some of the tiny details, partly because they seemed to have significant influence - Seher on the train, who shows Meryem the first hints that the way she has been raised isn't everything, Chemal's friend who gives him a leg up, etc.
Also little details like wondering if the author is trying to portray Irfan as a completely out-of-touch idiot, partly because he likes to listen to Rampal so much. In my classical music circles, Rampal is kind of a joke, and Livaneli is a composer. But I don't know how Rampal is thought of in Turkey.
The story is okay, but both Irfan and Chemal seem somewhat flat, and I'm not sure either of them went through significant change in the end. In my mind, I still see Irfan floating drunkenly on his boat, forgetting to tell his wife he's okay.
As the novel starts, Meryem has been shamed by being raped by her uncle, the religious leader of the family, and Chemal is supposed to "take her to Istanbul," which in her village means "take her to the woods and shoot her." But then they actually go to Istanbul, and end up meeting Irfan, and their lives intersect.
I was more interested in the minor characters and some of the tiny details, partly because they seemed to have significant influence - Seher on the train, who shows Meryem the first hints that the way she has been raised isn't everything, Chemal's friend who gives him a leg up, etc.
Also little details like wondering if the author is trying to portray Irfan as a completely out-of-touch idiot, partly because he likes to listen to Rampal so much. In my classical music circles, Rampal is kind of a joke, and Livaneli is a composer. But I don't know how Rampal is thought of in Turkey.
The story is okay, but both Irfan and Chemal seem somewhat flat, and I'm not sure either of them went through significant change in the end. In my mind, I still see Irfan floating drunkenly on his boat, forgetting to tell his wife he's okay.
September 12, 2021
This novel was a very satisfying read! I have the Goodreads Middle East North African Lit group https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... to thank! Had I not done their challenge to read a different book from each SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) country I would have never discovered this Turkish author and I am so happy I did! As the book description says, Bliss by Zülfü Livaneli follows the lives of 3 characters; Meryem, a 15 year old orphan who is raped by her uncle. Cemal, her cousin, a soldier who is assigned to kill her and Irfan a Harvard educated professor. The three meet and their fates become intertwined. Bliss is a captivating story, but without being preachy it is also a social commentary about Turkey. It covers series as well as controversial subject matter ( honour killings, the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, the Armenian genocide, as well as the Westernization of Turkey) yet it is highly readable Yes I recommend it!
July 4, 2012
Kitabın içinde Avrupa ile Türkiye arasındaki uçurumlardan, New York ile İstanbul arasındaki benzerliklerden bahsede dursun; ben kitapta temel olarak şunları gördüm:
1. Asıl farklılıkların modern-cağdaş avrupalılarla gelenekçi Türkler arasında değil de, tamamen farklılığın Türkiye'deki Türklerin arasında olduğunu gördüm. Lüks restorantlarda yer ayırma derdiyle uğraşmamak için gereksiz yere dernek ve kuruluşlara bağışta bulununan entellektüel/elit kısımdan tutun, bir kadının saçını açık gördüğü için içini garip bir huzur kaplayan daha doğduğu köyün berisindeki tepenin ardında istanbul olduğuna inanan köylü kızına kadar.
2. Kendini arayış yollarının insanı saçma sapan virajlara sokabileceğini gördüm.
3. Yazarın gay gazino/mekan/bar şarkıcılarına karşı garip bir ilgisinin olduğunu sezdim. :D
4. Livaneli'nin kaleminin çok güçlü olduğunu ve bir Türk'ün bu kadar güzel bir eser ortaya çıkarabileceğini gördüm.
1. Asıl farklılıkların modern-cağdaş avrupalılarla gelenekçi Türkler arasında değil de, tamamen farklılığın Türkiye'deki Türklerin arasında olduğunu gördüm. Lüks restorantlarda yer ayırma derdiyle uğraşmamak için gereksiz yere dernek ve kuruluşlara bağışta bulununan entellektüel/elit kısımdan tutun, bir kadının saçını açık gördüğü için içini garip bir huzur kaplayan daha doğduğu köyün berisindeki tepenin ardında istanbul olduğuna inanan köylü kızına kadar.
2. Kendini arayış yollarının insanı saçma sapan virajlara sokabileceğini gördüm.
3. Yazarın gay gazino/mekan/bar şarkıcılarına karşı garip bir ilgisinin olduğunu sezdim. :D
4. Livaneli'nin kaleminin çok güçlü olduğunu ve bir Türk'ün bu kadar güzel bir eser ortaya çıkarabileceğini gördüm.
December 17, 2018
Filmi de çekilen bu eser Zülfü Livaneli'nin bir diğer iyi romanı.(kötü romanı yok gerçi)
Kitap ve film hikayede bazı farklılıklar geçiriyor ve ben her zamanki gibi kitabın daha iyi olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Güzel bir konu, ilginç karakterler, iyi bir anlatım. Aradığınız pek çok şeyi Livaneli'nin bu kitabında bulabilirsiniz.
Kitap ve film hikayede bazı farklılıklar geçiriyor ve ben her zamanki gibi kitabın daha iyi olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Güzel bir konu, ilginç karakterler, iyi bir anlatım. Aradığınız pek çok şeyi Livaneli'nin bu kitabında bulabilirsiniz.
March 20, 2020
https://georgette60.blogspot.com/2020...
ΕΥΤΥΧΙΑ. Πόσοι ορισμοί μπορούν να αποδοθούν άραγε για την λέξη αυτή.Ο καθένας την ερμηνεύει αναλόγως με τα βιώματά του και τα όνειρά του.Ο κ.Λιβανελί έχει καταφέρει λοιπόν πολύ,πολύ καλύτερα και ποιοτικότερα στην περιγραφή του,προσφέρει ήρεμη,συνετή,φιλοειρηνική,αντικειμενική νομίζω ματιά και μια θέρμη στο γράψιμό του και μια ανάσα αγάπης προς τον άνθρωπο γενικότερα της σημερινής εποχής θέλοντας να δώσει νότες αισιοδοξίας,ελπίδας,επιτεύγματος.Μία περιγραφή αμεσότητας ενός πορτραίτου της χώρας του(νοοτροπίας κοινωνικών τάξεων) που αγωνίζεται σε πολλά επίπεδα με την αίσθηση της ταυτότητας.Θίγει βασικά ζητήματα ενός Έθνους μέσα από τους τρεις κεντρικούς χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι είναι ξεχωριστοί,πολύπλοκοι,συγκρουόμενοι και με ψυχολογικό πόνο.Ο καθένας τους αγωνίζεται με την προσωπική του κρίση και ο χειρισμός του συγγραφέα για την σεξουαλική βία της γυναίκας και τους φόνους τιμής είναι άρτιος εκθέτοντας έτσι την σκοτεινή πλευρά της Τουρκίας και για άλλα ζητήματα.Αγεφύρωμα ήθη λοιπόν,αίσθηση τούρκικης τιμής και εθνότητας,θρησκεία,παραδόσεις,ελίτ και πλέμπα.Ένα ωραίο μυθιστόρημα με κατανοητό,ομαλό,αξιοπρεπές,ισορροπημένο κείμενο απευθυνόμενο στο ευρύ αναγνωστικό κοινό.
ΕΥΤΥΧΙΑ. Πόσοι ορισμοί μπορούν να αποδοθούν άραγε για την λέξη αυτή.Ο καθένας την ερμηνεύει αναλόγως με τα βιώματά του και τα όνειρά του.Ο κ.Λιβανελί έχει καταφέρει λοιπόν πολύ,πολύ καλύτερα και ποιοτικότερα στην περιγραφή του,προσφέρει ήρεμη,συνετή,φιλοειρηνική,αντικειμενική νομίζω ματιά και μια θέρμη στο γράψιμό του και μια ανάσα αγάπης προς τον άνθρωπο γενικότερα της σημερινής εποχής θέλοντας να δώσει νότες αισιοδοξίας,ελπίδας,επιτεύγματος.Μία περιγραφή αμεσότητας ενός πορτραίτου της χώρας του(νοοτροπίας κοινωνικών τάξεων) που αγωνίζεται σε πολλά επίπεδα με την αίσθηση της ταυτότητας.Θίγει βασικά ζητήματα ενός Έθνους μέσα από τους τρεις κεντρικούς χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι είναι ξεχωριστοί,πολύπλοκοι,συγκρουόμενοι και με ψυχολογικό πόνο.Ο καθένας τους αγωνίζεται με την προσωπική του κρίση και ο χειρισμός του συγγραφέα για την σεξουαλική βία της γυναίκας και τους φόνους τιμής είναι άρτιος εκθέτοντας έτσι την σκοτεινή πλευρά της Τουρκίας και για άλλα ζητήματα.Αγεφύρωμα ήθη λοιπόν,αίσθηση τούρκικης τιμής και εθνότητας,θρησκεία,παραδόσεις,ελίτ και πλέμπα.Ένα ωραίο μυθιστόρημα με κατανοητό,ομαλό,αξιοπρεπές,ισορροπημένο κείμενο απευθυνόμενο στο ευρύ αναγνωστικό κοινό.
July 1, 2013
THERE'S SPOILERS IN HERE, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW FROM THE GET-GO.
So I'm writing this review I think I month or two after I finished reading it, but my feelings are still fresh.
To be honest, I found out about this book because I watched the film adaptation on Netflix first. I fell in love with Özgü Namal's performance as Meryem (... and I kind of fell in love with her, too... but hey! This is an honest review, so it's gonna be just that: completely honest). When I found out it was a book prior, I bought the novel for a penny off of a merchant from Amazon. Seeing as how almost all books that become movies or television series eventually differ from the novel, I should have known that the second half of this book would not match the second half of the movie- or rather, the second half of the movie would not match the book.
Regardless of the fact that the endings for each version are COMPLETELY different, I think I actually do prefer the book. It is a better ending for Meryem. Instead of the film just ending with[SPOILERS, AHOY!] justice for Meryem when Ali Riza is killed by her father and then she "lives happily ever after with Cemal", the book gives Meryem freedom. The freedom to finally live the way she chooses. In the book she imagines what it would be like to dress in the more modern clothes of society, and when she finally gets to wear more casual clothing of today, she doesn't put on her old clothes from her village again, until she recovers the memory of the rape. I won't go any further into it because I feel like I won't be able to explain it well right now, but it comes down to this: Meryem's freedom is the fact that she is in control of her life.
She wasn't free when she wore shorts and a tank top, and she wasn't restricted in life when she wore modest clothing. She was restricted when she never got to choose how she wanted to live. She got to explore her sexuality by accepting and pondering feelings freely and safely when Mehmet Ali snuck up and kissed her on the neck. She got to chose to work at the pancake shop. All these things and more, including her taking grasp of her right to stand up for herself and applying herself to skills, goes to show that this book gives Meryem a better life. What I respect about this book the most is this. Livaneli shows the readers, especially Western readers, that just because someone wears religious or cultural garb, it does not mean that they're being held back from life and that wearing modern urban or summer clothes does not mean that one is free. Being able to choose is what makes someone free.
With her freedom it goes to show how this is a preferable ending to the topic- as in the words of the novel: "God loves Meryem now".
So I'm writing this review I think I month or two after I finished reading it, but my feelings are still fresh.
To be honest, I found out about this book because I watched the film adaptation on Netflix first. I fell in love with Özgü Namal's performance as Meryem (... and I kind of fell in love with her, too... but hey! This is an honest review, so it's gonna be just that: completely honest). When I found out it was a book prior, I bought the novel for a penny off of a merchant from Amazon. Seeing as how almost all books that become movies or television series eventually differ from the novel, I should have known that the second half of this book would not match the second half of the movie- or rather, the second half of the movie would not match the book.
Regardless of the fact that the endings for each version are COMPLETELY different, I think I actually do prefer the book. It is a better ending for Meryem. Instead of the film just ending with[SPOILERS, AHOY!] justice for Meryem when Ali Riza is killed by her father and then she "lives happily ever after with Cemal", the book gives Meryem freedom. The freedom to finally live the way she chooses. In the book she imagines what it would be like to dress in the more modern clothes of society, and when she finally gets to wear more casual clothing of today, she doesn't put on her old clothes from her village again, until she recovers the memory of the rape. I won't go any further into it because I feel like I won't be able to explain it well right now, but it comes down to this: Meryem's freedom is the fact that she is in control of her life.
She wasn't free when she wore shorts and a tank top, and she wasn't restricted in life when she wore modest clothing. She was restricted when she never got to choose how she wanted to live. She got to explore her sexuality by accepting and pondering feelings freely and safely when Mehmet Ali snuck up and kissed her on the neck. She got to chose to work at the pancake shop. All these things and more, including her taking grasp of her right to stand up for herself and applying herself to skills, goes to show that this book gives Meryem a better life. What I respect about this book the most is this. Livaneli shows the readers, especially Western readers, that just because someone wears religious or cultural garb, it does not mean that they're being held back from life and that wearing modern urban or summer clothes does not mean that one is free. Being able to choose is what makes someone free.
With her freedom it goes to show how this is a preferable ending to the topic- as in the words of the novel: "God loves Meryem now".
July 27, 2017
If modern Turkey can be distilled into a novel that plays out a nation's major issues through its three main characters, Bliss might be that book. There's Meryem, a naive teenage girl from the countryside, who has been raped by her uncle, a conservative religious cleric. Then there is her taciturn, sullen cousin, Cemal, who has just returned from fighting Kurdish guerillas in the mountains of eastern Turkey, and is dispatched to kill Meryem on the road, in order to clear the family honor. Meanwhile, Irfan, a famous, if unaccomplished professor from Istanbul, is going through a midlife crisis and flees his posh existence in a sailboat, looking for something to give him new meaning. Eventually, these three find themselves drawn together.
While such a premise has every possibility of turning into a heavy-handed melodrama, Livaneli writes with a disarming lightness and directness that makes the story engaging. For an American reader like me, the author's descriptions provided a flavorful portrait of a country struggling at many levels with its sense of identity. His three protagonists each have interesting internal conflicts. Through them, we learn much about religion versus secularism, the cosmopolitan elite versus the poor, tradition versus Westernization, ignorance versus education, and a sense of Turkish honor and nationhood that tries and fails to encompass all of the above. Though, in my opinion, Livaneli never quite develops his characters beyond the "types" he makes them representatives of, the tour he gives us of their country is a wonderful one.
While such a premise has every possibility of turning into a heavy-handed melodrama, Livaneli writes with a disarming lightness and directness that makes the story engaging. For an American reader like me, the author's descriptions provided a flavorful portrait of a country struggling at many levels with its sense of identity. His three protagonists each have interesting internal conflicts. Through them, we learn much about religion versus secularism, the cosmopolitan elite versus the poor, tradition versus Westernization, ignorance versus education, and a sense of Turkish honor and nationhood that tries and fails to encompass all of the above. Though, in my opinion, Livaneli never quite develops his characters beyond the "types" he makes them representatives of, the tour he gives us of their country is a wonderful one.
February 3, 2011
Reading this book made me realize that only a bragging tourist, as contrasted to a seeking traveler would have naively dreamed of going to Turkey to catch the latest "in" travel fever. Recently I've listened to a few people telling me, "you really must go to Turkey, Sherry" and I somehow thought they meant as a tourist--a modern rather than a bragging one, of course!--and then Livaneli took me to Turkey or brought it so me through Irfan, Cemal and Meryem's parallel and so dramatically different modern Turkish lives that I know now when I do go, it will be as a humble traveler. What a complicated country. What contrasting politics, religions, dreams of the young and realities of the old. And what a way to bring them to life. This is a great read and tho it almost tips on fairy tale at the end, these three save themselves from a storybook happy ending and Livaneli allows the reader to still wonder, with the braying donkey, just how unending any modern Turkish tale must be.
October 5, 2008
I've never read a book set in Turkey before. I really enjoyed this and reading about the diversity of Turkey - it's people, religions and just the change from Eastern to Western Turkey.
The book was so well written that I felt like I could visualize each of the three main characters by the time I'd finished at the end. I liked that it was like real life - things don't always end up rosy. But then things didn't even start out rosy. For the main female character, Meryem, the book starts where she has been raped by her uncle. It's not necessarily uplifting reading. It's rather dark and dismal at times.
The book was so well written that I felt like I could visualize each of the three main characters by the time I'd finished at the end. I liked that it was like real life - things don't always end up rosy. But then things didn't even start out rosy. For the main female character, Meryem, the book starts where she has been raped by her uncle. It's not necessarily uplifting reading. It's rather dark and dismal at times.
abandoned
November 25, 2012Chance that a random male author will deal with the rape of a teenage girl in a sensitive and appropriate fashion: middling. Chance he will do so when the book begins by talking about the teen girl's naked body from her own perspective, and within two pages has used the phrases "small breasts" and "rosebud nipples": vanishingly small.
December 8, 2022
Приключих "Щастие" на Зюлфю Ливанели и със съжаление мога да кажа, че книгата не ми хареса толкова, колкото се надявах.
Дали защото темата е толкова експлоатирана, че вече ми е втръснала, но от средата натам, а към края вече съвсем, четох романа с досада.
Главните герои са трима :
Мерием, петнайсетгодишно момиче от традиционно мюсюлманско семейсто в село в Източен Анадол, което бива жестоко изнасилено от властния си чичо и религиозен водач на селото;
Джемал - войник от турската армия, сражавал се срещу кюрдската бунтовническа армия и братовчед на Мерием , на когото се е паднала задачата да "изчисти" поруганото име и срама от семейството по един или друг начин.
Професор Ирфан - най-неприятният за мен герой, от чиито логореи и мисловни бръщолевения ми опротивя и книгата. В това отношение ми напомни за "Шантарам" и безкрайните мисловни конструкти.
Разсъжденията му ми бяха толкова скучни и досадни, че направо разгръщах страница след страница с надеждата нещо интересно да се случи . Може би , ако бях чела книгата преди 20 години, щяха повече да ми допаднат тези мисли, но вече тези житейски кризи са ме отминали навярно...
Книгата е и портрет на съвременното турско общество , с неговите контрасти и противопоставяния - турци срещу кюрди, шиити срещу сунити, традиционалисти срещу модернисти..
Много ме ядоса един момент (тогава мислех изобщо да захвърля книгата недочетена), в който професорът зацикли на размисли на тема богомилство. Няма да навлизам в подробности , но в брътвежите му никъде не се споменава поп Богомил и България.
Оценката ми за романа е 1,5*
Дали защото темата е толкова експлоатирана, че вече ми е втръснала, но от средата натам, а към края вече съвсем, четох романа с досада.
Главните герои са трима :
Мерием, петнайсетгодишно момиче от традиционно мюсюлманско семейсто в село в Източен Анадол, което бива жестоко изнасилено от властния си чичо и религиозен водач на селото;
Джемал - войник от турската армия, сражавал се срещу кюрдската бунтовническа армия и братовчед на Мерием , на когото се е паднала задачата да "изчисти" поруганото име и срама от семейството по един или друг начин.
Професор Ирфан - най-неприятният за мен герой, от чиито логореи и мисловни бръщолевения ми опротивя и книгата. В това отношение ми напомни за "Шантарам" и безкрайните мисловни конструкти.
Разсъжденията му ми бяха толкова скучни и досадни, че направо разгръщах страница след страница с надеждата нещо интересно да се случи . Може би , ако бях чела книгата преди 20 години, щяха повече да ми допаднат тези мисли, но вече тези житейски кризи са ме отминали навярно...
Книгата е и портрет на съвременното турско общество , с неговите контрасти и противопоставяния - турци срещу кюрди, шиити срещу сунити, традиционалисти срещу модернисти..
Много ме ядоса един момент (тогава мислех изобщо да захвърля книгата недочетена), в който професорът зацикли на размисли на тема богомилство. Няма да навлизам в подробности , но в брътвежите му никъде не се споменава поп Богомил и България.
Оценката ми за романа е 1,5*
June 14, 2023
Zülfü Livaneli’nin müziğini de severim kalemini de.
#mutluluk okumadığım bir kaç eserinden birisiydi. Masmavinin kenarında okudum bitti.
Profesör çok güzel ayar çekti zat-ı alime🚣
“Bütün bunlardan sana ne ulan pezevenk? dedi. Salak herif, bütün bunlardan sana ne? Dünyanın bu bölgesinde ve bu zamanda doğmuş olduğun için önüne çıkan her şeyi mesele yapmanın alemi var mı? Eğer 14. yy da Çin’de doğmuş olsaydın bambaşka sorunları dünyanın sonu zannedecektin ve yine yanılıyor olacaktın. Beş on yol içinde şu tepe duracak sen gideceksin, şu deniz duracak sen gideceksin, hatta şu harap ev duracak sen gideceksin. Bırak bunları oğlum, bırak bu saçmalıkları. ” dedi.
September 8, 2020
Պատմութիւնը արիւնապղծութեան /incest/ մասին է. Վանա Լճի գիւղերէն մէկուն մէջ ապրող Միրեամին բռնաբարուած է իր «հաւատացեալ» հօրեղբօր կողմէ։ Ամենայնդէպս բռնաբարութիւնը յանցանք է իսկ մեղաւորը` զոհ, տասնըհինգ տարեկան աղջիկը: Միրեամ լուռ կը մնայ, չբացայայտէր կամ չիտար բռնաբարողի անունը. Հօրեղբայրը ընտանիքին գլուխն է և ազդեցիկ կրօնական: Օրեր կ՛անցնին սպասումի ու անձկութեան մթնոլորտի մէջ. ազգականները կը սպասեն որ Միրեամ ճիշդ գործն ընէ ու անձնասպան ըլլայ, իսկ յարդանոցին մէջ բանտարկուած Միրեամը կը սպասէ իր դառն ճակատագրի տնօրինմանը:
Տուն կը վերադառնայ լեռներու վրայ բանակի մէջ իբր գոմանտօ ծառայած Միրեամի հօրեղբօրորդին՝ Ճեմալը, որուն ոճրագործը պարտականութիւն կը յանձնէ Միրեամի հետ ճամբայ իյնալ դէպի Պոլիս: Միրեամ ուրախ է խնդրի այս լուծումով առանց գիտնալու թէ Պոլիս ուղարկել կը նշանակէ ճանապարհին յարմար տեղ մը իրմէ ձերբազատուիլ. այդ է բռնաբարուած աղջիկներու ճակատագիրը և ընտանիքի պատիւը մաքրելու ձևը:
Երկուքը պիտի հանդիպին վէպի երրորդ տիպարին Իրֆանին, որ հարց ունի իր ինքնութեան հետ:
Հետաքրքիր գիրք է «Երանութիւն» գիրքը, ես անգլերէն թարգմանութիւնը կարդացի Bliss խորագրով։ Հեղինակը Լիվանելին թուրք համարձակ գրող է և չի վախնար խօսելու արիւնապղծութեան, թուրք-քիւրդ ճակատումներու մարդկային երեսին, կանանց մազ ծածկելու, Պոլսոյ հարուստ դասակարգի յղփածութեան, շրջակայքի աղքատ արուարձաններու, պատիւի յարաբերական հասկցողութեան, թուրքի ինքնութեան և շատ այլ հարցերու մասին. և այս ամէնուն մէջ տեղ տեղ հետաքրքիր կերպով կը յիշէ հայերը. տամ օրինակ մը.
Երբ Միրեամ իր մօրաքրոջ կը հարցնք թէ իրականութիւն էր հայերու բռնագաղթը մօրաքոյրը կը հաւաստիացնէ թէ սուտ էր: Ան կը պատմէ փոքրիկ Միրեամին թէ փետրուարի մէջ սաստիկ քամի մը տարի մը քանդած մզկիթի մինարէն, արմատախիլ ըրած ծառերը, տուներու տանիքները տարած: Նոյն քամին փչած երկինք տարած պէտք էր ըլլար հայերուն: Սուրբ քամին չէր դպած ոչ իսկ մէկ իսլամ տղամարդու, կնկայ կամ երեխայի բայց բոլոր հայերը տարած երկինք: Թերևս հայերը Աստծոյ նախընտրած էակներն էին որոնք երկինք բարձրացան Յիսուսի նման, օրհնեալ ըլլայ Իր Անունը:
Տուն կը վերադառնայ լեռներու վրայ բանակի մէջ իբր գոմանտօ ծառայած Միրեամի հօրեղբօրորդին՝ Ճեմալը, որուն ոճրագործը պարտականութիւն կը յանձնէ Միրեամի հետ ճամբայ իյնալ դէպի Պոլիս: Միրեամ ուրախ է խնդրի այս լուծումով առանց գիտնալու թէ Պոլիս ուղարկել կը նշանակէ ճանապարհին յարմար տեղ մը իրմէ ձերբազատուիլ. այդ է բռնաբարուած աղջիկներու ճակատագիրը և ընտանիքի պատիւը մաքրելու ձևը:
Երկուքը պիտի հանդիպին վէպի երրորդ տիպարին Իրֆանին, որ հարց ունի իր ինքնութեան հետ:
Հետաքրքիր գիրք է «Երանութիւն» գիրքը, ես անգլերէն թարգմանութիւնը կարդացի Bliss խորագրով։ Հեղինակը Լիվանելին թուրք համարձակ գրող է և չի վախնար խօսելու արիւնապղծութեան, թուրք-քիւրդ ճակատումներու մարդկային երեսին, կանանց մազ ծածկելու, Պոլսոյ հարուստ դասակարգի յղփածութեան, շրջակայքի աղքատ արուարձաններու, պատիւի յարաբերական հասկցողութեան, թուրքի ինքնութեան և շատ այլ հարցերու մասին. և այս ամէնուն մէջ տեղ տեղ հետաքրքիր կերպով կը յիշէ հայերը. տամ օրինակ մը.
Երբ Միրեամ իր մօրաքրոջ կը հարցնք թէ իրականութիւն էր հայերու բռնագաղթը մօրաքոյրը կը հաւաստիացնէ թէ սուտ էր: Ան կը պատմէ փոքրիկ Միրեամին թէ փետրուարի մէջ սաստիկ քամի մը տարի մը քանդած մզկիթի մինարէն, արմատախիլ ըրած ծառերը, տուներու տանիքները տարած: Նոյն քամին փչած երկինք տարած պէտք էր ըլլար հայերուն: Սուրբ քամին չէր դպած ոչ իսկ մէկ իսլամ տղամարդու, կնկայ կամ երեխայի բայց բոլոր հայերը տարած երկինք: Թերևս հայերը Աստծոյ նախընտրած էակներն էին որոնք երկինք բարձրացան Յիսուսի նման, օրհնեալ ըլլայ Իր Անունը:
June 21, 2010
Not that long ago, I purchased a box full of $1.99 books from the internet, several of which I’ve already written entries about. All told, that shipment was lackluster, filled with books that were worth little more than a shrug and a Frisbee toss back into the box. I wasn’t expecting a trove of Penguin Classics or anything, so I’m not offended by a little light reading. I did get lucky, however, to receive the novel Bliss , by Turkish novelist O.Z. Livaneli. A scant 276 pages, Bliss captures the struggles of a country and populace trying to decide their roles in the world.
Turkey is an odd country, geography-wise. While most of it is considered Asia, bits can theoretically be classified as Europe. Stuck between the secular West and religious East, Turkey is still striving to create a solid identity. The nonreligious government dreams of membership within the European Union, which is hindered by the increasing Islamist factions within the country. It’s a strange world where cultures clash in great waves. Livaneli demonstrates these divisions with his characters: Meryem, a teenage villager who is raped by her uncle; Cemal, her cousin sent to take her to Istanbul for a ritual killing; and Irfan, a professor in a mid-life crisis. The three lives collide on a boat in the middle of the Aegean.
Turkey is at a crossroads in its development. Will it continue to throw itself against the wall of Europe, trying to achieve acceptance in its fairly anti-Muslim clique? Or will it roll over to the continuous tide of Islamist factions and institute a religious-based government, an Asia Minor Iran? Turkey has been in the news lately, but the world should keep an eye on this region. Their choices in the near future may affect us all.
Turkey is an odd country, geography-wise. While most of it is considered Asia, bits can theoretically be classified as Europe. Stuck between the secular West and religious East, Turkey is still striving to create a solid identity. The nonreligious government dreams of membership within the European Union, which is hindered by the increasing Islamist factions within the country. It’s a strange world where cultures clash in great waves. Livaneli demonstrates these divisions with his characters: Meryem, a teenage villager who is raped by her uncle; Cemal, her cousin sent to take her to Istanbul for a ritual killing; and Irfan, a professor in a mid-life crisis. The three lives collide on a boat in the middle of the Aegean.
Turkey is at a crossroads in its development. Will it continue to throw itself against the wall of Europe, trying to achieve acceptance in its fairly anti-Muslim clique? Or will it roll over to the continuous tide of Islamist factions and institute a religious-based government, an Asia Minor Iran? Turkey has been in the news lately, but the world should keep an eye on this region. Their choices in the near future may affect us all.
October 4, 2011
A fascinating book.
Bliss tells the story of Meryem, a motherless rural village girl who lives in Eastern Turkey. She is raped by her powerful sheikh uncle, who then condemns her to death for the 'honor' of the family. This is a society where women are chattel. Luckily Meryem is too plucky to commit suicide (he has locked her in a shed with a rope, but she refuses his subtle hint). The sheikh then assigns the job of honor killing to his son Cemal, Meryem's war-scarred cousin, an army commando who has returned from years of fighting the Kurdish rebels in the mountains. They will be 'going to Istanbul' -- a nice white lie to disguise the fact that none of the previous girls sent to Istanbul ever comes back, they are murdered en route. But as Cemal and Meryem head west, the story takes an unlikely turn. They cross paths with a wealthy professor from Istanbul named Irfan, who is going through an existential crisis of his own...
Bliss is less successful as a novel than as an allegory of modern Turkey; it contrasts the stark dichotomy of Turkey's eastern, conservative Muslim side and its corrupt, materialistic western coast. The two halves are so far apart they make the US's red state/blue state schism seem utterly superficial. Turkey is really two countries, the cosmopolitan west that wants to be part of the EU, and the traditional east, which is like Afghanistan. Livaneli's essaying asides about his country and its clashing cultures are the most substantive part of the book. I found this very worthwhile reading, although as a pure novel the storytelling loses some steam in the end. But if you're interested in ideas, this is a very entertaining way to learn about a country that is truly at the divide between East and West. Highly recommended.
Bliss tells the story of Meryem, a motherless rural village girl who lives in Eastern Turkey. She is raped by her powerful sheikh uncle, who then condemns her to death for the 'honor' of the family. This is a society where women are chattel. Luckily Meryem is too plucky to commit suicide (he has locked her in a shed with a rope, but she refuses his subtle hint). The sheikh then assigns the job of honor killing to his son Cemal, Meryem's war-scarred cousin, an army commando who has returned from years of fighting the Kurdish rebels in the mountains. They will be 'going to Istanbul' -- a nice white lie to disguise the fact that none of the previous girls sent to Istanbul ever comes back, they are murdered en route. But as Cemal and Meryem head west, the story takes an unlikely turn. They cross paths with a wealthy professor from Istanbul named Irfan, who is going through an existential crisis of his own...
Bliss is less successful as a novel than as an allegory of modern Turkey; it contrasts the stark dichotomy of Turkey's eastern, conservative Muslim side and its corrupt, materialistic western coast. The two halves are so far apart they make the US's red state/blue state schism seem utterly superficial. Turkey is really two countries, the cosmopolitan west that wants to be part of the EU, and the traditional east, which is like Afghanistan. Livaneli's essaying asides about his country and its clashing cultures are the most substantive part of the book. I found this very worthwhile reading, although as a pure novel the storytelling loses some steam in the end. But if you're interested in ideas, this is a very entertaining way to learn about a country that is truly at the divide between East and West. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2010
A well written book with an unusual construction in that the author introduces you to each of the three characters individually, but for much of the book you have no idea how their lives will intersect.
Meryem is the character who grows the most, but then she's the youngest and has been living in a very protected situation. She has very little education and by culture has been separated from the men as have all the women in the town. She is brutally raped by her uncle, the local Imam, who then sentences her to death for her "filth". She is imprisoned in a barn, and left with a rope with which they expect her to hang herself. Though in her despair she considers it, eventually she refuses and her uncle then gives the job of disposing of her to his son, Cemal, who was a childhood playmate of Meryem. Cemal has very recently returned from military service in the civil war and has not had time to come to grips with how he himself has changed. He takes Meryem to Istanbul in the hopes that he can find a way to murder her in that city. Cemal is lost and is casting around for sure footing, but is not yet ready to take chances or make big changes in his life.
The third character is Isfan, a professor from Istanbul, who is undergoing a mid-life crisis and walks away from his marriage and work and trys to emulate a childhood friend who long ago sailed away in search of adventure and his place in life. Isfan's journey is one of self-discovery, but he seems incapable of really learning as much as he could.
A very satisfying read where I learned a good deal about Turkey, its problems, and its culture.
Meryem is the character who grows the most, but then she's the youngest and has been living in a very protected situation. She has very little education and by culture has been separated from the men as have all the women in the town. She is brutally raped by her uncle, the local Imam, who then sentences her to death for her "filth". She is imprisoned in a barn, and left with a rope with which they expect her to hang herself. Though in her despair she considers it, eventually she refuses and her uncle then gives the job of disposing of her to his son, Cemal, who was a childhood playmate of Meryem. Cemal has very recently returned from military service in the civil war and has not had time to come to grips with how he himself has changed. He takes Meryem to Istanbul in the hopes that he can find a way to murder her in that city. Cemal is lost and is casting around for sure footing, but is not yet ready to take chances or make big changes in his life.
The third character is Isfan, a professor from Istanbul, who is undergoing a mid-life crisis and walks away from his marriage and work and trys to emulate a childhood friend who long ago sailed away in search of adventure and his place in life. Isfan's journey is one of self-discovery, but he seems incapable of really learning as much as he could.
A very satisfying read where I learned a good deal about Turkey, its problems, and its culture.
February 7, 2017
İbn Haldun'un "Coğrafya kaderdir" sözü bu kitapla bir kez daha anlam buldu bende.
Kitap, yaşanmış gerçek bir hikayedir ibaresine yer vermiyor ama siz töre cinayetlerinin, gelenek ve göreneklerin hayli yoğun yaşandığı coğrafyada bu hikaye gibi nicelerinin yaşandığını bildiğinizden içiniz acıyarak okuyorsunuz.
Kahramanlarımızdan Meryem, annesiz kaldıktan sonra sözü çok geçerli olmayan babası tekrar evlenmiş, aile yönetimi Şeyh olan amcada sözü kanun gibi kimse onun dediğinin dışına çıkamıyor, Cemal Şeyh amcanın oğlu Şırnak'ta asker, terör ile mücadele ederek sağ salim evine dönmeyi başaran bir kahraman ama kahramanlığı sadece köy sınırları içinde geçerli, Profesör İrfan Kurudal, eşinin zenginliği, lüks yaşantısını sorgulamaya başlıyor bu hayatta neler yapabildiğini kendisi ölüp gittiğinde ne bırakmış olacağını... ve görüyor ki kendisine yeni bir hayat kurması gerek belki de o çok istediği kitabını yazma zamanı gelmiştir. Kendini zamanın ve yolun akışına bırakarak başka bir hayata açıyor.
Spoiler olmasın diye çok fazla hikayenin içine girmek istemiyorum o yüzden yorumumu burada sonlandırmam gerekiyor fakat şu kadarını söylemek istiyorum Cemal ile Meryem'in yolu Profesör ile kesiştikten sonra olay örgüsü çok daha güzel ilerliyor.
ve aslında Mutluluk, temiz bembeyaz bir elbise giymek kadar ulaşılabilir, huzur bir teknede rüzgara kendini bırakmak kadar mümkün ve hayat sizi bilmediğiniz yerlere sürükleyecek kadar uçsuz bucaksız...
İyi okumalar...
Kitap, yaşanmış gerçek bir hikayedir ibaresine yer vermiyor ama siz töre cinayetlerinin, gelenek ve göreneklerin hayli yoğun yaşandığı coğrafyada bu hikaye gibi nicelerinin yaşandığını bildiğinizden içiniz acıyarak okuyorsunuz.
Kahramanlarımızdan Meryem, annesiz kaldıktan sonra sözü çok geçerli olmayan babası tekrar evlenmiş, aile yönetimi Şeyh olan amcada sözü kanun gibi kimse onun dediğinin dışına çıkamıyor, Cemal Şeyh amcanın oğlu Şırnak'ta asker, terör ile mücadele ederek sağ salim evine dönmeyi başaran bir kahraman ama kahramanlığı sadece köy sınırları içinde geçerli, Profesör İrfan Kurudal, eşinin zenginliği, lüks yaşantısını sorgulamaya başlıyor bu hayatta neler yapabildiğini kendisi ölüp gittiğinde ne bırakmış olacağını... ve görüyor ki kendisine yeni bir hayat kurması gerek belki de o çok istediği kitabını yazma zamanı gelmiştir. Kendini zamanın ve yolun akışına bırakarak başka bir hayata açıyor.
Spoiler olmasın diye çok fazla hikayenin içine girmek istemiyorum o yüzden yorumumu burada sonlandırmam gerekiyor fakat şu kadarını söylemek istiyorum Cemal ile Meryem'in yolu Profesör ile kesiştikten sonra olay örgüsü çok daha güzel ilerliyor.
ve aslında Mutluluk, temiz bembeyaz bir elbise giymek kadar ulaşılabilir, huzur bir teknede rüzgara kendini bırakmak kadar mümkün ve hayat sizi bilmediğiniz yerlere sürükleyecek kadar uçsuz bucaksız...
İyi okumalar...
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