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Islam Quintet #3
The Stone Woman
Each year, when the weather in Istanbul becomes unbearable, the family of Iskender Pasha, a retired Ottoman notable, retires to its summer palace overlooking the Sea of Marmara. It is 1899 and the last great Islamic empire is in serious trouble. A former tutor poses a question which the family has been refusing to confront for almost a ‘Your Ottoman Empire is like a drunken prostitute, neither knowing nor caring who will take her next. Do I exaggerate, Memed?’ The history of Iskender Pasha’s family mirrors the growing degeneration of the Empire they have served for the last five hundred years. This passionate story of masters and servants, school-teachers and painters, is marked by jealousies, vendettas and, with the decay of the Empire, a new generation which is deeply hostile to the half-truths and myths of the ‘golden days.’
The Stone Woman is the third novel of Tariq Ali’s ‘Islam Quartet’. Like its predecessors— Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree and The Book of Saladin— its power lies both in the story-telling and the challenge it poses to stereotyped images of life under Islam.
The Stone Woman is the third novel of Tariq Ali’s ‘Islam Quartet’. Like its predecessors— Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree and The Book of Saladin— its power lies both in the story-telling and the challenge it poses to stereotyped images of life under Islam.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Tariq Ali
137 books805 followersTariq Ali (Punjabi, Urdu: طارق علی) is a British-Pakistani historian, novelist, filmmaker, political campaigner, and commentator. He is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review and Sin Permiso, and regularly contributes to The Guardian, CounterPunch, and the London Review of Books.
He is the author of several books, including Can Pakistan Survive? The Death of a State (1991) , Pirates Of The Caribbean: Axis Of Hope (2006), Conversations with Edward Said (2005), Bush in Babylon (2003), and Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity (2002), A Banker for All Seasons (2007) and the recently published The Duel (2008).
He is the author of several books, including Can Pakistan Survive? The Death of a State (1991) , Pirates Of The Caribbean: Axis Of Hope (2006), Conversations with Edward Said (2005), Bush in Babylon (2003), and Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity (2002), A Banker for All Seasons (2007) and the recently published The Duel (2008).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 25, 2018
A book about love, passion and betrayal as it touches the lives of one extended family. The background setting is the rumblings of revolution in the Ottoman Empire. It is 1899. As one century dies, the Germans / Prussians are setting their sights on a new Empire and the Ottoman Empire is fading fast. The Stone Woman is an ancient rock that may or may not be a sculpture. Traditionally, she has been the means for personal confessions and the sharing of troubles (though sometimes with eavesdroppers). As with the previous two books in this quintet, I learned a lot of history and enjoyed the journey.
December 22, 2019
I loved the first two books in Tariq Ali's Islam Quartet, Stone Woman not so much. The first two books of the Islam Quartet were about the Crusades and Saladin, things I know something about (enough to know that everyone dies), while Stone Woman is set in Turkey, in 1899, at the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Each of these books tells significant stories in the Muslim/Christian conflict, but from a Muslim perspective.
The family tells stories of their travels to China, France, Germany, and the US ¬– but because I know less about the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its attempts to find a place in the larger world – I didn't find this story as compelling as his previous, more familiar previous stories. Nonetheless, the openness, tolerance, and resilience of this family and society are engaging, and Ali's depictions of the political and philosophical divisions among Islamic groups and beliefs are compelling.
“Nilofer, there are rich and poor in this world. The poor are many and the rich are few. Their interests have never coincided. Both rich and poor need to get rid of the Sultan, but what will happen after they succeed? Will we find another Sultan whom we will call a President, but who will wear a uniform? Or will we found a party as they have in Germany and France which fights for the poor?” (Kindle 11633)
Like the first two books, sex is a major player. There are many extramarital and premarital affairs, gay characters, and much talk about sex (and farts and shit). We also have five deaths (two murders, one suicide, one execution, and one natural death), one wedding, one circumcision, whirling dervishes, and one stroke, all in the course of one short summer.
The secrets the Pasha family told the Stone Woman, a rock formation outside their home are interesting, but they didn't hang together well enough for me. Unlike Ali's previous books, I didn't care about these characters. In Ali's first novel, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree , I held my breath throughout. Ali made me love those characters and I hung in, even though I knew that the book would end badly. I believed in the characters and sided with them against the pompous, self-righteous, and wrong-headed Crusaders, who slaughtered the village at the center of this story.
I did like Nilofer, the 28-year-old narrator, although I had difficulty buying that she was a 19th rather than a 21st century woman or that her father and brothers would so readily respect her sexual decisions and intellectual opinions to the degree that they did. Again, perhaps this was a failure in imagination on my part.
Perhaps if I were Turkish or Muslim, my reaction to Stone Woman would have been different: I would have known the background better. Or, if discussions of the decline of the Ottoman Empire were more common in the US, I would have more clearly seen how Ali was shifting the context and meaning in this story.
The family tells stories of their travels to China, France, Germany, and the US ¬– but because I know less about the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its attempts to find a place in the larger world – I didn't find this story as compelling as his previous, more familiar previous stories. Nonetheless, the openness, tolerance, and resilience of this family and society are engaging, and Ali's depictions of the political and philosophical divisions among Islamic groups and beliefs are compelling.
“Nilofer, there are rich and poor in this world. The poor are many and the rich are few. Their interests have never coincided. Both rich and poor need to get rid of the Sultan, but what will happen after they succeed? Will we find another Sultan whom we will call a President, but who will wear a uniform? Or will we found a party as they have in Germany and France which fights for the poor?” (Kindle 11633)
Like the first two books, sex is a major player. There are many extramarital and premarital affairs, gay characters, and much talk about sex (and farts and shit). We also have five deaths (two murders, one suicide, one execution, and one natural death), one wedding, one circumcision, whirling dervishes, and one stroke, all in the course of one short summer.
The secrets the Pasha family told the Stone Woman, a rock formation outside their home are interesting, but they didn't hang together well enough for me. Unlike Ali's previous books, I didn't care about these characters. In Ali's first novel, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree , I held my breath throughout. Ali made me love those characters and I hung in, even though I knew that the book would end badly. I believed in the characters and sided with them against the pompous, self-righteous, and wrong-headed Crusaders, who slaughtered the village at the center of this story.
I did like Nilofer, the 28-year-old narrator, although I had difficulty buying that she was a 19th rather than a 21st century woman or that her father and brothers would so readily respect her sexual decisions and intellectual opinions to the degree that they did. Again, perhaps this was a failure in imagination on my part.
Perhaps if I were Turkish or Muslim, my reaction to Stone Woman would have been different: I would have known the background better. Or, if discussions of the decline of the Ottoman Empire were more common in the US, I would have more clearly seen how Ali was shifting the context and meaning in this story.
September 5, 2023
First, I don’t know if should I put this book into „alternate reality “. The level of liberalism present within one Turkish Pasha family is mind-blowing. Even today such level would at least bring many modern and ordinary families to a challenge while this Pasha Ottoman family has just one or two eyebrow lifts. But not just this family, woman (few of them in this novel) without any problems leave their husbands and take away children with them, as soon as they lose interest in them for many reasons – they are too nice, boring, etc. Pashas' have no problem finding out their children are not theirs but wives' lovers. They have no problems with homosexual children who bring home their foreign lovers, etc.
So much liberalism is impossible to fit in heavily conservative families that take care of their "honor" and what others talk about them. Even if they were dealing with so many "challenges" they would never do it so openly, even in the final days of the Empire. Such high-ranking and richer families kept those values long after the Empire was gone even if they stayed in parts of the Empire that became independent and undergone a total change – such are newly liberated countries in Europe.
The story flows and it's not hard to read, but I admit I was skipping the last pages because after 50% of the book writer jumps from first-person telling to multiple characters telling FP's point of view. Strange choices after so much of pages although I see why.
The writer (probably) wanted to tell many short (human) stories from the Ottoman Empire and those are interesting and don’t last too long before presenting us with good or bad examples of the empire’s subjects. In general, this broke the focus of the book, along with the problem of too many secondary characters who get their pasts told in detail so sometimes it is hard to follow who is who for a book of this size and you generally have problem attaching and holding to a preferred character or her/his fate.
Also from time to time, besides liberal behavior, characters behave amazingly unrealistic and strange. WW1 rages and the father advises the daughter to take a trip over the Atlantic (of course by ship). Such high-ranking family with links to the armed forces is not aware of ships being sunk all over the place by submarines.
Also, the characters are totally uninterested in The Great War, just talking about needed social and political reforms within the Empire even more strange since the elite knew the great European powers along the Russian empire that had not yet fallen into chaos of the October Revolution were negotiating about who will take what from the Ottoman empire, even deadlocks on front lines were already active.
I am pretty sure there is some mess with the historical line of events but didn’t bother to look further into it.
So much liberalism is impossible to fit in heavily conservative families that take care of their "honor" and what others talk about them. Even if they were dealing with so many "challenges" they would never do it so openly, even in the final days of the Empire. Such high-ranking and richer families kept those values long after the Empire was gone even if they stayed in parts of the Empire that became independent and undergone a total change – such are newly liberated countries in Europe.
The story flows and it's not hard to read, but I admit I was skipping the last pages because after 50% of the book writer jumps from first-person telling to multiple characters telling FP's point of view. Strange choices after so much of pages although I see why.
The writer (probably) wanted to tell many short (human) stories from the Ottoman Empire and those are interesting and don’t last too long before presenting us with good or bad examples of the empire’s subjects. In general, this broke the focus of the book, along with the problem of too many secondary characters who get their pasts told in detail so sometimes it is hard to follow who is who for a book of this size and you generally have problem attaching and holding to a preferred character or her/his fate.
Also from time to time, besides liberal behavior, characters behave amazingly unrealistic and strange. WW1 rages and the father advises the daughter to take a trip over the Atlantic (of course by ship). Such high-ranking family with links to the armed forces is not aware of ships being sunk all over the place by submarines.
Also, the characters are totally uninterested in The Great War, just talking about needed social and political reforms within the Empire even more strange since the elite knew the great European powers along the Russian empire that had not yet fallen into chaos of the October Revolution were negotiating about who will take what from the Ottoman empire, even deadlocks on front lines were already active.
I am pretty sure there is some mess with the historical line of events but didn’t bother to look further into it.
December 27, 2009
This book was recommended by my good friend Flora whose recommendations I can always trust. And this was no exception. It was not the best writing, but the information and the understanding of the Turkish and Ottoman empire and outlook was extremely valuable. I highly recommend this to anyone who needs to understand the mentality of that part of the world better.
Some favorite quotes...
-You took babies from all over the Empire and created a caste of soldiers and administrators through long years of training and education. The state owned them, but they began to believe that they owned the state and sometimes that they were the state. It was an ambitious plan which your rulers refined, but as your great and incomparable historian Ibn Khaldun warned many centuries ago, it is dangerous to expect a group without common ties of kinship or solidarity or class to remain loyal to the sovereign authority. A common training is fine for the production of French chefs, but not for creating a strong state.
-There is too much secrecy in our world, and concealment usually hurts more than the truth.
-The importance people attach to blood relationships has a great deal to do with the laws of inheritance and not very much to do with genuine affection.
-We are all capable of wearing the mask, but underneath we remain what we are even if we do not wish others to glimpse that reality.
-Love is the longing of the flute for the bed from which the reed was torn. Try and forget.”
Some favorite quotes...
-You took babies from all over the Empire and created a caste of soldiers and administrators through long years of training and education. The state owned them, but they began to believe that they owned the state and sometimes that they were the state. It was an ambitious plan which your rulers refined, but as your great and incomparable historian Ibn Khaldun warned many centuries ago, it is dangerous to expect a group without common ties of kinship or solidarity or class to remain loyal to the sovereign authority. A common training is fine for the production of French chefs, but not for creating a strong state.
-There is too much secrecy in our world, and concealment usually hurts more than the truth.
-The importance people attach to blood relationships has a great deal to do with the laws of inheritance and not very much to do with genuine affection.
-We are all capable of wearing the mask, but underneath we remain what we are even if we do not wish others to glimpse that reality.
-Love is the longing of the flute for the bed from which the reed was torn. Try and forget.”
November 12, 2020
This is the third novel in "The Islam Quintet" by Tariq Ali. I appreciated the first two books, but this one is just garbage.
When you take out those aspects of the book which are fundamentally broken, hardly any content is left. The underlying insight into political philosophy is simplistic and underdeveloped to the level of being offensive to the reader. Historical remarks come primarily in the form of short mentions of random faraway events with hardly any relevance or commentary. On top of this, the perception of time in characters reflects that of the author himself, e.g., they reference events from 10 or 100 years back with equal ease. Tariq Ali boldly ventures into narration from the perspective of a female character, the result of which presents itself as a cruel joke about women, where being trapped in perpetual adolescence and the crippling of the mind by sexual desires serve as puns. I assume that Tariq Ali's sexism is not premeditated, but stems from the fact that he thinks himself enough of a feminist to be justified in objectifying women and portraying them as another species if this intuition fits his personal perception. Apparently, a token female character who makes failed attempts at reading a book (a book magically understood by all men in the story, from a pasha to a barber) is enough to think that the representation of women was complex and nuanced. Gender equality must have its limits after all.
When you take out those aspects of the book which are fundamentally broken, hardly any content is left. The underlying insight into political philosophy is simplistic and underdeveloped to the level of being offensive to the reader. Historical remarks come primarily in the form of short mentions of random faraway events with hardly any relevance or commentary. On top of this, the perception of time in characters reflects that of the author himself, e.g., they reference events from 10 or 100 years back with equal ease. Tariq Ali boldly ventures into narration from the perspective of a female character, the result of which presents itself as a cruel joke about women, where being trapped in perpetual adolescence and the crippling of the mind by sexual desires serve as puns. I assume that Tariq Ali's sexism is not premeditated, but stems from the fact that he thinks himself enough of a feminist to be justified in objectifying women and portraying them as another species if this intuition fits his personal perception. Apparently, a token female character who makes failed attempts at reading a book (a book magically understood by all men in the story, from a pasha to a barber) is enough to think that the representation of women was complex and nuanced. Gender equality must have its limits after all.
June 1, 2020
I don't usually like reading fiction books. But this one is perhaps the book that I can recommend to you without any hesitation. It talks about the decline of the Ottoman empire. Sikandar Pasha who was a descendant of one of the closest courtiers of the Sultan of the Ottoman empire. He was banished from his home and settled to live outside of the City, Istanbul, on the bank of the sea. He had a family of six members. They all share stories of the Ottoman Sultans, Courtiers, and the ills that caused their downfall. It is historical fiction. The people who love reading history will certainly enjoy this book to the core.
January 8, 2018
The best one so far in his Islamic quintet collection. It may not be the most (and there are say it in the most millennial way possible) happening, but it is full of references regarding to the events that occurred in that era, which I found appealing. More specifically what rejoiced me even further was during the central committee meeting in Yusuf Pasha's palace, where he made a reference to a young Mustafa Kema in his military days. Which must have been a momentus occasion filled with nostalgia as that played a crucial role in salvaging what remained of the crumbled empire that was the Ottomans into a republic known today as Turkey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2022
The previous books very rather erotonormative. While this one was mostly the same, there was at least some effort to introduce characters with different attitudes. It was a smoother read than it's predecessors too. The setting of turn-of-the-20th-century Turkey was another unique one that I really appreciated.
December 31, 2023
Odlican prikaz jedne porodice i raspada Osmanskog carstva i pocetak formiranja Turske drzave. Odlican prikaz zivota 1899 u danasnjoj Turskoj. Puno politickih tema, kao i zivotnih. Kada mi neko kaze, zivjeli smo pod Turcima, nismo nikada, zivjeli smo pod Osmanlijama koji su prihvatali sve vjere i pod kojima su sve nacije zivjele.
August 6, 2018
Saw this at the library but had never heard of the author. I was sufficiently intrigued by the promise of different cultural scenes and what I can is that it was interesting.
This cliché word does work well here because the story had many details, not all captivating enough while others felt perfect. Ehh, interesting.
This cliché word does work well here because the story had many details, not all captivating enough while others felt perfect. Ehh, interesting.
January 11, 2025
A Turkish version of the Pazienza's art of joy. Beautiful.
June 26, 2019
Notes for self: Was good to visit to Istanbul right after finishing this book.
February 11, 2025
This is the third novel in the Islam Quintet. It is set in 1899 at the seaside summer residence of a wealthy and well-connected yet unconventional family of Iskender Pasha. Over the course of the summer they contemplate the decay of the Ottoman Empire, reveal old and new secrets, and resettle their lives. It is narrated by Nilofer, one of Iskender's two daughters, as she discovers the secrets of her parents' and siblings' lives while transforming her own.
The Stone Woman is a very quiet book focused on the characters and their relationships with each other. It explores the effect secrets have on a family, both in the keeping and the revealing of them. I think there's also a layer of metaphor regarding that part of Middle Eastern history, but I do not know enough about the late Ottoman Empire to have fully picked up on or understood it. The book is nonetheless quite enjoyable as the tale of a family at the twilight of their world.
The Stone Woman is a very quiet book focused on the characters and their relationships with each other. It explores the effect secrets have on a family, both in the keeping and the revealing of them. I think there's also a layer of metaphor regarding that part of Middle Eastern history, but I do not know enough about the late Ottoman Empire to have fully picked up on or understood it. The book is nonetheless quite enjoyable as the tale of a family at the twilight of their world.
August 18, 2014
If for no other reason, this book is worth reading as a fascinating introduction to the end days of the Ottoman empire. Taking place at the very end of the 19th century, The Stone Woman recounts several decades of family history of a wealthy Istanbul family as each member confronts the decline of the empire that has served them so well.
The author uses the stone woman as a device for allowing the reader to listen intimately to each main character's inner-most personal and family secrets. She is an old statue, or perhaps just a tall, lithe vertical rock with some imagined carvings into it, behind the family estate.
I know nothing of the other four books in the Islam Quintet, but I do find the label of Islam somewhat curious for this one: These characters are mixtures - Turks, Greeks, Armenian, Jews, Syrians, Sufis - and certainly portray a rich, diverse, and co-mingled society and family tolerant of many religious, cultural, sexual, or even atheistic beliefs. I agree with one of the back cover blurbs, that this novel certainly challenges any simplistic ideas one might have of life under Islamic rulers (at least in the recent past).
The language is beautiful without being overbearingly so, with many passages giving the lyrical, mystical feel of Middle Eastern languages.
The author uses the stone woman as a device for allowing the reader to listen intimately to each main character's inner-most personal and family secrets. She is an old statue, or perhaps just a tall, lithe vertical rock with some imagined carvings into it, behind the family estate.
I know nothing of the other four books in the Islam Quintet, but I do find the label of Islam somewhat curious for this one: These characters are mixtures - Turks, Greeks, Armenian, Jews, Syrians, Sufis - and certainly portray a rich, diverse, and co-mingled society and family tolerant of many religious, cultural, sexual, or even atheistic beliefs. I agree with one of the back cover blurbs, that this novel certainly challenges any simplistic ideas one might have of life under Islamic rulers (at least in the recent past).
The language is beautiful without being overbearingly so, with many passages giving the lyrical, mystical feel of Middle Eastern languages.
November 10, 2015
Having read the first two quintets, this is by far the best. A vivid tale with a rich historical context that evokes the last days of the Ottoman empire. The repetition of Ali's characters throughout his books featuring too frequently homosexual men, cheating spouses and bastards casts the plots sometimes mundane, but nevertheless this was a great read if only for Ali's exceptional ability to immerse you in the historical environment. If you're going to read one of Ali's books - let it be this one.
December 6, 2013
Assigned reading for Ottoman Empire course. I enjoyed this much more than I expected too. It was engaging and interesting, with some twists and turns but at an easy pace. A very good look at the march towards the end of the Ottoman empire through the eyes of one family. The Baron was hilarious, Nilofer... didn't take much to make her fall in love. Overall a good read, one I'll be keeping on the shelves. Never know when I might need it again.
February 15, 2016
Nothing special about this book unlike the previous two. Narration is very good but otherwise the story is very plane, slow and the historic background is very faint.
I also don't see how it relates to Islam by any means. The first 2 novels were handling important eras in Islamic empire and even though the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is a significant historic event, yet it doesn't show clearly in this novel.
I also don't see how it relates to Islam by any means. The first 2 novels were handling important eras in Islamic empire and even though the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is a significant historic event, yet it doesn't show clearly in this novel.
July 6, 2015
Loved the stories and really getting to know the whole family. It was insular in following just one family at one location but brought in a lot of information about what was happening in the world around them and how the Ottoman Empire was heading to collapse.
February 5, 2015
Excellent book on Turkish life just before the collapse of the Ottomon empire.
April 13, 2012
I much preferred the first 2 in the series, but this one was still highly readable.
July 23, 2020
The third book in the Islam Quintet is set in 1899, in the last decades of the tottering Ottoman Empire. It deals with the family of an Ottoman nobleman, Iskander Pasha, of ultimately Albanian descent. (When I read this I was startled to realize that this novel is set in approximately the same time and place as Kadare's Palace of Dreams which I read a few weeks earlier, because there is no resemblance at all between the imaginary Empire of Kadare and the realistic Empire of Ali.) The first person narrator is Iskander's daughter Nilofer, who ran away to marry a Greek schoolteacher when she was thirteen and has just returned nine years later with her young son Orhan to the family's summer palace a short journey from Istanbul. A few days after her return, her father suffers a stroke which deprives him of speech. The other siblings also return, the oldest Salman who was also estranged from his father and has been a diamond merchant in Alexandria, the younger brother Halil who is a general, and the older married sister Zeynep. Iskander's brother Memed and his lover the Baron have also returned from Berlin, and near the end of the book the other brother Kemel, a seagoing merchant, also arrives. The "stone woman" of the title is a rock, perhaps originally a pagan statue, to which the family members confess their secrets in chapters which are not in the voice of Nilofer; this is a structural device to let the reader know things that would not be otherwise revealed without flashbacks.
The narrative seems focused at first on the domestic and romantic history of the family, but as the book progresses we learn of a conspiracy against the Sultan. In the beginning, the political discussions seem somewhat detached from the plot of the book, but later they are illustrated by events in the plot. I thought that structurally this book was weaker than the first two books. There is much discussion of the coming collapse of the Empire, the need to modernize and eliminate the influence of the "beards", the Islamic clergy who are considered responsible by the characters for the decline of the Empire and its weakness in the face of the British, French, Germans and Russians. Note that the characters more anti-clerical than anti-religious, although there is somediscussion of Auguste Comte's positivist philosophy. I was surprised and somewhat disappointed that Ali, as a Marxist, has not tried to illustrate the economic causes which underlay the decline, but perhaps he has simply chosen to show us the ideas of the opponents of the Sultan at the time. There are forebodings of the Armenian massacre in the village of the servant Petrossian. We also see the influence of Western events through a journal Iskander wrote in Paris during the Commune.
One of the blurbs on the back compares the three first books to Mahfouz' Cairo Trilogy; if we leave aside the fact that Ali is not as accomplished a writer as Mahfouz, I think there are resemblances. I would say this is a worthwhile book and series to read.
The narrative seems focused at first on the domestic and romantic history of the family, but as the book progresses we learn of a conspiracy against the Sultan. In the beginning, the political discussions seem somewhat detached from the plot of the book, but later they are illustrated by events in the plot. I thought that structurally this book was weaker than the first two books. There is much discussion of the coming collapse of the Empire, the need to modernize and eliminate the influence of the "beards", the Islamic clergy who are considered responsible by the characters for the decline of the Empire and its weakness in the face of the British, French, Germans and Russians. Note that the characters more anti-clerical than anti-religious, although there is somediscussion of Auguste Comte's positivist philosophy. I was surprised and somewhat disappointed that Ali, as a Marxist, has not tried to illustrate the economic causes which underlay the decline, but perhaps he has simply chosen to show us the ideas of the opponents of the Sultan at the time. There are forebodings of the Armenian massacre in the village of the servant Petrossian. We also see the influence of Western events through a journal Iskander wrote in Paris during the Commune.
One of the blurbs on the back compares the three first books to Mahfouz' Cairo Trilogy; if we leave aside the fact that Ali is not as accomplished a writer as Mahfouz, I think there are resemblances. I would say this is a worthwhile book and series to read.
February 2, 2021
I don't really know how to describe it, but this novel has no... style? There is no flair or attempt at honing in on a voice of some kind. Every character speaks exactly the same. Exactly the same. I don't know. Usually I like prose that's pared down, but somehow I need to feel as if that's the author intention or will acting upon the words. I don't want to read the technical manual equivalent of a novel. I mean, sure, manuals are clear, precise, and concise (sometimes), but a really compelling novel needs something for the reader to enjoy other than brute story-telling. Tariq Ali never slows down or gives any scene proper room to breathe and really allow it to affect you. Everything is moving along at breakneck speeds and contrivances happen every few moments in order for the plot to move along. This combined with every character having the same voice makes the entire story feel like a blur. There was just nothing for me to latch onto.
The scenes I did like were people came to talk to the Stone Woman. She's one of the more compelling characters despite literally being a statue. It was cool to see people project their troubled hearts and minds onto this blank, silent figure. The parts were we actually get to explore the inner life and memories of one of these characters are the best parts of the book. It's like... maybe the story should have been about one of those narratives instead? I feel like you could still have explored the fall of the Ottoman empire AND get a unique, distinct voice). Honestly? Technically this book was a did-not-finish, because I had been dragging myself for 8+ days trying to read this slim novel; and when I finally got to page 216 or so, I just skipped to the end.
I liked bits and pieces here and there, but nothing to really boost this above a 2.5 star or so. Maybe you'll like it more if you're really into historical fiction. On that front, it's a really nice exploration of the intellectual and political currents surging around the world at that time; I just felt that the characters were flattened in order for that part of the novel to flourish.
The scenes I did like were people came to talk to the Stone Woman. She's one of the more compelling characters despite literally being a statue. It was cool to see people project their troubled hearts and minds onto this blank, silent figure. The parts were we actually get to explore the inner life and memories of one of these characters are the best parts of the book. It's like... maybe the story should have been about one of those narratives instead? I feel like you could still have explored the fall of the Ottoman empire AND get a unique, distinct voice). Honestly? Technically this book was a did-not-finish, because I had been dragging myself for 8+ days trying to read this slim novel; and when I finally got to page 216 or so, I just skipped to the end.
I liked bits and pieces here and there, but nothing to really boost this above a 2.5 star or so. Maybe you'll like it more if you're really into historical fiction. On that front, it's a really nice exploration of the intellectual and political currents surging around the world at that time; I just felt that the characters were flattened in order for that part of the novel to flourish.
August 6, 2024
Book: The Stone Woman
Author: Tariq Ali
Published: 2000
About the Author:
Tariq Ali is a British-Pakistani writer, journalist, and filmmaker known for his incisive political commentary and deep historical insights. Born in Lahore in 1943, Ali has penned numerous works exploring the intersections of history, politics, and culture. His "Islam Quintet" series, of which "The Stone Woman" is the third book, is celebrated for its rich narratives and profound exploration of Islamic history and heritage. 🏺
Review:
Just finished "The Stone Woman" by Tariq Ali and it’s a captivating and evocative read! Set in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, the novel paints a vivid picture of a family grappling with change and decay. Ali’s lyrical prose and detailed historical setting bring to life the characters' struggles with identity, tradition, and modernity. A compelling and immersive story that offers a profound reflection on the inevitable passage of time and the transformation of cultures. Highly recommended for those who love historical fiction with depth and nuance. 📖
Summary:
"The Stone Woman" takes us to a crumbling Ottoman mansion where the family of Iskander Pasha gathers to recount their past and face their uncertain future. The narrative weaves together the lives of different family members, each grappling with their personal conflicts against the backdrop of a fading empire. Themes of love, betrayal, and the clash between tradition and progress permeate the story, as Ali masterfully blends personal and political history. The novel is a poignant exploration of cultural and familial legacy, painted with Ali’s characteristic eloquence and insight.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
Goodreads: @readinglately
#readinglately #latelyreading #TheStoneWoman #TariqAli #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BookRecommendations #Bookstagram #syedfarqaleet
Author: Tariq Ali
Published: 2000
About the Author:
Tariq Ali is a British-Pakistani writer, journalist, and filmmaker known for his incisive political commentary and deep historical insights. Born in Lahore in 1943, Ali has penned numerous works exploring the intersections of history, politics, and culture. His "Islam Quintet" series, of which "The Stone Woman" is the third book, is celebrated for its rich narratives and profound exploration of Islamic history and heritage. 🏺
Review:
Just finished "The Stone Woman" by Tariq Ali and it’s a captivating and evocative read! Set in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, the novel paints a vivid picture of a family grappling with change and decay. Ali’s lyrical prose and detailed historical setting bring to life the characters' struggles with identity, tradition, and modernity. A compelling and immersive story that offers a profound reflection on the inevitable passage of time and the transformation of cultures. Highly recommended for those who love historical fiction with depth and nuance. 📖
Summary:
"The Stone Woman" takes us to a crumbling Ottoman mansion where the family of Iskander Pasha gathers to recount their past and face their uncertain future. The narrative weaves together the lives of different family members, each grappling with their personal conflicts against the backdrop of a fading empire. Themes of love, betrayal, and the clash between tradition and progress permeate the story, as Ali masterfully blends personal and political history. The novel is a poignant exploration of cultural and familial legacy, painted with Ali’s characteristic eloquence and insight.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)
Goodreads: @readinglately
#readinglately #latelyreading #TheStoneWoman #TariqAli #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BookRecommendations #Bookstagram #syedfarqaleet
April 3, 2018
In this novel, Tariq Ali takes a nuanced stance on empire. The novel is set in the summer of 1899, and the Ottoman empire has been in decline for two centuries, both in terms of its power and influence, and with regard to its intellectual and cultural influence. It is dominated by corrupt officials, a backward clergy, and an inefficient bureacracy. Yet in portraying the crumbling empire Ali seems almost to long for the cosmopolitan empire in preference to the brutal nationalism that was to come. Almost.
I enjoyed this novel: it is centered on an upper-class family with liberal views and unconventional behavior, and by the end of the book we know more about that family than even they do at the beginning. They are portrayed as decent people who have experienced their share of setbacks and disappointments. I suppose we should never feel sympathy for members of the ruling class, of whatever place or era, but Ali goes out of his way to have us do just that. Perhaps he wants us to know that the Islamic world is not one unified thing. Whatever his motivations, he has made a very sympathetic portrait of a mostly likable family.
I enjoyed this novel: it is centered on an upper-class family with liberal views and unconventional behavior, and by the end of the book we know more about that family than even they do at the beginning. They are portrayed as decent people who have experienced their share of setbacks and disappointments. I suppose we should never feel sympathy for members of the ruling class, of whatever place or era, but Ali goes out of his way to have us do just that. Perhaps he wants us to know that the Islamic world is not one unified thing. Whatever his motivations, he has made a very sympathetic portrait of a mostly likable family.
February 23, 2019
Γενικα απογοητευση σε συγκριση με το πρωτο βιβλιο του Tariq Ali "Στον ισκιο της ροδιας".
Νομιζω οτι η πολυπλοκοτητα του ιστορικου πλαισιου καταδικασε τη μυθοστορηματικη πλοκη σε απλοϊκοτητα αναλογη τουρκικου σιριαλ. Οι χαρακτηρες εμοιαζαν με ηθοποιους που εμπαιναν στη σκηνη για να πουν τα λογια που τους ειχε αναθεσει ο σκηνοθετης. Και πραγματι υπαρχουν πολλα να ειπωθουν για την εποχη αυτη. Αλλα το οικογενειακο περιβαλλον δεν αρκει για να "καλυψει" ολη την ιστορια με αποτελεσμα ο συγγραφεας να χρησιμοποιει προσωπα- μετεωριτες οπως η γαλλιδα ερωμενη που ερχεται ετσι απροειδοποιητα για να δωσει το ημερολογιο που αργοτερα θα διαβαστει απο τα μελη της οικογενειας.
Το παραδοξο ειναι οτι ενω το μεγεθος του βιβλιου ειναι σχετικα μικρο- 317 σελιδες- υπαρχουν περιγραφες που δεν χρησιμευουν ουτε στην πλοκη ουτε στην αποδοση του ιστορικου πλαισιου και που κατα τη γνωμη μου θα μπορουσαν να λειπουν.
Τελος υπαρχει μια αμηχανια στην αφηγηση που αλλοτε συμπιπτει με τα λογια της πρωταγωνιστριας Νιλοφερ και αλλοτε μεταφερεται σε αλλα προσωπα με βιαστικο τροπο (εν ειδει ημερολογιακων αναφορων) ή με εμβολιμες εξομολογησεις στην Πετρινη γυναικα.
Νομιζω οτι η πολυπλοκοτητα του ιστορικου πλαισιου καταδικασε τη μυθοστορηματικη πλοκη σε απλοϊκοτητα αναλογη τουρκικου σιριαλ. Οι χαρακτηρες εμοιαζαν με ηθοποιους που εμπαιναν στη σκηνη για να πουν τα λογια που τους ειχε αναθεσει ο σκηνοθετης. Και πραγματι υπαρχουν πολλα να ειπωθουν για την εποχη αυτη. Αλλα το οικογενειακο περιβαλλον δεν αρκει για να "καλυψει" ολη την ιστορια με αποτελεσμα ο συγγραφεας να χρησιμοποιει προσωπα- μετεωριτες οπως η γαλλιδα ερωμενη που ερχεται ετσι απροειδοποιητα για να δωσει το ημερολογιο που αργοτερα θα διαβαστει απο τα μελη της οικογενειας.
Το παραδοξο ειναι οτι ενω το μεγεθος του βιβλιου ειναι σχετικα μικρο- 317 σελιδες- υπαρχουν περιγραφες που δεν χρησιμευουν ουτε στην πλοκη ουτε στην αποδοση του ιστορικου πλαισιου και που κατα τη γνωμη μου θα μπορουσαν να λειπουν.
Τελος υπαρχει μια αμηχανια στην αφηγηση που αλλοτε συμπιπτει με τα λογια της πρωταγωνιστριας Νιλοφερ και αλλοτε μεταφερεται σε αλλα προσωπα με βιαστικο τροπο (εν ειδει ημερολογιακων αναφορων) ή με εμβολιμες εξομολογησεις στην Πετρινη γυναικα.
Read
August 31, 2023Okay I tried, I really did. What a horrible deceptive description of this book has been given before.
A promising tale of descriptions and characters, ripe with history is supposed to be found in this book.
Instead I find junpy narratives,making no sense, characters running over their stories and simply being utterly uninteresting and unlikable.
Perfect example of a book written for a Western audience that is not Muslim or religious in any way;and as for me, is simply intolerable to read.
All I can find is an author obsessed with s**, creating affairs and dismissing cultural and religious values even easier than flies.
Characters talk freely about their ancestor's embarrassing*** lives at every turn, men describe women lustfully in front of everyone, crude jokes are said and everyone is a
hidden homosexual in this novel.
Supposedly set with Muslim characters in what are know to be conservative families and classes, this was a fever dream to read.
I don't know about you but hearing the name of God and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and such depraved things in the same sentences is an affront to me as a Muslim.
Astaghfirullah.
Dnf'ed at 61/278
Thanks for nothing.
A promising tale of descriptions and characters, ripe with history is supposed to be found in this book.
Instead I find junpy narratives,making no sense, characters running over their stories and simply being utterly uninteresting and unlikable.
Perfect example of a book written for a Western audience that is not Muslim or religious in any way;and as for me, is simply intolerable to read.
All I can find is an author obsessed with s**, creating affairs and dismissing cultural and religious values even easier than flies.
Characters talk freely about their ancestor's embarrassing*** lives at every turn, men describe women lustfully in front of everyone, crude jokes are said and everyone is a
hidden homosexual in this novel.
Supposedly set with Muslim characters in what are know to be conservative families and classes, this was a fever dream to read.
I don't know about you but hearing the name of God and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and such depraved things in the same sentences is an affront to me as a Muslim.
Astaghfirullah.
Dnf'ed at 61/278
Thanks for nothing.
November 19, 2021
The 3rd of the Islamic Quintet, and the most interior. As with the previous novels, the setting takes place in midst of an Islamic culture on the brink of a major change; in this case the fall of the Ottoman Empire. In this novel, the story takes place in the family of long-standing bureaucrats of the empire. Everyone feels collapse coming, but no one agrees on the course to take for a new society.
Among the discussions about politics and religion come side conversations about the role of women, the nature of marriage, and love.
The previous two novels contained a certain sweeping view of the historical events, and I enjoyed the telling of them a lot. The interior nature of this novel makes sense, but not as much to my liking. I'm glad I read it, but the strengths of the first 2 novels make me look forward to the 4th novel.
Among the discussions about politics and religion come side conversations about the role of women, the nature of marriage, and love.
The previous two novels contained a certain sweeping view of the historical events, and I enjoyed the telling of them a lot. The interior nature of this novel makes sense, but not as much to my liking. I'm glad I read it, but the strengths of the first 2 novels make me look forward to the 4th novel.
January 23, 2022
This somehow felt like a YA I don't know how to explain it. It was way too Liberal in a way that is fanfiction. Almost all men in this book were top tier which I felt like wasn't realistic for this genre. I understand one or two men being like that but all. Lol that is just a dream. Also they talked about beauty in a way that was disgusting. I have actually watched tariq ali in an interview or too so he definitely surprised me by his inclusiveness. The worst thing despite having a vast variety of wonderful men and amazing women none of the characters stayed with me and the book felt like that book in the book deal where you know the author is done. I still want to read more by the author I feel like I am going to find something interesting by him.
March 26, 2022
Ada kecelakaan kecil membuat buku ini sedikit basah. Dalam upaya untuk membuat tetap bisa dibaca dan mengurangi bagian yang bergelombang (namanya juga kertas kena air), diletakkan sejumlah besar buku di atas buku ini. Ternyata, sekian lama terlewatkan, buku ini tak juga diambil dari tumpukan, bahkan makin banyak buku-buku lain di atasnya. Penerbitnya bahkan sudah tak ada khabarnya.
Sebuah keluarga yang seakan terlihat sempurna, ternyata memiliki aneka persoalan yang tak terduga. Siapa yang mengira, kebiasaan unik keluarga ini-berbicara pada patung batu yang berbentuk seperti perempuan (disebut perempuan batu) ternyata membantu mereka menyelesaikan masalah yang ada. Sosok perempuan batu dalam kisah menjadi perekat dalam novel ini.
Sebuah keluarga yang seakan terlihat sempurna, ternyata memiliki aneka persoalan yang tak terduga. Siapa yang mengira, kebiasaan unik keluarga ini-berbicara pada patung batu yang berbentuk seperti perempuan (disebut perempuan batu) ternyata membantu mereka menyelesaikan masalah yang ada. Sosok perempuan batu dalam kisah menjadi perekat dalam novel ini.
August 23, 2020
One of those rare books where the atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a knife. A stately, Gattopardo-esque tale of latter day Ottoman Empire from the perspective of its next generation, The Stone Woman is great for those who simply want to exist in a different time and place and get swept away in the history and intrigue so richly woven into the story. Historical fiction can sometimes err on the side of dry, but here the isolation of the setting and the confessional motif in which every major character bares their soul to the titular image adds a rich, complex inner life to the frame of the work. I recommend paired with either a glass of red wine or a hot cup of mint tea.
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