Ten Members attended the Book Club meeting held on Monday 3rd April to discuss a book which several Members had been unable to complete (including me – Sorry!) So it is with many thanks to the lovely Chris B that we are able to have a completely accurate account of who was who and what went on and those stalwart few that did finish it. So a huge thank you to you all.
So here goes …… Several Members found that the book got better as it went on having found that the first two thirds were almost unnecessary. Most found it confusing being unable to identify the characters, with it also being quite slow going at first and finding the culture very “brutal”. They also found dates were irrelevant and those Members reading on Kindles found it a little frustrating not being able to flick back for reference and a bit tedious. They found the letters interesting as with the twist in the daughter’s life. They also liked the Guru chap but not because he was sent. They thought the prison officer was nasty and totally unlikeable. All agreed that the younger brother turned out to be the only successful one. It was generally felt that the “plot” was extremely longwinded and took far too long. Another Member stating that the book was 100% unpleasant and the characters had no depth. A few Members said that they did enjoy the parts of the book depicting Jamila with her love of midwifery and also learning about the cultural life with its rules but not the actual story with several others saying they did like it in the end.
A little more explanation ? – The novel moves back more than half a century across Istanbul and London and is centred on the Turkish Kurd family – Toprak mainly in the 1970s : Adem & Khalil were brothers and twins ; Pembe was the mother who was stabbed in the “Honour” killing : the son who stabbed her was Iskender and their daughters, his sisters were Esma & Yunus : Pembe’s identical twin sister was Jamila (who always loved Adem but he married her sister Pembe) there were outlaws (yes!) and a mention of military service and much “to-ing and fro-ing “ and delivering of babies, radicalisation and affairs !! Hope this helps to make it a little clearer for those who like me did not finish this particular tome Summing up in Esma’s words “We Topraks were only passers-by in this city – a half-Turkish, half Kurdish family in the wrong end of London,” and in your words “we would not recommend it to a friend” but most scored it out of 10 as follows as 5 or 6 ; although there was a nought, a one and a four in the mix too and of course apologies from those of us who did not read it to the end ! So overall a good book for discussion with a definite need for helpful explanations !!