10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - 5 stars

[Joy D]

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak - 5 stars

PBT Comments: While this book is set in 20th century, the author is specifically commenting on 21st century issues ongoing in Turkey. It has been nominated for the 2019 Booker prize. I am particularly drawn to books with beautiful writing and this is such a book. Content advisories for sensitive readers: (view spoiler)[murder, rape, assault, pedophilia, sexual trafficking, abuse, transphobia, miscarriage, and religious intolerance. (hide spoiler)]

Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been brutally murdered. Her heart has stopped but her brain continues to function for 10 minutes 38 seconds. As she slips away, she tells her story through recounting memories of salient events of her life. We see her birth into a dysfunctional family, abuse at the hands of a relative, and formation of close bonds of friendship with five other social outcasts. We find out the reasons behind her flight from her small hometown of Van to Istanbul, and how she became a prostitute. The story then shifts to the group of friends, who conduct a well-intentioned escapade to give Leila a proper burial.

Şafak’s prose is expressive and insightful. Her vivid descriptions are filled with sensual details of the smells, tastes, and textures of Leila’s environment. She also includes historical references about Turkey and the Middle East, which educate, inform, and add local color. Although it is centered around a rather macabre premise, once the story gets going, the idea behind it subsides and it is easy to become engrossed in Şafak’s sophisticated storytelling. The first part of the book is structured into one-minute segments of memory, alternating with the backstories of Leila’s five eccentric friends. This structure is very effective in focusing the narrative on the essential information to understand Leila’s life, motivations, and how she ended up as a murder victim. The characters are beautifully drawn, and each friend has an important role in the second part that goes on after Leila’s death. I particularly enjoyed the way the friends love and support each other. The friends’ burial caper infuses a dose of dark humor and provides relief from the heavier content.

Themes of this book include bonds formed through friendships (which can be even more important when family disappoints); the exploitation of sex workers and lack of a system that addresses the root causes; the dynamics of power; and how hard life can be for those viewed as “different.” It takes place in the 20th century, but the topics and themes are eminently relevant in today’s world. Though it is about death, it is to the author’s credit that it ultimately feels life-affirming and hopeful, a story of unbreakable human spirit in the face of injustice. Leila becomes a catalyst for positive change in the lives of her friends. This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Memorable passages:
Leila observes her thoughts as her brain shuts down: “Her memory surged forth, eager and diligent, collecting pieces of a life that was speeding to a close. She recalled things she did not even know she was capable of remembering, things she had believed to be lost forever. Time became fluid, a fast flow of recollections seeping into one another, the past and the present inseparable.”

Leila reflects on her close friends, thinking of them as her safety net: “Every time she stumbled or keeled over, they were there for her, supporting her or softening the impact of the fall. On nights when she was mistreated by a client, she would still find the strength to hold herself up, knowing that her friends, with their very presence, would come with ointment for her scrapes and bruises; and on days when she wallowed in self-pity, her chest cracking open, they would gently pull her up and breathe life into her lungs.”

Link to My GR Review

[Nicole D.]

wow ... I hattttteeedddd this book. LOL

[Nicole R]

I just read some reviews of this on The Reader’s Room and it looks polarizing, to say the least. Susie hates it too but others raves about it!

[Nikki]

Nicole D. wrote: "wow ... I hattttteeedddd this book. LOL"

"Five Stereotypes You Meet in a Gutter in Istanbul" is a memorable description ;-) I'm being pigheaded and ignoring your warning though, because Joy's review makes it sound like something I would love...

[Booknblues]

Nicole R. I read those as well, so I'm wondering about this. I often agree with Joy D. about books so it is still on my radar.

[Joy D]

I know this won't be to everyone's taste and I can see how it would be polarizing, as Nicole points out. I related to the group of outcasts and also to the lack of a loving family. Not sure if that helps any.

[Tracy]

I loved this one, too. Something about her writing captivates me.

[Susie]

Tracy, you and I rarely disagree, but on this one we do. I’m with Nicole D. I came close to hating it. It’s at the bottom of my Booker list.

Joy, it will be interesting to see how our rankings compare. Which of the longlist is at the top of your list so far? The top spot goes to Night Boat to Tangier for me.

[Joanne]

" The top spot goes to Night Boat to Tangier for me.
"

I am not a "Booker" reader like you all-but Night Boat is one that caught my attention-Thanks for reminding me to add it!

[Tracy]

Susie wrote: "Tracy, you and I rarely disagree, but on this one we do. I’m with Nicole D. I came close to hating it. It’s at the bottom of my Booker list.

Joy, it will be interesting to see how our rankings co..."

True, we rarely disagree! I wasn’t a big fan of Night Boat, though. This year’s list is turning out to be more interesting than I thought it would be.

[Joy D]

Susie wrote: "Joy, it will be interesting to see how our rankings compare. Which of the longlist is at the top of your list so far? The top spot goes to Night Boat to Tangier for me..."

Susie, I am not a longlist "completist" (for example, I will never read My Sister the Serial Killer since one of the main characters is a psychopath) but of those I've read so far:
1. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak - 5 stars - My Review
2. Quichotte: A Novel by Salman Rushdie - 4 stars - My Review
3. Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson - 4 stars - My Review

The following are on my TBR: The Testaments, Night Boat to Tangier, The Man Who Saw Everything, Lost Children Archive, An Orchestra of Minorities, Lanny. I am not sure when I'll read them, but I will eventually get to them. I was fortunate to be approved by NetGalley to receive the 3 I've read.

[Sara]

My library doesn't even have this one on order. I'd like to give it a try, especially as my kids attend a school with a large Turkish immigrant population, but I don't really want to buy it.

[Anita]

I'm going to give this one a shot for the cultural tag. Fingers crossed I agree with you, Joy, and am not in the Susie/Nicole camp. But I'm a little worried . . .

[Joy D]

Anita wrote: "I'm going to give this one a shot for the cultural tag. Fingers crossed I agree with you, Joy, and am not in the Susie/Nicole camp. But I'm a little worried . . ."
It's definitely a good one for the cultural tag, Anita. I understand your hesitancy. Enjoyment likely hinges on your reaction to the characters. I found them wonderfully eccentric. I actually know people like this, though not as disadvantaged, so I did not think of them as stereotypes. If nothing else, it's beautifully written. Hope you enjoy it!

[Amy]

I liked this author for Three Daughters of Eve. Haven't tried this one.

[NancyJ]

This is my first year reading Booker nominees, but I am finding that I have turned some corner. I'm enjoying books I would not have enjoyed before, just because of the writing. So I have a request in for this book. My current book is This Is How You Lose the Time War, and I am blown away by the writing. I would have probably hated it 2 years ago.

[Joanne]

NancyJ wrote: "This is my first year reading Booker nominees, but I am finding that I have turned some corner. I'm enjoying books I would not have enjoyed before, just because of the writing. So I have a request ..."

I am on the wait list for this one-I will be interested in your review!

[NancyJ]

Sara wrote: "My library doesn't even have this one on order. I'd like to give it a try, especially as my kids attend a school with a large Turkish immigrant population, but I don't really want to buy it."

It's not available in the US yet. I submitted this as a purchase request with my library. My library usually comes through. If you put in a request, you should mention the large Turkish population as well as the booker award when requesting it.

I don't know if it matters, but my form asks me to name my branch, and I always name the largest branch in my town, rather than the smaller ones that are cutting back their schedule due to funding.