Elif Shafak

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- MerrySquirell
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Elif Shafak
OP - September 12, 2013, 07:50 AM

IMHO, the best turkish writer.

I am currently reading her newest book Honour. She is a master of written words, that makes you go through the same page 2 or 3 times.And write down the most memorable sentences...

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/apr/08/elif-shafak-honour-meet-the-author

I realised that God was too much like man to be God. by prince Spinoza
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Elif Shafak
Reply #1 - September 12, 2013, 08:08 AM

Try some Reşat Nuri Güntekin if you want some serious literature, sugarplum.

That being said, The Flea Palace was enjoyable enough, I suppose. Here's hoping the original turkish version isn't crowded with artificial öztürk and TDK neologisms.
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Elif Shafak
Reply #2 - September 12, 2013, 08:32 AM

Never heard of her before, might check out a book.

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
- MerrySquirell
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Elif Shafak
Reply #3 - September 12, 2013, 08:41 AM

Speaking of serious literature, her book ''40 rules of love'' was slammed as being too ''fairy-tale and unrealistic''.
Maybe that was her weakest work.

I realised that God was too much like man to be God. by prince Spinoza
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Elif Shafak
Reply #4 - September 12, 2013, 11:25 AM

Quote from: MerrySquirell on September 12, 2013, 08:41 AM
Speaking of serious literature, her book ''40 rules of love'' was slammed as being too ''fairy-tale and unrealistic''.
Maybe that was her weakest work.

Honour is just a re-write of an Eastern Turkish soap opera (dizi) with some geographic and psychological alterations. A seven-year old Kurd/Turk hanging out with situationist punks is pretty unique and unheard of, though.
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Elif Shafak
Reply #5 - September 12, 2013, 11:32 AM

Listening to an interview with her in Turkish. She used the word 'sentez' (synthesis) when we have a Turkish equivalent ('bütünleşme'). Ugh.

At times I am required to use turkified neologisms that don't respect the ahenk of the language (because I can find no equivalents) but I am not representing a literary tradition. People should be compelled to fetch a dictionary, if need be.

So sad to see a language, which once rivaled English in its scope (Geoffrey Lewis, 1999) be reduced to a mud heap
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