LucyB (47 KP) rated Three Daughters of Eve in Books
Jul 23, 2017
It certainly lived up to expectations. The book is set both in the past and the present, focusing on Peri as a student in Oxford, and as a wealthy wife (14 years later) in Istanbul. It starts with something of a red herring, focusing on Peri's attack (and almost rape) by a beggar, then develops into an exploration of her past, as a Turkish Muslim at Oxford University.
She's flanked by Shirin, a non-believer, and Mona, a devout Muslim - making them 'the sinner, the believer and the confused'. They're united by a man called Professor Azur, who has a major influence in their lives, both positive and negative.
The book is an intriguing exploration into religion, belief and culture-clash - and in particular, the scenes detailing Peri's past, with a non-believing father and a devout mother, worked particularly well. A few moments jarred slightly - for example, the sudden revelation about the twin brother towards the end, and the abrupt shift in perspective from Peri to Professor Azur (again, towards the end), but for the most part, this book was masterfully executed and beautifully sustained throughout.
I think Shafak has a strong, resonant style, combined with a philosophical approach - which works really well. I'd definitely like to read more of her books
The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon
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In the early years of the 18th century, a band of French scientists set off on a daring, decade-long...
Advanced Marine Structures
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Due in part to a growing demand for offshore oil and gas exploration, the development of marine...
A History of the World in Sixteen Shipwrecks
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Stories of disasters at sea, whether about Roman triremes, the treasure fleet of the Spanish Main,...
Every Note Played
8.0
Rate It
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From neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice comes a powerful...
fiction contemporary fiction
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Prime Deception in Books
Jan 12, 2018
The story was interesting but could have been so much more than that; I felt there was way too much emphasis on the feelings of the main characters, which got boring quite quickly, and not enough development of the crime/thriller aspect of the story. The first third of the story was good, the second third was boring and the last third was when the tension developed but this was over very quickly.
Full review - http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/
The Craggus (360 KP) rated Free Solo (2018) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Of course, that was fantasy and “Free Solo” is reality and although the climbing of El Capitan is the film’s crowning glory, the real hook of the documentary is in its exploration of what drives Alex Honnold to do what he does, proving that there’s so much more to the compulsion to climb a mountain than ‘because it’s there’...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusFreeSolo
Artie Adams (1 KP) rated The Orville in TV
May 28, 2018 (Updated May 28, 2018)
The Orville is a return to the optimistic exploration of the human condition that made Trek great, featuring social commentary (About a Girl, Krill, Majority Rule), hard sci-fi (Pria, New Dimensions), and a mixture of the both (Mad Idolatry).
The Last Expedition
Ranulph Fiennes and Robert Falcon Scott
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This title is presented with an introduction by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. "The Last Expedition" is...
Toscanini: Musician of Conscience
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Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) was famed for his dedication, photographic memory, explosive temper and...