The second post of February could not be
released on time, but it does not matter all that much because the previous post continued to gain momentum and relevance... Am I correct? Do you agree
with me? Yes, I know; at least Jarret was not a convicted sexual abuser.
Predictions are not always perfect.
The patriarchy continues to act with impunity and without shame. The trump regime bombed a girls’ school in Iran. Almost one hundred and fifty people were killed, but this did not cause much outrage in the American mainstream media. It is heartbreaking to learn about the actions of the bone-spurred psychopath in power. What is the American Congress doing right now? How can they be so heartless?
Don’t forget that the patriarchy promoted
Donald Trump as the “peace president” and blamed Kamala Harris for the war on
Gaza. What can be wrong with that? Wait
a minute. I thought Americans did not want to start new wars, but why would
trump care about what Americans want? He knows that he can invent excuses to
avoid elections in America; the Republican Congress and the mainstream media will follow
along, because this is what they have always done.
They always manage to “normalize” him.
Let’s
make it clear: sycophants of the mafia boss do not make America great. They are
part of the mafia. I warned the readers of My Writing Life: Awareness,
Reflection, Inspiration about the risks of electing Donald Trump but the patriarchy did not index my blog
post, and the mainstream media promoted the pathological liar instead.
Now you may wonder what this has to do with
today’s book presentation…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a novel by
Elif Shafak which had been heavily influenced by the patriarchy, but today I have
a special surprise for you. I offer the antidote. In The Bastard of
Istanbul by Elif Shafak we meet a couple of women who stand up to toxic
masculinity and finally impart justice…
The
Bastard of Istanbul by
Elif Shafak is a brilliant masterpiece with memorable characters. It has the
enchantment of a mystery crowned with a totally unexpected ending. Be prepared
to appreciate the psychological aspects of this riveting novel. Culture and
history intermingle to entrance the reader and invite the imagination to run
wild.
The stories and people connect in
fascinating ways and show how life is a tapestry of experiences and
coincidences in which past, present and future relate to one another.
Elif Shafak’s writing style is unique and
captivating. I appreciate her sense of humor and the painstaking way of showing
her eccentric characters.
Armanoush is an Armenian American woman whose
mother, Rose, is from Kentucky. Her father is Armenian American. He divorced
her mother when she was a toddler. Soon after her divorce, Rose married a Turkish guy, Mustafa Kacinzi, who is originally from Istanbul. Rose did not even
know that Istanbul was located in Turkey when she first met him…They met in
Arizona, where Armanoush grew up, so Mustafa becomes her step-father.
Armanoush wants to learn more about her family
background, so she ends up travelling to Istanbul secretly to visit Mustafa’s
family and get to know the city where her own Armenian grandmother had grown
up. Mustafa has four sisters who live with their mother and great-grandmother. Mustafa
had not cared to see his sisters for almost twenty years. The reason for this
is eventually revealed…
Armanoush writes about the women to her cyber-friends
in the following words:
“The family I am living with is quite
interesting, a bit crazy, but perhaps all families are. There is something
surreal here. Irrationality is part of the everyday rationale. I feel like I am
in a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. One of the sisters is a tattoo artist;
another sister is a clairvoyant; one other is a national history teacher; and
the fourth is an eccentric wallflower, or a full-time cuckoo.”
Then there is another woman, of course. Her name is Asya. She is the daughter of the household. A woman with four mothers and no father. “Quite a character—full of rage, satire and wit. She’d make a good Dostoyevsky character.”
This book is an exquisite gift to anybody who loves to learn about other cultures and to understand history through engaging fiction. It is an opportunity to travel with the mind from the comfort of your home and to understand the present with enhanced perspectives.
Among other things, this book invited me to
explore the conflicts and richness of multiculturalism. It made me think about
the concept of self-actualization, authenticity and the sui generis power of
creativity. It made me consider the effects of cultural influence and the need
to follow one’s personal journey.
The Bastard of Istanbul made me reflect
on the fragility and strength of friendship. It made me ponder on the
significance of resilience in the face of trauma.
I could be writing for hours about each topic
in this book, but I will stop here. Delight your senses and feed your
intellectual curiosity by simply diving into it. It is a multicultural
adventure.
In 2006 Elif Shafak was put on trial because
she was falsely accused of “denigrating Turkishness” under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code. She could have been given up to a three-year prison
sentence because of what the Armenian characters spoke in the novel. Thankfully, the charges were eventually
dropped.
I liked
many of these strong female characters, but I did not like that they smoked and
drank so much. Why would anyone pay to become sick?
Read
The Bastard of Istanbul and discuss it with friends. It is an excellent
choice for a book club.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLiverQ1s44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTbU3l_aymM
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/01/iran-school-bombing-death-toll-us-israel-strikes
