5 comments about The Yacoubian Building: A Novel.

1. With characters from various backgrounds peppering the novel, this was a great "slice of life" of modern Egypt. It was fascinating to see the characters, linked by this one place, how they interconnected and how culture and religion impacted their lives. The reader is instantly transported into another world in reading the novel, and it is truly a memorable journey.



2. Reading literature about a particular city gives you insight into the mores and character of that community. This is true of Alaa Al Aswany's novel from 2002, The Yacoubian Building (ImaratYa'qubyan). I found the novel both well written and structured. Using the title building as his center Aswany portrays a diverse group of contemporary Cairenes to demonstrate the experience of living in the world of Egypt today. The author presents the issues of political corruption, class conflict and the "science" of love in a believable narrative; however, I found his portrayal of homosexuality less effective: sensitive at times but ultimately concluding with a stereotypically brutal end for the spurned lover. The difficulties of living in this society are highlighted as the novel moves smoothly from episode to episode building toward a climax that, while somewhat melodramatic, brings the story to an effective conclusion. Overall the complex narrative and view of the city of Cairo made this an engaging and satisfying read.



3. Al Aswany populates the Yacoubian Building with a set of socially diverse characters and then relates a set of stories involving various residents. This device allows him to create a portrait of life in Cairo; the injustices suffered by the poor, the corruption of the elite, the political and economic realities of a repressed society and the way religion is used by different players to achieve their purposes.
   
   The main characters are each introduced in some detail and because there are a large number of them, this means that lengthy digressions into the background of characters are still taking place halfway through the book. This tends to almost bog the narrative down in places. The other disadvantage of having so many central characters is that it makes it difficult to develop them in any real way. Though a number of them do emerge by the end of the book as having the necessary depth to make them interesting, others remain close to being stereotypes. The novel is an interesting slice of modern Cairo life and as such is a rewarding read, but it doesn't quite ever become totally engrossing.



4. with few characters, the author depicts contemporean Cairo with a palette of nuances: tragic, nostalgic, cruel and soft at the same time.



5. This book was published in Arabic in 2002 and for a few years thereafter was one of the world's best-selling novels in that language. It was translated into English in 2004. I didn't open it looking for a masterpiece of style or psychological depth, but for a window into another society's values, types, behaviors and problems. On that level, it satisfied.
   
   It followed the lives of five main characters who lived or worked in a once-grand, now-decaying building in downtown Cairo: male/female, young/old, rich/poor, devout/secular, educated/working class, straight/gay. The author introduced the five as individuals, then paired them off with each other or with the secondary characters around them. The action jumped back and forth between the pairs as the novel progressed, contrasting the characters' behavior up through the conclusion.
   
   With this structure, the author was able to touch on many aspects of society, one after another. He depicted political corruption, the scheming for advantage among the powerful and powerless, sexual repression and obsession, the benefits that flowed from money and connections, the lack of democracy and opportunity, the frustration that led to religious fundamentalism, and the search of so many for love and respect.
   
   In interviews, the author has said he saw the majority of the characters in his novel as oppressed, and that he believed in the long run a repressive government would generate terrorism. In the book, one of the protagonists argued that the country's curse was dictatorship, that it led inevitably to poverty, corruption and failure in all fields, and that a step forward must include progress toward democracy.
   
   I was struck particularly by the book's ending, where the main characters' various fates might hint at the author's view of the way toward a brighter future: joining the tolerant outlook of the old with the aspirations and vitality of the young, in a relationship of mutual trust and respect. And an avoidance of religious extremism and unbridled sensuality, both of which seemed to lead to wasted potential and a dead end.
   
   The story was very readable, and the plot raced along. Toward the end, the pace was sustained at the cost of some believability. I found the characters' behavior credible or interesting enough a good deal of the time, except for the sudden anger and class scorn expressed by one of the characters that led to violence. Or the love that developed so quickly between a younger character and an older one.
   
   Finally, I was left wondering how the author really felt about the religious beliefs of the sheikh who became the mentor of one of the young main characters. How evolution toward democracy would incorporate people like the sheikh is something I'm still trying to understand.

No comments about Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam.

5 comments about Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah.

1. This books presents the coming antichrist in a different light. It teaches that he will be Islamic.
   
   The scholarship, organization, and material is fascinating. It is well worth the read just to understand more about Islamic end time beliefs. It presents the Koran and other Islamic writings in the appropriate light as false.
   
   I do not agree with the author though. The Bible clearly teaches that the antichrist will arise from a restored Roman Empire. He will be European most likely.



2. This is an eye opening book, especially in conjunction with the bood "Politically Incorrect Guide to ISLAM." I read the PIG book first, then this one. Reading both together was amazingly eye opening.



3. Joel Richardson has drawn wrong conclusions biblically regarding the coming Anti-Messiah. He and you would be far better served by reading "The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea" by Tim Cohen, in which, by the way, Mr. Cohen identifies the coming AntiChrist as a living prince of Roman lineage who also happens to descend directly from Islam's Mohammed! Unlike Mr. Richardson, Mr. Cohen offers hard evidence for his views, and is apparently not speculating on this issue of who the AntiChrist will be.... You must read Mr. Cohen's book if you really want to understand this subject!The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea



4. I'm confused about this book...
   
   Muslims are waiting for Jesus (peace be upon him) as the messiah, who will kill Dajjal (anti-christ). Imam Mahdi is a secondary figure that helps Jesus against the anti-christ.



5. This book provides a interesting look into the Islamophobic world of Christian fundamentalist ideology. The fact that the back of this book contains a positive review by Walid Shoebat the con man and pretend "former PLO terrorist" (who fleeces money from people to give lectures on his non-existent "PLO terrorist" past and spread hatred of Islam ) is telling in and of it itself.

5 comments about The Battle for God.

1. I found the book somewhat difficult to stick with. It sort of drug on for me.



2. A carefully crafted history of fundamentalism from a erudite, deep thinker. Enlightening in view of present global tensions especially.
   Norman Gage Western Australia



3. Pretty good in the first half, since it gives a lot of information about premodern religions (and also, of course, because I'm not knowledgeable enough to spot whatever factual errors there are). She doesn't tie it all together in one neat theoretical pile; but her discussion is interesting enough to camouflage that.
   
   Her distinction between mythos (narratives which are of moral value regardless of their factual accuracy) and logos (pure reason) makes sense to me, even though I question her assertion that it made sense to adherents of premodern religion.
   
   In the last half, this book weakens quite a bit: she has a strong bias in favor of moral equivalence that doesn't hold up real well after 9/11. As a result, she gives every benefit of the doubt to Islam, and is less generous to Christianity and Judaism.
   
   For example, in describing Islamic pogroms in the 1920s, she writes: "On August 24, 1929, during a period of great tension between Arabs and Zionists in Palestine, fifty-nine Jewish men, women and children had been massacred in Hebron." The reference to "great tension between Arabs and Zionists" implies moral equivalency- its not just random murder, it was just "tension" manifesting itself. And note that she doesn't say who did the massacring. I wouldn't describe this as conscious bias; to be fair, I don't think Hamas types would use the term "massacre." But nevertheless I get the sense she is trying a little too hard to be fair to the Arabs.
   
   And in describing 1980s Arab terrorism: "Surrounded by 46,000 militant Jewish settlers, the Arabs became frightened and some resorted to violence." Given that there are, oh, two dozen Arab nations surrounding Israel and trying to wipe it out, the notion that the poor terrorists became "frightened" of Israel seems hard to believe.. In addition, her grasp of Judaism (the religion with which I am most familiar) is none too sure.
   
   A couple of factual errors that I noticed:
   
   *"traditional, conservative faith ... took it for granted that reason could not demonstrate the truth of the kind of myths found in the scriptures." In fact, the Kuzari (13th c. or so) purports to demonstrate the proof of the relevation at Sinai, and thus of Judaism. (Just google "kuzari proof" for lots of arguments pro and con).
   
   *"Before a Jew attends a synagogue service, he bathes in the mikveh, a ritual bath." This may occasionally be true of Hasidim; but the notion that this is the norm for even Orthodox Jews is flat out wrong. (I have more or less regularly attended Orthodox congregations for four of the past five years, and have only heard the word "mikveh" in reference to (a) women or (b) purifying cookware and silverware).
   
   A look at the hostile reviews shows some polarization among readers. Liberal Christians and secularists seem to like this book; religious Jews, conservatives (especially Christian conservatives) and even secular hawks tend to dislike it.



4. First and foremost, in `The Battle for God', Karen Armstrong demonstrates her knowledge of religious history by chronicling the manner in which religious adherents of the three monotheisms have struggled to preserve their faith against growing challenges presented to them since the Enlightenment. In doing so, she offers an explanation on how the modern Fundamentalist movement has come into existence, and why at the turn of the 21st Century it poses such a severe threat to the values of modern culture. Considering the abysmal knowledge possessed by most Westerners regarding religious Fundamentalism, `The Battle for God' should make a significant contribution in dispelling this blindness.
   
   However, while Miss. Armstrong's grasp of history is praiseworthy, I find it difficult to compliment her approach to sociology and religious essence. Her primary assertion is that militant literalism is a new phenomenon, fabricated as a reaction against the growth of secularism; a bold theory that lacks any substantial evidence. Miss. Armstrong's usage of the term `Fundamentalism' is also too liberal for comfort, strengthening the impression that much of her evaluations on the beliefs of religious adherents through history are coloured by her own `progressive religious' persuasions, and an attempt to historically justify such beliefs.



5. This is the Go-To text on Fundamentalism in religions. Very insightful, very well written, very understandable. Characteristic performance by a good author.

5 comments about No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam.

1. While I am familiar with the basic outlines of the history of Islam my knowledge is really confined to the effect of its expansions its impact on non Islamic countries. What I was looking for was one which focused on Islam itself, and the reviews of "No god but God" were positive enough for me to select that book as a starting point.
   
   In the preface to this book, Reza Aslan discusses recent events perpetrated by Islamic terrorists, and argues that rather than there being a "Clash of Civilizations", what we are now experiencing is an Islamic reformation similar to that which occurred in the Christian world 500 years ago. In the prologue, he states that "Religion, it must be understood, is not faith. Religion is the story of faith. It is an institutionalized system of symbols and metaphors (read rituals and myths) that provides a common language with which a community of faith can share with each other their numinous encounter with the Divine Presence. Religion is concerned not with genuine history, but with sacred history, which does not course through time like a river .....". The purpose of his book, he states, is to recount "the story of Islam" which will support his thesis that we are indeed experiencing an Islamic Reformation, which will be every bit as terrifying as that experienced in the Christian world.
   
   Chapter 1 "The Sanctuary in the Desert" is an informative review of religious practices in pre-Islamic Arabia which is referred to as the Jahiliyyah, "the Time of Ignorance". This chapter discusses the major elements of the main competing religions of that era - various versions of Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, which intermingled in a region dominated by a firmly henotheistic paganism. Out of this pluralistic environment there emerged an Arabic monotheistic movement called Hanifism, which clearly had an influence on the Prophet Muhammed in his youth.
   
   Chapter 2 "Keeper of the Keys" recounts the story of the Prophet's life in Mecca, before and after he started to receive the divine revelations in year 610 CE, and up to the point where he is forced in 622 CE to flee Mecca for Yathrib. This chapter describes how the Quryash clan came to dominate the city of Mecca through their control of the Ka'ba, and why the Prophet was such a threat to their rule.
   
   Chapter 3 "The City of the Prophet" describes the dominant clans of the oasis of Yathrib (not yet known as Medina), and the growth after his arrival there of his small community of followers to whom he was the Prophet/Lawgiver who spoke with the authority of the one God. It was in this capacity that he developed his Law of Retribution, and furthered his egalitarian ideals.
   
   Chapter 4 "Fight in the Way of God" describes the various attacks of the Quryash to suppress his movement, and their eventual surrender and conversion to Islam in 630 CE. This is an important chapter because it describes in some detail his relationship with the Jewish clans, and the execution of the Banu Qurayza after the Battle of the Trench in 627 CE.
   
   Chapter 5 "The Rightly Guided Ones" describes the events of the four Caliphate successors to Muhammad, the last three of whom were all assassinated. It was under the 2nd Caliph Umar, that Islam expanded so rapidly, with the defeat of the Byzantine army in southern Syria, the capture of the Damascus, the defeat of the Iranian forces at Qadsiyyah, and the conquest of Egypt, Libya, and Jerusalem. With the election of the Uthman as the third Caliph, the Quryash are established as the rulers of Islam which triggers his own assassination, and sows the seed for the civil war that occurs after the assassination of the 4th Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib.
   
   Chapter 6 "This Religion in a Science" is a step forward in time of about 150 years which describes the final struggle between the Caliphate and the Ulama over who has the control over the development of Islamic Theology and Law. This includes a discussion of the Five Pillars of Islam which constitute the principal ritual activities of Muslim faith, as well as the major Islamic schools of theology.
   
   Chapter 7 "In the Footsteps of Martyrs" steps back in time and describes the suppression of the Banu Hashim, the family of Muhammad and Caliph Ali, and the execution of the prophet's grandson at Karbala in 680 CE. The rest of the chapter describes the development of Shi'ism, - from the Penitents of Karbala to the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini.
   
   Chapter 8 "Stain your Prayer Rug with Wine" - The Sufi Way - describes the development of Sufism, the term given to Islam's complex and diverse mystical tradition.
   
   Chapter 9 "An Awakening in the East" - discusses the development of the Islamic response to Colonialism during the 19th and 20th centuries in India, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia
   
   Chapter 10 "Slouching Toward Medina" - discusses the events of past 30 years in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and the author's contention that with the events of Sept 11/2001 and its aftermath, we are already experiencing the early stages of the Islamic Reformation.
   
   The book includes a useful 6 page glossary of important words, extensive notes with many references to important works on Islam, a 6 page bibliography of works consulted, and a detailed index of places and people.
   
   As can be seen from this overview, this not the complete history of the Islamic world. Chapters 1 - 5 are informative in explaining the establishment of Islamic faith and theology in the first 50 years of its existence. Chapters 6- 8 are helpful in describing the elements of the three major streams of Islamic thought - Sunni, Shi'ite, and Sufi, while Chapters 9 and 10 provide a useful overview of the Islamic response to European colonialism and the re-establishment of its place in the modern world. However, the details of the expansion of Islam during the Ummayad and Abbasid Dynasties from 660 to 850 CE are only briefly referred to, and there is no discussion whatsoever on any later event in the Islamic world until about 1800 CE.
   
   The author states in the prologue that "This book is not just a critical reexamination of the origins and evolution of Islam .... it is above all else an argument for reform", and it is important to bear this in mind as one follows the events described in the book. While it only partially met my expectations, it was valuable in instructing me on how the struggles of today relate to the first 50 years of Islam, and I have a better understanding of the lives of the Prophet and his immediate successors, the establishment of Islamic law, and the basic differences between the three streams of Islamic thought. The book is well written and easy to read, and I believe it to be a balanced introduction to Islam. Because it was not quite what I was looking for, I only give it four stars, but I do recommend it as a starting point for readers who are not of the Islamic faith and who wish to obtain a general understanding of the origins and evolution of that faith.



2. A scholarly book - but far from the dry prose of acadamia. I felt it read like a historical novel, however, it is an expertly researched lesson in understanding the most misunderstood world religion.



3. A must read by everyone, especially policy makers,it provides a clear, genuine,and wise explanation of Islam, the peaceful religion, which has been hijacked by terror, fear and hate. I highly recommend the book for every person interested in learning about the true Islam.



4. This book was never delivered and e-mails to the seller elicited no response. DO NOT do business with this seller.



5. Aslan's book provides a wonderful historical narrative of the origins of Islam and how history has shaped it into the religion it is today. His insight into major events over the centuries and how they relate to our current climate is quite elegant. He moves from past to present quite fluently. I recommend this book to anyone with a love of history who seeks a greater understanding of Islam than is provide in the evening news.

5 comments about The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History.

1. Andrew Bostom has performed an invaluable service in editing this volume. All one hears are opinions and projections of personal beliefs onto the religion of Islam. (Our President's view is one such example.) Using the words and expositions of Islamic leaders and scholars, rather than our own revisionism, Dr. Bostom shows clearly that there is a very long history of anti-Jewish bias and prejudice in Islamic thought. The concept that all this "anti-Zionism" is a phenomenon of the 20th century is put to rest in a clear, cool and scholarly fashion. His opening esssay - with ca. 1,000 footnotes - should be required reading in every house of worship and university in the Western world. Sadly, this will not happen but readers can purchase the book and see the facts for themselves.



2. Andrew Bostom has produced a magisterial exposé of the foundations, development and impact of Islamic anti-semitism. Shrouded in perverse denial and historical revisionism, Islamic Jew-hatred is in fact grounded in the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad (the Sunna). Bostom has done the world a courageous service by exposing the roots together with the fruits of this persistent characteristic of Islamic theology and practice. In doing so, he has exposed and disarmed many deceits.
   This will be a standard reference on Islam's treatment of the Jews for decades to come. A brilliant and confronting work, The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism is a must-read for all who would understand Islam and its sacred history.



3. In today's world where the threats of Radical Islamists may set fire to the whole world there are many apologists for Islam that say Jew Hatred is not part of "true" Islam. This work documents and exposes the truth from Muhammad to today using the most accepted references and Islamic scriptures to document his findings. If you want to understand the truth of the relationship between Islam, the Jewish people and thus the motivations behind Muslim actions today you need to read this book. This book exposes the very soul of Islam, the one all Muslims call the perfect example of a Muslim life lived and one all Muslims seek to copy, Muhammad as well as those that have followed after him not only in words but also in the actions they lived in their lives. This book is a MUST READ during this time in World History!!!
   
   Rocky Latham



4. Just from my own research I found at least 23 false argumnet through out the book.
   Unfourtunately, some people just want to hate others. For those people, this book might be good.



5. As a non-Muslim who has done some minimal study of Islam, I found this book to be very one-sided and polemical. Even a non-expert like myself can easily identify the biases and one-sided arguments in this book. Given the somewhat understandable bias against Islam in the Western world, no doubt many people will find this book confirms their views of Islam. However, I would encourage those inclined to agree with the author to consider that many Muslims do not hate Jews and to do their own research on this subject by reading or talking to Muslims. Furthermore, consider that it would be quite easy for a Muslim to write a similarly-biased book arguing that Judaism or Christianity is at its core anti-Muslim.

5 comments about The Qur'an Translation.

1. If Arabs read this book, they wouldn't be out to kill Jews. I can't believe that a short way into the text there is a statement that Jews are acceptable to Allah because they worship Him (although by another name).



2. I finally got around to reading this translation of the Qur'an. I gave it five stars to counter act some of the one star reviews. Im a Christian and still am. But I will admit I no longer view Islam as evil, or the Qur'an as a bad book. Quite the contrary I was pleasently surprised with beauty of the poetry, and the core message is very similar to Christianity. I would have a lot more in common with a Muslim than I would with an atheist for example. Taking the time to read through the book, I realize that living for God, regardless if you call Him Jehovah, or Allah, will lead you to live a more righteous life and to a better path on which to travel the hard road of life. The core morals taught by Muhammad line up with those taught by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course I disagree with Muslims over the Deity of Christ, I still find their religion agrees with my morals, and is more peaceful than the media frenzy would have someone believe. I believe these terrorists are the exception, and most Muslims are good religious people if they are following the teachings in this book. God bless you.



3. I really haven't got to read this book yet but am influenced by the comment that it is considered to be the "Best" Translation of all.
   This book isn't like a Novel which you can sit down and read but one which you read a small bit at a time as it is very detail so theres is a limit as to how much you can digest at one time.



4. "Christianity hasn't produced any extremists or fanatics who use the name of their God to kill, murder, dictate, terrorize, or otherwise harm other human beings."
   
   Did you at least study High School history?
   
   Maybe one should read the "Holy Bible" and the "Torah" to pick up the context and cohesion that you are missing in the story lines.
   
   One can use the holy texts of all religions to condone violence but that is irresponsible abuse of the text. One must remember that violence is committed by human beings and the responsibility lies on their shoulders and can't be blamed on the Koran or any other text.
   
   If one reads a text for the purpose of literary examination, they must be objective rather than subject the work to their own experience alone.
   
   I am a Muslim and a patriotic American. I have no heart for violence of any kind.



5. Don't let the pretty cover design fool you, this book is violent, terrifying, and teaches hate and bigotry. Good thing none of it is true, or I would have nightmares. If someone or some country were to take this book seriously, man oh man there would be trouble a brewin!!

5 comments about Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women.

1. I read this book for the first time well before 9/11, and I think it could be a useful read for a lot of people exactly for that reason- it was not written with the hindsight of 9/11. A lot of other reviewers have described Brooks' standpoint, so I won't go there, but I will say that her writing itself is beautiful. She does not use clunky language to get her point across, and this gives her writing a great deal of eloquent power. I found myself re-reading it several times over the course of a couple years.



2. Geraldine Brooks's book, while written before the "War on Terror" era, allows for a much better insight on Islamic life (specifically the treatment of women under Islamic law) than watching the evening news. Her panorama of experiences in the Middle East allows for the reader to see the tremendous variation that exists in Muslim countries. The background that she provides on Islam is also very useful for a Western understanding of the social climate in that part of the world. This book is an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to learn about the Muslim world.



3. Geraldine Brooks takes us inside her personal trip trough the Islamic world and gives as close to an UNBIASED view of the treatment of Islamic women that i could imagine. she is careful to point out the reasons that are given for wierd practices. She doesn't shy away from her disgust for certain treatments.
   
   For example the propagation of so-called "honor killings" that still take place all over the world, as well as many other ways women are opressed in the mainstream Islamic world.
   
   O by the way the writting style is smooth and easy to read. You can really enjoy this book even though the topic is sad the way it is told is great!



4. This is just one of the facts that I learned from this book. It became not just a fact but an insight as I continued reading it.
   
   The book's excellence is demonstrated in that 13 years after its publication it is still being read. Its continued relevance is evidenced by so many current reviews here on Amazon. Since its publication there have been many books on this topic, including social studies and personal narratives, but this one still stands out.
   
   Brooks spent 6 years in traveling to Middle Eastern Islamic countries covering the plight of women. While there is a chapter on Queen Nour, the book is primarily on the many anonymous middle class women who must submit to decisions about their lives, their health, their time, their children, where they can travel and even their dealth, all made by men. These men are not required, and most are not conditioned to, value her or consider her opinions or needs. They seem to be driven by their "honor" which is reflected by how well she masters the art of submission.
   
   Brooks gives the clearest presentation I've read on the origins of the anti-woman practices that are permitted. She describes Mohammed's relations with his wives and the aftermath of his death which set the stage for others to interpret and misinterpret his words and actions.
   
   The last chapter, where the author summarizes the issue and the lack of attention it receives world wide is pithy and strong.



5. While this book is not meant to be an anthropological analysis of Muslim women, it does give insight into the Muslim world at large. It is broad in scope and should cite information more, but it can be an excellent choice to begin the journey to understanding. It should not be considered the final destination. I suggest this book to all.

3 comments about Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World.

1. Empires of the Sea rates a solid 4 stars. In a bit under 300 pages (plus footnotes and index) it covers a 50-year history of the struggle for control of the Mediterranean from 1521 to 1571. That's actually quite a lot of ground in 300 pages, considering what went on. So if you want a good general overview, the book is good. There are a few maps up front, a section with photographs--mostly of old paintings, plus a lot of woodcuts depicting mostly battle scenes and people. The woodcuts are fine, but at times you acutely feel the lack of some good modern-style maps of the action. Goodness knows, there are plenty of current maps showing the fleets at Lepanto and also the sieges on Malta.
   
   I must admit to prejudice here. I still have my copy of Ernle Bradford's magnificent history The Great Siege--paperback, from 1966, cost 5 shillings, and getting quite threadbare from rereading every few years. When one great book like this can spawn a 40-year interest in the subject, you know that you have an outstanding work indeed. Bradford's book is almost entirely limited to the siege of Malta, whereas Crowley's book covers this in under 100 pages. You get much more detail with Bradford, and a dramatic sense of the struggle, much more so than with Crowley. The focus is narrower--so for breadth, turn to Crowley, for depth to Bradford. Both books will give you a look at the personalities involved, and both convey the aspects of warfare at the time. So this is a good addition to your history shelf.



2. After reading 1453 I have been waiting more than a year for Crowley's next book but alas, I read it in just 2 days so my first complaint is that 300 pages is not enough - it deserves at least 500 pages, hence 4 stars. There were some typos which the publisher missed and the maps were insuficient.
   An example of an area that could have received more explanation was the innovation of the galleasses which after further development made the galleys obsolete .



3. AS the published author of several books about Islamic terrorism I find this book hypnotic in its content, but sadly I had read it in two sittings, I could have read on and on. The history crammed into 300 pages is truly rivetting, and a sad reflection of the struggles we see today in the same parts of the world. The description of the sheer power of Suleiman the Magnificent, Muslim ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power, can only give the reader the slightest glimpse of the power the Ottomans held, in an epic struggle between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean and the center of the world.
   
   In Empires of the Sea, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written his most mesmerizing work to date - a thrilling account of this brutal decade - long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe.
   
   It is educational and an awe inspiring read, give it a go, you wont be let down.

5 comments about Snow.

1. One of the wonderful things abour reader reviews on Amazon.com is that you can find affirmation from SOMEBODY no matter what you think of what you are reading. However, in the case of Orhan Pamuk's "Snow," I can't help wondering how many laudatory reviewers realized that the man had received a Nobel prize, and reasoned that there must be something more to it than meets the ennui. I myself was relieved to read the negative reviews, because I sure am bored and disappointed. There is no possible way I will be able to get through this book. I think that I will keep it, though, since it certainly is better than drugs for inducing sleep. A few minutes of Pamuk at bedtime and I am out like a light! There is absolutely nothing that grabs me, moves me, excites me, or elicits my admiration. I was most interested in the Turkish reviewer who said that it was even worse in the original Turkish. I would not have thought that was possible. What is there to look for in a "great" book? Theme? Characters? Language? Plot? We don't even get to read these perfect poems that are dropping into Ka's brain like raindrops. The story skips and starts and hops from place to place like a demented rabbit. Ipek produces such admiration in Ka, but to us she is cut from cardboard. The language is repetitive and unimaginative (it calls to mind Hemingway's "Oh, little rabbit. Oh. Oh."). For me, the upshot is that I will not buy another book because the author received an award. I will read the reviews on Amazon first.



2. Orhan Pamuk's novel "Snow" is a meditation on Religion, Poetry, Love, Gender relations, and Politics. It is a difficult, challenging work. Although the author himself described "Snow" as a political novel, it is much more. I learned something of Turkey and its politics fron the book, but I was moved far more by the author's reflections on issues that transcend the politics of a particular place.
   
   "Snow" is the story of a man known as Ka. Raised in a secular home in Istanbul, Ka is 42 and unmarried when the book begins. He has just returned from a 12 year political exile in Frankfurt, Germany to attend his mother's funeral. While in Istanbul, Ka arranges to visit a border Turkish city named Kars to cover the upcoming local elections (the mayor of Kars has just been assassinated), to investigate a rash of suicides among young Muslim women, and to try to kindle a romance with a beautiful woman named Ipek with whom he had been acquainted as a student and who has recently been divorced. Ka is a poet. During his years in Frankfurt, he never learned German but continued to write in Turkish. He had not been able to compose poetry during his final four years in Frankfurt and, during that time, he had had no romantic involvements. Ka's story is related in the voice of a writer named Orhan - creating some distance and some sense of irony -- who describes himself as a novelist and an old friend of the poet. He visits Kars four years after the death of his friend and tells his story.
   
   Ka spends all of three days in Kars before returning again to Frankfurt, but the short time is eventful for the city and for the protagonist. He witnesses a murder in a cafe and a coup in which the military takes control of the city and suspends the upcoming elections. He becomes, briefly, sexually involved with Ipek. Although a secularist, he becomes drawn to religion and meets with a Shiek. He also has fateful encounters with a charismatic Islamic terrorist, Blue, with whom Ipek and her younger sister Kadiffe have been romantically involved. Perhaps most importantly, Ka finds himself able to write poetry again. In his few days in Kars, he composes 19 poems in bursts of inspiration, all but one of which he writes in a faded green notebook.
   
   During Ka's visit, Kars is in the midst of a three-day snowstorm which closes access to the city. The falling snow is the critical symbol of the book which appears in virtually every chapter with many meanings. It symbolizes,variously, silence, isolation and loneliness, cold, purity, innocence, sadness, and much else. Ka becomes captured by the six-sided figure of the snowflake. The individuality of each snowflake becomes emblematic to him of the human condition. When he returns to Frankfurt after his three days in Kars, he devises an elaborate symbolism for the classification of the 19 poems he composed in the city based upon the six sides of the snowflake. Another pervasive symbolic object in the book is the dog -- both as a family pet and as a stray. Dogs appear on the streets as an object of affection and compassion.
   
   Ka's short and tangled love affair with Ipek is at the center of this novel as Ka hopes to have her return with him to Frankfurt. This hope is dashed against Ka's own weaknesses and ambivalences, together with politics and chance. When he returns to Frankfurt, he becomes a lonely, alienated figure, unable to write poetry, who wanders the streets and becomes addicted to pornography. Four years after his return he is murdered under circumstances suggesting political motivation.
   
   "Snow" has a great deal to say in its long discussions of the search for God, the nature of creativity, and the need for love. Pamuk's treatment of these universal human themes is intertwined carefully with his particularism -- his discussion of the streets, places and people of Kars. Pamuk also focuses upon the complex political situation of Turkey, torn by the wish to become part of the European community and retaining its religious, Muslim character. Secularism and religion are each represented in this book in several alternatives rather than by just two diametrically opposed groups. The tension in the local political situation becomes a symbol of range of choices that individuals in all cultures must face, as part of being human.
   
   This book has recieved a variety of reviews on this site. It is a slow, difficult work that may not be to everyone's liking. For those readers with a bent for philosophical and religious reflection, this is an outstanding novel.
   
   Robin Friedman



3. When I first began reading this book (My first taste of Orhan Pamuk, who friends had been urging on me for YEARS), my first response was awe, amazement, adoration. By about a third of the way through, it began to strike me that the snow was a very convenient literary device for angst, and so I began to wish the blizzard would be over.
   
   I found the glimpses of Ka's life in Frankfurt tantalizing and mysterious. But his long-lost love never came to life for me as a character, and frankly the descriptions of lovemaking in this book are -- well, let's just say that if you could get a high school kid to pour out his fantasy of what a first sexual experience might be like, it might be something like what we have here, though in much more graphic terms (Here the scenes are rather misty. . . ) They did not cause me to open my eyes or sit up straighter or whatever. OK, enough with the impassioned kissing.
   
   I relished the philosophical sparring with Blue, as I don't see that in many (Western) novels. I also loved the melancholy of the city he describes (even though I did find the many mentions of snow very labored, by the end). The thread of the girl suicides was lost halfway through, and so I guess it was just a "hook." Too bad, because the interviews with the girls' families were VERY interesting to me.
   
   I loved that all throughout the book the main character would feel urges to write a poem, and these sections (where he just had to rush back to his hotel and write) were really the best parts of the book for me.
   
   Now I've started to read MY NAME IS RED, and already just the first line disappoints me, but I will definitely finish it.



4. If the contents of the book didn't happen in the real world, this book could be read as a work of Science Fiction or even extreme fiction. Unfortunately, the ideas and practices of what is written happen in the real world. Even though, this part of the world is so remote from my reality, that it seems almost like a science fiction: such issue as whether or not to wear a head scarf, face cover in public or school. Cables are strung and hooked up ad hock through out the neighbor hood just to c...more If the contents of the book didn't happen in the real world, this book could be read as a work of Science Fiction or even extreme fiction. Unfortunately, the ideas and practices of what is written happen in the real world. Even though, this part of the world is so remote from my reality, that it seems almost like a science fiction: such issue as whether or not to wear a head scarf, face cover in public or school. Cables are strung and hooked up ad hock through out the neighbor hood just to catch the live broad cast of a television show. It is almost a work of dystopia but this is the real world that Orhan Pamuk is writing about.
   
   When reading about exotic locales, I'm often reminded of the works of Paul Bowls. He was an American who went to live in Tangiers and wrote novels about those foreign places. There is certainly an element of expatriation and distance as the narrator Ka goes back to his place of birth to explore his past relationships. While, Bowls explores cultural difference and the dangers of mixing white culture with the natives, Orphan's work takes on political and moral issues. He mixes the issue of suicide, religion, and morals with a political act. This political act seems like a fashion choice in some parts of the world, but a major rebellious act in this region. It's an all too real a premise: whether or not to be allowed to wear a head scarf and whether or not to kill oneself if one is not allowed to do so.
   
   If it was imaged as a work of fiction or even science fiction, it would have been brilliant. Although it happens in the real world, it is even more frightening. This is a case where life is stranger then fiction and reporting straight from it with honesty and being able to see the concept of the novel in its simplicity is an amazing work of recognition.



5. I was looking forward to reading a book by Orhan Pamuk after I saw his interview on Charlie Rose. Now I am convinced that his acclaim and yes, even his Nobel prize, have more to do with his subject matter than with the quality of his writing. But surely there must be other avenues to gain an insight on the political and cultural tensions in Turkey! This book was simply too painful to read. The writing was extremely awkward (this is an actual quote, "Let us take advantage of this lull to whisper a few biographical details....We'll have a lot to say about melancholy later on." You don't say!) and repetitive (how many times can you mention the snow? Yes, we get it!). Only one character was even half-way developed (Ka, the main character), and he is so shallow, pretentious, and frankly, boring, that you can't wait to finish the book just to get the torture over with (yes, I finished it, hoping it would redeem itself in the end; it didn't). The character of Ipek (Ka's love interest) was a laughable love-object stereotype (yes, she's beautiful, we get it; there's no need to repeat that fifty times). Other characters are simply mouthpieces for the religious/political views they are supposed to represent. Please save your time and read something else!