stuff and nonsense!

Birds without wings

Thank you Mr De Bernieres!

You have just answered many of the questions that have been troubling me of late, specifically dealing with the Turks and Greeks of Asia Minor. (see this blog, passim)

Birds Without Wings is set in an imaginary village; a few days walk from Telmessos, (now Fethiye) on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The story unfolds around the turn of the 20th century, following the lives of the Christians, Moslems, Jews and Armenians of the village, intertwined with the story of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the birth of the modern Turkish state.

The historical background was fantastic. In my view, LDB gives as unbiased view of the events of this time as any author that I have read on the web so far. He charts the events in an impartial way, just as if you were a bird looking down on the village, without commenting on the rights and wrongs. You, the reader, are left to come to your own conclusions. The way he describes the mundaneity of every day life in a small backwater town is very well done. You get the feeling that nothing great ever happens here, yet he keeps you interested with insights into the small things of life.

My main criticism is that some of the characters are a bit two-dimensional. I suppose this is a consequence of having such a big cast, which is needed to explore all of the themes involved. However, you do develop empathy with many of the people of Eskibahce, Iskander the Potter, who is almost a narrator figure, Rustem Bey, the local Aga, and his mistress, Leyla, the two boys, Mehmetcik & Karatavuk (blackbird & robin, in English), and lots more. Now that I think of them, the list is surprisingly long.

There is also the life of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This is spread through the book, a chapter at a time and can be a bit dry in places. However, the whole story is fascinating, and you cannot accuse LDB of leaving any stone unturned.

Overall, I think this is a great book. It’s a Huge project, and LDB does it justice. As for being better than Captain Corelli? I don’t think so. It’s just too big a book to focus on the love affair of just one couple, and achieve the depth of feelings involved.