A Mind at Peace - Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar

   Not an easy read - at times slow, at times too didactic,  at times at bit scattered - but never-the-less a very interesting book for many reasons.   Mostly due to Tanpınar's position as one of the first writers of the new Turkish Republic, and his position as a writer who crosses over between the old Ottoman (and Anatolian) culture and Western culture.
   (Aside from all of this, the book is a wonderful portrait of Istanbul in its last days as an Imperial, sophisticated city with a culture and life all its own.  A time when the Boğaz villages were true villages and people spoke of going into the city as a real trip.  Both a visual portrait of how that city was, and also a social portrait of a certain lifestyle.)

  From a stylistic perspective, the book shifts through several different ones.  At times it read like Aldous Huxley's novels of ideas (Huxley is actually referenced in the novel), at times like a long interior monologue of impressions and sensations, at the end even like a kind of Magic Realism with a long scene where the main character, Mümtaz,  interacts with his recently dead acquaintance.  I wonder if this comes with the the rush to confront and absorb the West at the time of the collapse of Ottoman culture with its ties to the traditions of the East - almost a rabid desire to know and absorb this new Other.
   Also, a social drama built around a love story, where you see the confrontation of old and new values imposed on the lovers by the various people in their social circle.  A subtle confrontation, however, which does not divide along the lines of youth and age - witness Nuran's uncle, Tevfik, who is wholly supportive of their relationship.  In fact, most of the objections come from their younger circle of friends.
   Ihsan, Mümtaz's uncle, is the source of much of the novel of ideas passages, where Tanpınar, overtly explores the many social issues and shifts that must take place, or are in fact taking place, in order to build a new society with a new unifying vision or mythology.   Interesting, as these shifts also form a major part of the plot line itself.
   Another side of the book explores the feelings of nostalgia for a lost culture, with its lost heroes and figures of cultural importance.   Also, for the very culture itself, especially Ottoman classical music, which plays an important part throughout the book.  Many classical pieces and makams are referenced, from within a perspective of the subtle culture around these pieces and makams - it is possible to find some of the references on Youtube and Turkish music sites (Neyzen).

   At one point Tanpınar points out the very "hüzün" condition of his generation and social class - they live within a culture whose supporting structure and political context has disappeared.  They are essentially an orphaned culture, destined to disappear - as it largely has, except for the rather broad brush stroke version that remains, having lost much of its subtleties.   In this, Tanpınar stands before his time in that, with the global expansion of Western culture, corporatism and Western consumerism, most of us now live in an orphaned or dying culture, or wholly within the post-national consumerist universe (not counting the cartoon versions of national culture so popular now with right wing nationalist political movements).

References:

Song in Mahur - Refik Talat Alpman?

Makams - key modes/moods in Ottoman music - Ferahfeza, Acemaşıran, Beyatı, Sultaniyegah, Nühüft, Mahur

Tab'i Mustafa Efendi - composer (nothin on Youtube - check Neyzen for his hicaz saz semaisi

Ismail Dede Efendi - composer

The Curtain - Milan Kundera

A collection of essays focused on the history and nature of the novel as an art form.  An interesting look at his personal list of significant novelists who advanced or shifted the form and nature of the novel - interesting possible reading list.  His develops a rather loose idea of how the novel is the form that closest reflects our modern sensibilities.

Several themes besides.
Some interesting reflections on the path of young artists in general vs. that of older, mature artists.  Also, how the image or understanding of an older artist's work can be deformed by judgements of later generations who bring a different era, a different set of judgemental values, a different historical perspective to some aspect of the older artist's life or work. (Think Gunter Grass, of late.)  (This is a recurring current problem, with our generation judging past history, events and figures based on today's social values and politically correct ideology.  Interestingly, we live in a period of both great moral relativism and yet cannot understand the idea of "different times, different values" - I suspect it hinges more on transgression of moral values, moral issues I particularly hold dear...)

Mussolini's Rome: Rebuilding the Eternal City - Borden W. Painter, Jr.

Interesting look at how Mussolini changed the face of Rome and established from nothing many of the communities and suburbs that surround the historical city.  As you wander around central Rome, you don't realize how much of Mussolini's Rome you wander through.  Part of his presence is actually an absence, especially around many of the central historical monuments.  In these areas, he cleared away many encroaching houses and structures to make the historical architecture more visible, more present.  Many of the the longer, wide open boulevards in central Rome are also his work.  Scattered through much of the city just outside the old historical centre are more modern buildings, usually apartments - most of these date from this time and Mussolini's plans to both rebuild and increase the population of the city.   This would be true of much of the Ostiense area, significant parts of Testaccio and also the whole area south of the old Trastevere neighbourhood along Via Trastevere.  The Ostiense train station is also his work (Hitler arrived there for his visit prewar).  

The neighbourhood I would like to visit is the EUR neighbourhood - while there are other satellite towns that are wholly the creation of Mussolini's vision, this is the one most easily accessible from central Rome - next visit.

The book also contains a fair bit of the history of Fascism in Italy, but it is easy to skip these bits if you are already familiar with it.  Includes some photos, but reading in combination with Google Maps and photos is better.

Interestingly, one neighbourhood that seems to have been hardly touched is the old Trastevere neighbourhood - which may mean it stands as a record of what a fair bit of Rome looked like outside the historical centre.

There is also the theme of politics, dictatorship and how they use architecture as a means of self-aggrandizement and myth making.  There is also the element of social control:  many of the areas that were razed were poorer areas that tended to be communist or socialist.  These "undesirable" populations were relocated to areas far from the city centre where they were easier to control, also making it harder for them to both get to their work, and also to have a political presence in the central city.  (Untouched is the theme of enrichment through redevelopment of a Fascist insider business circle....)  (All of this reminds me of Erdoğan and his work in Istanbul...)

Immigrant City - David Bezmozgis

Another collection of short stories about Russian Jewish immigrant life - mostly in Toronto, but some stories set in big U.S. cities.  Best word for stories - touching.  He hits moments of uncertainty, confusion, when things suddenly become more complex, more layered than imagined. 
very well-written collection.