Patience (After Sebald) - Grant Gee

Quirky little film which is a mix of several things:
- a pilgrimage in film to some of the key sites in the book, 'Rings of Saturn"
- an examination of themes within the text and how they appear
- people's personal thoughts on and reactions to the book
- some biographical elements
- a look at some unusual projects people have done working with the book (a digital map with connection lines and text related to all the places mentioned in the book; a flow colour coded flow chart of events, characters and locations within the book

- visually quite lovely; mostly grainy black and white - some nice effects

- worth another watch at some point (from Public Library)

Madonna in a Fur Coat - Sabahattin Ali

Turkish writer born in southern Bulgaria, not too far from Smolyan during the last years of the Ottoman Empire.  This book was published shortly before his death/murder in '48.  Interesting in the same way that Tanpınar is interesting.  It is interesting to the see the early writers of the new Turkish literature confronting and working with the genres and styles of Western literature.  This novel reminds me of some of the romantic work published in France and Germany in the late 18th and early 19th century - tortured souls who feel alone and alienated, doomed romantic love.  In this particular novel, with what is almost a reversal of traditional male and female roles, also represents some kind of a social revolution or challenge to traditional Turkish society of the time.  Ali had some seminal experiences in Berlin apparently, some time before the war, that shaped his politics and social views.  Seems he was a socialist and must have had very liberated social views around men's  and women's roles in society.
Not a particularly enjoyable read for me, as I don't really like that "tortured soul" Western tradition or genre, but a very interesting read when place in its historical and social context.

Also found an article about him in the Guardian - seems this book is one of the most popular in Turkey right now.  Interesting discussion of why.

Duck, Death and the Tulip - Wolf Erlbruch

A beautiful children's picture book on the subject of death.  Neither sentimental nor uplifting.  Presents a couple of fundamental truths - death is always with us.  Death just is, neither evil nor horrifying.  Part of the river of life.

Ahlat Ağacı - Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Another beautifully realized film by this great director.  Set in the Çanakkale area.
Very much a film of ideas, and the superb filming and framing serves to support and maintain your interest.  A lot of the films ideas are actually developed through dialogue between the main character and various groups. (Reminds me a bit of the film, "My Dinner with André".
The main character is a young man trying to figure out what direction to take in his life, what to believe in amongst the many possibilities/perspectives within his surrounding society.
There is an ongoing tension with his father who has also lost his way and seems addicted to gambling.  There are conversations with buddies doing military service, young village imams, a young woman from his town about to marry for money, a small-time author, local businessmen, local politicians.  There is a deep critical look at many of these aspects of society, an awareness of how narrow and essentially selfish/self-serving these attitudes are.
Can be a bit depressing, but the ending is hopeful in an interesting way.

The Flea Palace - Elif Şafak

Read this before, long ago.
Essentially a social portrait/social criticism of Turkish society in the complex, overlapping world of modern Istanbul.  Hits on leftists, pious groups, gays, cynical westernized leftist academics, rich profligates, poor Anatolian immigrants, the cleaning obsessed, elderly crazies, various kinds of family dynamics, cats, garbage problem, social and sexual mores, the "Ukranian wives" thing.
Humorous critique.
Bit of a tale within a tale, but not so successful/essential from that point of view.

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Aichie

Originally checked this book out as a possible addition to my Tanpınar/Saleh cultural alienation collection.  Unfortunately, doesn't meet it, but it is still interesting in some ways.
Basically, the story of a Nigerian woman who moves to the States, struggles at first, but graduates from an elite university.  Years later she returns to Lagos in Nigeria.
In her time in the US, she runs a highly popular blog about being African / black in the US.   Entries from the blog are included in the novel - interesting way to run a novel of ideas within the context of a "story" novel.  For me, these blog entries are the most interesting part of the book - they provide some very sharp and deep thoughts on race, race relations, race culture, race attitudes etc. in the contemporary US.  (One of my favourites:  I wasn't black until I moved to the US)

The book is mostly a very perceptive and critical look at race politics and relations in current society in the US.  The Nigeria section does present some critical analysis, but much more shallow - and strangely, sounding more like the criticism an urban Westerner would levy.

The Time of Mute Swans - Ece Temelkuran

A novel set in Ankara during the late 70's, early 80's, when there was almost open warfare between left and right.  Told from the perspective of a young boy whose family lives in a gecekondu, and a girl living in a middle-class left-leaning family.   It looks at several things:  1) the general tenor and feeling of the time  2) the awkward relationship between the poor working class and the leftist intellectuals  3) generational differences in perspective on life, politics (and other things)  4)  some of the violence perpetrated by rightist groups   5) The lack of understanding between various groups within the society, and the resulting backstabbing 6) corruption amongst both the military and the political class
Overall, the adults in the book do not show well, being obsessed with their own agendas and concerns, as seen by the little people looking on.

In spite of these themes, it presents a very touching and human perspective on the various main characters in the book.

As an aside, Temelkuran is a persona non grata currently in Erdoğan's Turkey.