Tekin, Latife "Swords of Ice" (Turkish: Buzdan Kiliçlar) - 1989
We did not just discuss this book in our book club, we were able to talk with the author via video conference.
A surreal book in the style of magic realism. A description of the poor man's search for richness. Halilhan, the main character, tries to open a business with a Volvo from the scrap heap.
We also see that poverty is not necessary a bad thing, it's a way of life.
We discussed this in our international book club in February 2011.
Read my original review here.
am intrigued. on my way to your review!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emma.
DeleteThat's so cool that you got to talk to the author!
ReplyDeleteWe even had some who were in our area and we talked to them but this was also great.
DeleteThere are so many books I have never heard of :)!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of the author or the book, either, Eva. But we had a Turkish member and I always encouraged members of our international book club to suggest books from their countries.
DeleteGood idea! There are not many Turkish people in this country.
DeleteNo, I think not. But, as you know, we have many. However, this was in the international group and the lady only stayed in the Netherlands (where they also don't have many Turkish people) for a couple of years.
DeleteOh, interesting, no Turkish people in the Netherlands! I wonder why . . .
DeleteWell, most European countries have immigrants from their former colonies, so there are a lot of Indonesians in the Netherlands, for example. Germany didn't have colonies anymore after WWI, so in the sixties, when they needed workers, they had contracts with most Southern European countries, from Portugal to Turkey, for them to send people. Turkey sent the largest amount.
DeleteMost immigrants after WWIi came from Italy, Spain, and Portugal before Turkish people came, though.
DeleteYes, at first. But the Turkish is by far the largest group of guest workers in Germany in the meantime.
DeleteI guess that is true. Even in my parents' town that seems to be the case, although there are also many people from Syria now.
DeleteI think, overall, in every German town, you will find a large amount of Turkish members, then came the "Russians", then the Syrian, now Ukrainians but the Turkish have been here longest, had children, grandchildren, brought family over, there are a lot.
DeleteI just checked. 12.8% of the foreigners are Turkish, then comes the Polish with 7.6 and Syrians with 7.2. You can see the whole list here on Wikipedia.
Interesting and thanks!
DeleteYou're welcome.
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