Youssef rakhas extraordinary the book of the sultans seal was published less than two weeks after then egyptian president hosni mubarak stepped down, following mass protests, in february 2011. I interviewed them together, although each was on a different continent when i received their answers. I read the sultan s seal in preparation for a bookclub meeting. Do not let yourself be guided by fear, or even by desire. Kamil pasha is a magistrate trying to introduce western methods of investigation and prosecution in a rigid and arthritic culture. The book of the sultans seal is an outstanding first novel by an author who has a special ability to deal with modern and classical material, both arab and western, with equal ease. White is an anthropologist who has written many nonfiction books about turkish society and their politics. She is a professor of anthropology and the author of numerous nonfiction works on turkish society and politics. Youssef rakha biography, career,books, sultans seal. You can donate a book to the sea library to help to fill its shelves. I hope it is just the first in a long list of awards which this delicious cornucopia of a book deserves to receive. It is the year rumi year 2 or 1886 by the christian calendar. The sultan s seal by jenny white begins a series featuring kamil pasha as a magistrate in istanbul during the late 1800s. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars youssef rakha, trans.
Interview with caroline eden two women look out over the caspian lowlands of mangystau in western kazakhstan. The book of the sultan s seal established in 1987, interlink is an independent publishing house that offers a global, cosmopolitan perspective. Rakha is best known for his first novel, the book of the sultans seal. White uses a dead bodydrugged, drowned english governess mary dixon, who worked at the. The sultans seal is jenny whites first work of fiction.
The sultans seal by jenny white begins a series featuring kamil pasha as a magistrate in istanbul during the late 1800s. White paints a remarkably vivid portrait of life in 19th century turkey, from the luxurious sultan s palaces to the most. The naked body of an englishwoman washes up in istanbul wearing a pendant inscribed with the seal of the deposed sultan. Even now they are working on a joint book, which is still secret but will feature a lighthouse and a greenland shark.
This is her first fictional work and her attention to historical accuracy makes it a wonderful read. The death resembles the unsolved murder of another englishwoman, a governess, ten years before. Buy book of the sultan s seal strange incidents from history in the city of mars by youssef rakha, yausuf rakhaa from waterstones today. The book of the sultan s seal does not read at all like a translation. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars interlink world fiction swallow edition series youssef rakha, translated from the arabic by paul starkey on. The book of the sultans seal does not read at all like a translation. The legend of the seal of solomon was developed primarily by medieval arabic writers, who related that the ring was engraved by god and was given to the king directly from heaven. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the sultan s seal. It would have been better if it had sounded more authentic. Rather impulsively, he divorces his pregnant wife after their oneyear marriage. Send me a note, if you have a sea book you no longer need. Paul starkey modeled on a medieval arabic manuscript in the form of a letter addressed to the writers friend, the book of the sultans seal is made up of nine chapters, each. Around her neck is a pendant that contains the tughra, the sultan s seal a signature that is only found on special possessions of the imperial household. Our list is devoted to works of literature, history, contemporary politics, travel, art, and cuisine from around the world, often from areas underrepresented in.
Unfortunately, the narration left a lot to be desired. Kamil pasha, rich in sensuous detail, this first novel brilliantly captures the political and social upheavals of the waning ottoman empire. Later, the three of them were put in a pouch and worn with a thin chain. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars interlink world fiction swallow edition series youssef rakha, translated from. The important thing is that you imagine me writing, making fair copies, and clarifying the many things that happened to me during those twentyone days in the form of a letter, as every book is called in arabic. Youssef rakhas kitab altughra book of the sultan s seal, his first novel, set in the spring of 2007 and completed at the start of 2010, was published less than a fortnight after mass protests centred on cairos tahrir square had forced the resignation of the then egyptian president hosni mubarak on 11 february 2011 a move that prompted the transfer of power to the supreme council of.
The sultan s seal, the abyssinian proof, and the winter thief. Scanning the back of the book, the story looked promising enough. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars is one helluva read. In late 19th century istanbul, the body of a young englishwoman has washed ashore, and it soon becomes apparent that she was not only a governess in the current sultan s household, but was also wearing a necklace that tied her to the former deposed sultan. The book of the sultans seal by youssef rakha translated by paul starkey. The first is his mystical experience of meeting the. The sultans seal was a wellplotted, beautifully written novel set in istanbul in the last days of the ottoman empire. Paul starkey has done a truly exceptional job, no wonder he has been awarded the saif ghobash banipal prize. A magistrate in the new secular courts, kamil pasha, sets out to find the.
The sultan s seal quotes showing 14 of 4 take your time in everything, until you feel the pull within yourself. She writes of rich fabrics, the sparkle of jewels, the velvety black petals of kamils favorite orchid and the best way to peel the skin of an almond with your thumbnail. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars, won the 2015 saif ghobash banipal prize for arabic. Iain pears rich in sensuous detail, this first novel br. This intricate mystery is set in the exotic locale of nineteenthcentury turkey, the ottoman empire in turmoil, the british insinuating themselves into local politics in. Set in instanbul during the decline of the ottoman empire, she presents a detective novel with some nice twists, and all the trimmings of the late 19th century ottoman society. Book of the sultan s seal strange incidents from history in the city of mars by youssef rakha, 9781566569910, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. A historical mystery with a bit of romance thrown in, this book makes for an unputdownable read. The naked body of a young englishwoman washes up in istanbul wearing a pendant inscribed with the seal of the deposed sultan.
A novel kamil pasha novels by jenny white available from rakuten kobo. Click to read more about the sultan s seal by jenny white. Jenny white, an anthropologist and the author of numerous nonfiction works on turkish society and politics, has written a real winner with her debut novel, the sultan s seal. A magistrate in the new secular courts, kamil pasha, sets out to find the killer, but his dispassionate belief in science and modernity is shaken by betrayal and.
Our list is devoted to works of literature, history, contemporary politics, travel, art, and cuisine from around the world, often from areas underrepresented in western media. Jenny b white rich in sensuous detail, this first novel brilliantly captures the political and social upheavals of the waning ottoman empire. The sultan s seal was a wellplotted, beautifully written novel set in istanbul in the last days of the ottoman empire. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars. The book of the sultans seal industry news translation journal.
The landscape in this part of the country of cavities, desert, mountain ridges, labyrinths is painted with yellow, pink and red sediment. A novel kamil pasha novels kindle edition by jenny white. Review the book of the sultans seal, youssef rakha bookblast. The book of the sultans seal, strange incidents from history in the city of mars.
However, as i slowly got further and further into the novel, i found myself becoming more and more distracted. The sultan s seal rich in sensuous detail, this debut novel brilliantly captures the political and social upheavals of the waning ottoman empire. The turkish was mispronounced and the accents sounded more like they were from india rather than turkey. Sultans and crocodiles reorient middle eastern arts. Rich in sensuous detail, this first novel brilliantly captures t. The book of the sultan s seal, which feints in the direction of an intrusion of the supernatural into the world of contemporary cairo, does so in such an odd way, by focusing its narrative on a restoration of the ottoman caliphate. Its hard to imagine a debut novel of greater urgency or more thrilling innovation. The naked body of a young englishwoman washes up in istanbul wearing a. Her world, despite its restrictions, is one in which you will want to immerse yourself. A turkish murder mystery, love story and culturalhistorical panorama, told from three points of view. The book of the sultans seal established in 1987, interlink is an independent publishing house that offers a global, cosmopolitan perspective. The seal of the previous emperor used to be kept in the imperial treasury, and in the early days of the ottoman empire, the seals were designed in the shape of a ring worn by the sultan.
Book of the sultans seal strange incidents from history. When the scene settles in your head, you will continue in your imagination. The setting is istanbul where the naked body of a white woman had been found floating in the bosphorus. Strange incidents from history in the city of mars interlink world fiction swallow edition series. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about the sultan s seal by jenny white.
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