Tequila Leila, our protagonist, is dead……ish, yes she has no pulse, no breath and would be certified as dead by anyone who still has a heartbeat, but “Leila would have testified that, on the contrary, a corpse was brimming with life” at least for 10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world. Leila’s consciousness is fading as her corpse turns colder, but in this time her memories surge forward, including ones she didn’t know she even had, such as the day she was born, and from this she sees the start of a secret – her birth. And this is just one minute in.
10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World is divided into three sections, part one is the ‘Mind’ of Leila as she remembers her past; each minute and grouping of seconds a chapter in her life, and each preceded by the sensuous delights of taste, aroma and texture that will leave you hungry for more and not just for cardamom coffee. These senses stimulate new memories; ones of haunting consequences and hurts long aged, to a grand love that’s first hinted at in coffee granules and a golden locket.
In remembrance of Leila’s life, for that is what the book feels like, there is an interwoven story of her friends – each rejected by society, whilst being accepted by one another. It’s in part two, the ‘Body’, that we find out more about them as they take centre stage and try to give Leila a fitting funeral – despite the obstacles preventing them and the crazy paths they take.
From these important introductions of Leila’s friends we learn how they came to be in the story’s setting of Istanbul, and how their story began – with each one hurting from their past, whilst feeling chased by it in the city they call home. A singer hiding from abuse, a fear of honour killings, and from her own depression. A transgender woman who’s worked hard to get where she is, but finds acceptance still to be rare. A man who’s just as trapped as he was as a child; silencing his thoughts and actions. A lady with dwarfism, that in an adding a number to her name shows just a snippet of her strength, and a woman sold a future of lies to only be traded instead. We also come to see more of Leila’s past and personality through her friends’ memories.
At times the book is too light in details about the characters’ lives, but in doing this it balances out the novel’s heavier content; inequality, the reign of religion, to the political conflicts and turmoil within Istanbul. Although there are times still when you feel this “lightness” comes at a cost – such as Leila’s friend Jameelah, her individual chapter all too short, while her thoughts and dialogue are hardly revealed in part two.
In the second part of the book we also find out more about Leila’s final moments, the blindsided thoughts of people, and to moments of great courage. Powerfully, the writer Elif Shafak decided not to give a complete ending for two minor characters, leaving it for the audience to decide what happens to them, and maybe to self-reflect on whether by standing idly by, you’re letting someone escape with murder. These minor characters, which hold discomforting thoughts and actions, don’t see themselves as being in the wrong, but self-justified heroes. These thoughts being further enforced by a pervasive judgement of women. But in the different and questioning thoughts of the book’s younger generation could this end, or will the idle actions of society continue?
Part three is the ‘Soul’ of Leila, and is perfect in its shortness of just a few pages, for what else is there to say? 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World provides both the intimate to the external viewpoints society can have; from politics and religion, to those of family, culture, and gender. In family, Leila is shown to have grown up in an unsteady environment, and one with an existing hierarchy of first and second wives. Of men held high, and of daughters and wives held last. This negative and demeaning attitude to women by their families, is also shown in the interplay of Leila’s friends and their journeys. Shafak effortlessly summarising this in a simple and well-delivered line; “They never failed to recognise a sad woman when they saw one.” Revealing the suffering and sadness of our characters far more than can be given in the details of their experiences. Meanwhile in culture, there is a mix of superstitions; salt flakes and pepper to protect against evil, avoiding bathrooms because “djinn held their weddings around toilets”, to the effect religion has in shaping culture; through the degradation of women and the pressures on men to have sons, which justifies multiple wives and false marriages to ensure it.
In particular the novel highlights the prejudice and treatment of sex workers, and shows in a loud voice, how they’re often found to be in this position due to the treatment of family and society. The author’s writing stating that although 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World is fictional, it has many truths grounded within it.
One of the most horrifying truths from the book is the existence of the ‘Cemetery of the Companionless’. I won’t give away many details of this place, except to say that it’s horrifying enough that it didn’t need the added theatricals of the lightening, gnarled trees, shining moon, rain and not to mention things with ‘…eyes flashing yellow, teeth bared…’ that sadly pulled me right out from the book.
Another area of realism is the setting of worldwide news within Leila’s timeline; Margaret Thatcher’s resignation, Martin Luther King being sent to prison and the assassination of JFK etc. In having these real-life events, it adds a strong tone to the reading; that so too are the characters’ lives and their stories.
There is something highly enjoyable about a well-researched book – letting yourself be absorbed not just by its tale, but also in learning about different histories, cultures, and beliefs. Immerse yourself into Elif Shafak’s writings with an atmosphere all too real, colourful and spirited. 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World would be of benefit to any book shelf.
Other Notable Works by Elif Shafak:
- The Island of Missing Trees 2021
- How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division 2020
- The Forty Rules of Love 2009
Book Edition Information:
Publisher: Viking (imprint of Penguin Books)
ISBN: 978-0-241-29386-7
Presented Edition: 2019 Hardback
Cover Design: Holly Ovenden
Background image courtesy of Meriç Dağlı on Unsplash
