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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
- Narrated by: Alix Dunmore
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
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Summary
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2019
Brought to you by Penguin.
'In the first minute following her death, Leila's consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away....'
Our brains stay active for 10 minutes after our heart stops beating. For Leila, each minute brings with it a new memory: growing up with her father and his wives in a grand old house in a quiet Turkish town; watching the women gossip and wax their legs while the men went to mosque; sneaking cigarettes and Western magazines on her way home from school; running away to Istanbul to escape an unwelcome marriage; falling in love with a student who seeks shelter from a riot in the brothel where she works.
Most importantly, each memory reminds Leila of the five friends she met along the way - friends who are now desperately trying to find her....
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What listeners say about 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sigrin
- 08-02-20
Simply outstanding
This book describes Leila and her life in the last 10 minutes 38 seconds, whilst her brain is finally shutting down, after she is murdered, by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The descriptions of Istanbul are so full and exotic that you feel immersed in its culture and rhythms. Leila is a nice gentle soul who has had a bit of a poor start in life mainly due to being a girl born into a Muslim family. She made a few poor decisions along the way like we all do, but had to bear the consequences in ways most of us do not.
As I mentioned earlier the descriptive narrative of this book is wonderful, some parts are like a diarrhea of adjectives, but not in a way that is trying too hard or spoiling anything the story
This book tackles the serious topic of dying, the short but bitter sweet life of Leila, those she comes into contact with who shape her life and theirs with a sensitivity that makes you feel many emotions.
However it was the last part of the book that switched the tempo into, I can only say comical proportions and had me giggling like a school girl. I did not think a book so literary in parts could do that, but it did.
First class narration by Alix Dunmore to make this a truly 5 star book
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-11-19
Life of strangers in a strange world
this book depicts the life of outcasts, outposts from their own society. Life to outcasts is significantly more challenging c compared to people who seem to fit in in everyday; hence outcasts find comfort in other outcasts. This book describes the beautiful friendship of people who found it difficult to fit in in their society, and the kind of life they had to live as a consequent to this. Whilst listening to this book, every single character became a friend of mine, I found myself as an observer who wanted to be a part of this story. The story is captivating, the characters true to real life, and the detail in descriptions mesmerising.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- HN786
- 12-01-20
Severely underwhelming
(1) I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it was shocking to find it on the Booker prize long list now that I’ve read it. I feel like Elif Shafak’s success in recognition arenas is a byproduct of success from earlier and better stories she’s written. Now her success is a byproduct of the idolisation culture that plagues celebrities including in the writer sphere.
(2) I did like the construct of the story with the concept that a human brain still has activity 10 minutes after death and there were some moving parts to this story but overall it fell flat for me.
(3) The author is known to be an activist for minority rights. This is all well and good but it felt like she’d written this book with a checklist of all minorities that are “on trend” these days. Let’s throw in a transgender, a homosexual, child abuse, obesity, refugee, Marxist ideological young man, disabilities, prostitution, depression. It’s very cliché and the stories of the minorities are connected in a very inauthentic way. It just doesn’t come across believable or smooth.
(4) The author’s secularism and disdain for Turkish conservatism and Islam is also apparent in the book in spades. I also found this off-putting and felt it demonstrated an insincerity in how she used her characters to put forth her ideologies. It was very difficult to separate author from characters in her book despite her desperation to constantly argue otherwise in media.
(5) The ending really drags on. Forgettable shallow characters, unfortunately nothing properly lifts off in this novel and you are left wanting (not more).
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- TIM H.
- 04-08-19
Istanbul life
Joy and tragedy interspersed with views of the Bosphorus . For me a helter skelter ride of emotional intensity and bitter truth read perfectly by someone who must have witnessed the events described.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A. Peacock
- 14-11-19
lovely tale - heartwarming and tragic i
lovely tale of enduring friendship
really well narrated
couldn't wait for my bus journeys to listen
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bookylady
- 01-10-19
Really enjoyable.
I really loved the whole notion of a novel being based on the final 10 minutes 38 seconds of brain activity of a dead person. A clever idea and one that has been skillfully used by an author at the height of her powers.
The narrative features Leila, a young woman who feels compelled to leave her sleepy provincial town when her father calls her a whore on finding out that she has been molested by her uncle. Feeling betrayed by her family she arrives in Istanbul and almost immediately falls into danger and trouble. She is forced by circumstance into the life of a sex worker, but one with a heart and a strong will of her own. She refuses to accept that she cannot have some control over her own life.
She gathers around her a group of unusual friends, mostly misfits, and lives as full a life as she can, eventually finding love and marriage.
But fate has other plans for Leila and she ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her 'dead' brain recalls memories from her life and friendships and through them we learn her story and about the qualities which made her a special person. After her death her loyal friends come together to bring about a fitting end to Leila's life.
The narrator did an excellent job and brought all of the colourful, marvellous characters to life. Some of the novel reveals uncomfortable facts about Turkish attitudes to women and to morality, particularly in respect to sex workers.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jo Mann
- 02-11-19
Tragic and heartwarming in equal measure
It’s a tale of human cruelty, the perverse nature of religion driven harm but most of all a story of friendship and kindness that can overcome. Loved every minute of it.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- j r mitchell
- 08-10-19
Gripping and wonderfully uplifting
Absolutely loved the story, it was gripping, sad and uplifting all at once. Also very much enjoyed the narrator's voice
2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dan
- 27-09-19
Exceptional storytelling and tangible descriptions
An original concept, beautifully told. It's made me want to visit Istanbul, for better or for worse.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lizzy h
- 18-08-19
Urban Istanbul mystery
Elif Shafak weaves a story through the Turlish countryside to the harsh streets of Istanbul. We experience the struggle to survive and be an individual through the experiences of different characters.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-03-20
lovely book
I loved this book, since I love turkey. it is quite dramatic, I actually shed tears over an event that happened. I finished it in three days.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AnahitaAnahita
- 28-12-19
To the women of Istanbul and the city of Istanbul
As Shafak herself says, read stories written by women. You'll know when you read it. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 27-11-19
I keep listening and re-listening!
I am breathless. I have been a fan of Elif Shafak for long, and clearly that's not about to change any time soon. You should buy this. It's worth every dollar!
The reading is perfect, the story a sad nectar, and the writing is plainly gorgeous.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Neelam
- 03-10-19
A touching story of friendship and belonging
I loved the title of the book and the entire story was remarkable and entertaining.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-06-19
Amazing story
Great narrator delivering a breathaking story, I enjoyed very much! Couldn't stop listening to the end
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Imtiaz
- 09-08-21
Thoroughly enjoyable!
Interesting depiction of the harsh realities of life in the backwaters of Istanbul narrated through vivid and sharp characters. Not Shafak's best work though.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 31-07-21
Fantastic!
The best book I've heard on Audible! This story has everything - colourful characters, gripping plot and vibrant setting. Í would give 5+ stars fór Alix Dunmore's narration - it's by far the best narration I have heard on Audible!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AJ
- 27-04-21
Absolutely captivating
I didn’t want to stop this story. It moved me to tears, had me laugh out loud, made me yearn for my many travels to Istanbul and the stories and life found lurking around each hidden corner there. An absolutely wonderful book, and I’m so glad I listened to the audio version, with such a beautiful performance.