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| Reviews
Set in major metropolitan locales such as Chicago, New York, London, and Berlin, The Saint of Istanbul is an intriguing assortment of literary snapshots that resemble life as represented by the pages in a scrapbook. Far from aimless, these twenty-three short stories are a creative stroll through the sights, sounds, and sensations experienced by a seasoned world traveler.
Written in Turkish, the book has been translated into English. The quality of the translation is good, despite the occasional awkward phrase.
For a reader seeking the strong plot lines with single-minded characters typical of commercial fiction, ChanCe's book is not a good choice. But for any literary aficionado, her writing offers a welcome departure from the mainstream. Evocative and direct, ChanCe's style enhances the interesting vignettes which are delivered in rapid-fire succession.
With a feminist slant, the author traverses cultural and religious boundaries using courage and humor. A straightforward approach is executed with confidence in "The Fifth Azan," a contemporary look at the invasive aspects of established tradition: "Having sex on Moslem soil is always a challenge. Suddenly, you have the risk of becoming a trio—you, your partner and the Arab guy on the minaret, which is called the muezzin. At least once a day, you are in danger of being interrupted by a man screaming Arabic words when you are in a compromising position ..."
With a spirited lack of inhibition, "Love Castration" offers a candid glimpse of a Paris brothel from the viewpoint of Fatima, a madam savoring the power she has over men: "If you ever want to be a real hooker, you've got to strangle your man with your sexuality..." Fatima tells her story about falling in love with a client who treated her badly, narrating it in gritty, explicit detail: "Our last sexual encounter had to be an event remembered by generations, like the last supper [sic] of Christ."
The book's downfall is a tendency to overplay scenes to the point of crudeness. A blurb on the back cover in need of a proofreader is also problematic.
ChanCe was born in Istanbul. A medical professor, writer, and singer, this brilliant newcomer is sure to find her niche with a sophisticated American audience that seeks urban realism.
Julia Ann Charpentier
A Turkish woman travels to foreign lands and encounters odd characters and a few poignant lessons in ChanCe's collection of flash fiction adventures.
In these 23 tightly packed vignettes, the narrator goes on random romps, from Berlin to Sicily to London, looking for a diversion from her native Istanbul. Her journey begins in Chicago, where she is determined to learn better English but can only find other foreigners and people who want to speak Turkish with her. After a slow start, the anecdotes pick up with the sixth story, "Symphonies at Dawn." The author packs poetic grace into this love story about a Korean girl living in Chicago and a forbidden affection she shared with her cousin back in Pusan. Whether the author is addressing the mundane, as she does in "The Full Froth Laundromat," or tackling the many nuances of solitude and masturbation in "A Divorcée in London," she manages to insert delicious little gems into each anecdote. In "Love Castration," the narrator is an African-Arab, Muslim prostitute in Paris but pretends to be a Jew because it's easier;
"When Muslims don't eat pork, it's a tragedy; when Jews don't, it is a comedy," she tells her friend Omar. No topic is off limits, and the author's bravery is welcome. In "Café Tootsie," where every table is named after a Sydney Pollack film, a waitress questions why people assume that whenever a gay person gets sick, he has AIDS. The stories build in vulnerability and peak at the title tale, "The Saint of Istanbul." The narrator, who is pregnant in some of these stories, is now in Sicily with her young son. They meet a puppeteer who befriends them and secretly arranges for the narrator to have a sexual encounter with a friend of his in the small village of Cefalu. Her son's youthful curiosities lead to a playful discussion about saints and a tender exchange about love. Although the reader may stumble through poor editing and some unfamiliar terms, these yarns are worth the bumps.
Snippets of substance from a Mediterranean bon vivant.
Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson Rd., Austin, TX 78744
indie@kirkusreviews.com
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