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On Sunday afternoons on the ABC there is a little five minute show were they talk to an author and discuss their latest books. Normally the author is some real literary person and I have no idea who they are. I was however fortunate enough to catch the episode where they talked to Louis de Bernieres about his latest book ‘Birds Without Wings’ (you might know him from his book ‘Corelli’s Mandolin…or the guy that wrote that book that was made into a Nicholas Cage movie). After listening to the basis of the story I knew that I wanted to read it. A year later I actually found the book in the bookshop and impulse bought it, I never once regretted my purchase.
This is a historical novel that was easy to understand and taught me a lot about the events preempting and continuing throughout World War I. Set in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) during the early 1900’s this story follows the lives of the members of a Christian (Greek) and Muslim (Turkish) community. Throughout the story we also follow the life and rise to politics of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk the first president of Turkey.
I loved this story and its characters. From the first descriptions of the town I knew that I would have love to live there. Clay houses with bright blue doors, old men playing backgammon in the cafe while smoking water pipes, children running around and collecting wild greens.
Not only was the town picturesque it was also tolerant (this was something that I really took away from this story). A town where Muslim and Christians are so integrated that converting to marry someone was not a huge deal. When and Muslim was ill they would ask there Christian friends to pray to virgin Mary and Christians would visit the iman for pieces of paper with Koran verse written on them to eat.
The hardest thing these people had to face was when their young men went of to fight the jihad (the battle of Gallipoli is described with chilling details). Upon returning their village would never be the same. Once they all considered themselves Ottomans now their religion defined them to the government and they were forced to migrate to other like nations.
Towards the end of the novel I was really upset. It seems unfair that politicians so detached from communities get to decide who gets what land and where people have to live. Think of Cyprus and the whole of the Middle East… white man comes in and decided who gets what and never once meeting the people or understanding the significance this land has to them. The same thing happened in Turkey. Mustafa Kemal decided that Turkey was going to be a modern Muslim state therefore all Christians had to be removed to Greece. Family removed from their family homes and life long friendships broken up. Instead of being split up what we really need is places like this community that taught tolerance to their children to be passed along to future generations.
This has to be one of my Top 5 books. I will definitely be recommending it to everyone. This story is why I read. Please add this to your reading list and I don’t think you will be disappointed.
There is a simple reason why I decided to read this book. I started watching the movie but was so upset and sick feeling that I couldn’t watch it any further. I thought, surely it would be easier to read the book, that was a wrong assumption. I realised that my imagination is equal to any of the scenes displayed in the film, if not more morbid. That being said I am glad that I have read the book. It is nice to read a World War II story where the hero is a German but not surprising the bad guys are German/Austrian as well.
What possessed a man like Schindler whom born to the right stock had prominence in the community and friends in high place to spend 4 million caring for the “enemy”? This is the question that was constantly running through my head while reading this book. It would be so easy to turn your back on the desolate. Being in the same situation with the same means at hand would you do what Oskar did? I think it takes great strength of character and dare I say it balls to pull of what he did. He risked his own situation to better that of his workers, something they would never forget.
It also interested me to compare Oskar with Amon Goeth. Both men born to similar circumstance, both ambitious though one choose to show his power through violence and terror while the other earns a loyalty through compassion. Though Oskar was no Mother Theresa – he boozed it up, had a wife, mistress and an affair all at the same time (though we allow him these disgraces).
This story was painfully heart breaking (I cried more than once) and graphic which I will remember but I will also remember the hardships people can overcome. One person doing a good act can change the live of many others. “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire” – engraved inside the ring presented to Oskar by his workers.
Everyone should read this book and learn from it (by learn I don’t mean not to start wars etc that is pretty much a given), learn to be better people, help us to become more compassionate and understanding to others (discrimination through religion is still happening now). If we all do better, save one life instead of taking it we really can save the world. It is a nice thought.
