T. Byram Karasu

Protagonist Adam is the son of a Jewish woman, a palace concubine, and the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Adam is taught by mentors of three faiths – Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. He desires to be a good person and wants to make a positive contribution to society but is shifted from one place to another due to changes in governments, wars, and deaths of extended family members. He falls into depression and sexual promiscuity. He gets distracted from his quest. The book tells his life story.

The story is about human well-being and how to find it. It examines the premise that what we think of as a divine presence would have pre-dated any of the world’s formal religions. I was not sure what to think of it as I was reading along, but after finishing, I believe I understand what the author is getting at (and this understanding may differ from person to person).

It is one of the most unusual novels I have read. Pick it up if you are in the mood for something completely different that examines the nature of spirituality and the search for meaning.

Here are a couple quotes to give you an idea of what to expect:
“You see, the terms of suffering are clear: an outer dissolution to escape the unbearable abyss of the self and an inner inquietude to fill external emptiness.”

“I should be truthful to myself. Well, my truth was the totality of my lies. I can’t be myself because I cannot make sense of my own lies. Even if I can, I become only the sum of my own impersonation. I cannot even be squarely in a false position.”
… (mehr)

"There was no genuine love, there was no genuine hate; there were only genuine interests-interests in money, success, sex, and power. At the dawn of the second millennium, these excesses
and unchecked exaltation of selves were celebrated by all the social, legal, political, and financial cuddings".

Gotham Chronicles: The Culture of Sociopathy by T. Byram Karasu

I liked it. But it really broke my heart.

This book is about a girl named Mallory who is trying to write a book about her life while working as a prostitute in NYC. This book seems to me to be a sort of character study about Madison and also a study of the world in general and how the have nots are treated by the haves.

SPOILERS:

Only one review? I actually borrowed this from someone else. What a read! If you are looking for light beach reading this is not it. But it is a powerful and provocative piece of writing about the doomed Mallory. I wish the end had told us a bit more but I actually had a feeling it wouldn't.

Good book..not for everyone but good.… (mehr)