Memed, My Hawk

Average customer rating:

The voice of south Anatolian village story teller

Breathtaking

Best epic written in history of mankind

studying in turkey this fall, discovering the literature

I read it again...

Memed, My Hawk

Manufacturer: NYRB Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Turkey | Middle Eastern | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

My Name Is Red

Istanbul: Memories and the City

Snow Snow

They Burn the Thistles (New York Review Books Classics)

Portrait of a Turkish Family

ASIN: 159017139X
Release Date: 2005-06-30

Book Description

A tale of high adventure and lyrical celebration, tenderness and violence, generosity and ruthlessness, Memed, My Hawk is the defining achievement of one of the greatest and most beloved of living writers, Yashar Kemal. It is reissued here with a new introduction by the author on the fiftieth anniversary of its first publication.

Memed, a high-spirited, kindhearted boy, grows up in a desperately poor mountain village whose inhabitants are kept in virtual slavery by the local landlord. Determined to escape from the life of toil and humiliation to which he has been born, he flees but is caught, tortured, and nearly killed. When at last he does get away, it is to set up as a roving brigand, celebrated in song, who could be a liberator to his people—unless, like the thistles that cover the mountain slopes of his native region, his character has taken an irremediably harsh and unforgiving form.

Customer Reviews:

The voice of south Anatolian village story teller.......2007-01-20

This is Yashar Kemal's (1922-present) first novel, originally published in 1955. He is one of the best read Turkish writers. The lucid translation into English is by Edouard Roditi, the author of The Delights of Turkey: Twenty Tales. Kemal's story draws on his childhood as a Kurd in a poor southern Anatolian village of hard-laboring share-croppers.

The twin strengths of the story are its sense of place and of identification with Memed, its bandit hero. Abdi Agha, the village landlord, collects two-thirds of farmers' hard won harvest and otherwise rules as a local despot. Abdi Agha singles out Memed and his widowed mother for abuse. Memed rebels and flees to the nearby Taurus Mountains, where he becomes a bandit. His struggle is for dignity but also for violent revenge. Despite this violent urge, Memed mostly avoids violence, and seeks to treat most enemies as well as friends with compassion.

In the end, the story of Memed, son of Ibrahim the Miserable, is about triumph of the oppressed against the arbitrary. It's not realistic, it's a fantasy. Yet the story serves a purpose: in his introduction, Kemal affirms that:

"By creating myths, by conjuring up worlds of dreams, one can withstand the great suffering of the world..."

Kemal writes with clear avuncular voice of a village story teller, speaking to children of his native village, in the dry heat of a clear Mediterranean evening. The tale is full of light, illuminating his landscape of home. This is a landscape of hard earth, of fields of thistle, below the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, some miles inland from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. In nearly every passage, the reader feels this sense of belonging, the sense of familiar soil, something that it's hard for me to find within, except sometimes when I remember the smell and color of leaves, scattered in my path to elementary school, on a brisk October day in Philadelphia. This is how Kemal describes his home:

"Only beyond the low hilltops crowned with heavy-scented myrtle do the rocks suddenly appear, and with them the pine trees. The crystal-bright drops of resin ooze from the trunks and trickle down to the ground. Beyond the pines are plateaus where the soil is gray and arid. From here it looks as if the snow-capped peaks of the Taurus are very close, almost within arms reach.

Dikenli, the Plateau of Thistles, is one of these highland plains, with five small villages clustered on it. The inhabitants of all five are tenant farmers, on Abdi Agha's Land. Dikenli is a world by itself, with its own laws and customs.."

Read on.

Breathtaking.......2006-09-18

This book is certainly an exhilarating page-turner! But not merely this: Lush descriptions of the Turkish countryside as it existed at the time, a cast of characters Tolstoyan in their sweep, and, above all, an epic story of a downtrodden hero---In short, the book is a Romance. It is not, though, the simple-minded, pat story that one sometimes associates with this term. It is a Romance in the sense that War and Peace and Don Quixote are Romances. The author goes to some pains in the introduction to explain why he has written this sort of book, instead of something dry and dispiriting as many of the works of, say, V. S .Naipaul are. If I could sum up these arguments, it would be that such a work as Memed, My Hawk touches on what is written in every human heart. And it does. It is ribald, comic, sad, distressing, heartbreaking---all the emotions, which, blended together, make up a human life. It is also, of course, more specifically, about a particular human named Memed, who embodies these traits in an heroic fashion. - I don't think that it belittles this book a jot to compare it to the movie Braveheart. I found myself reminded of this cinematic work more than anything else throughout the book---There are so many thematic and plot similarities. Let's put it this way, if you love Braveheart, you will love this book. But also, if you love War and Peace or Don Quixote, you will love this book. And I say, good and well, let's have the old pathos and lyricism back that made literature what it is. Let's not leave it to the dry hacks who warn us, like so many bloodless Jeremiahs, of the perils of following our hearts. Let's let literature be literature! ---But never mind me. Let's let Kemal have the last word:

"No matter how limited a man's field of vision, his imagination knows no bounds. A man who has never been outside his village of Deyirmenoluk can still create a whole imaginary world that can reach as far as the stars. Without travelling, a man can penetrate to the other end of the world. Even without much imagination the place where he dwells can become different in his dreams, a true paradise." P.77

So, go. Read and Dream!

Best epic written in history of mankind.......2006-07-05

Memed, my hawk is nothing short of a revelation. It is the first instalment of four books and the final instalment was written more than twenty after the first one. I, being from
Turkey, had not read this book until i was 24 years old, certainly much later than I had read the works of Tolstoy, Soholov, Chaucer, Steinbeck etc. But this book was completely
in a league of its own. The first one was spectacular, but the second, third and fourth simply unbeatable. For all the comparisons made with Robin Hood ,Don Kichote and other great
literary achievements (all appreciated), nevertheless this is
- believe me - the finest any writer has ever produced. The great author Yasar Kemal has produced many fine works since 1953, when the book was first published; but all of them will be eclipsed by this book, which reads so fresh more than 50 years after it is written. Memed, My Hawk is to literature what 24 is to TV or what Les Miserables is to theatre.
A life changing book if ever there was one. READ!!!!

studying in turkey this fall, discovering the literature.......2005-07-08

I was mesmerized by this book. It looked like a dusty old classic on the libary shelf, and, being insanely motivated by all things Turkish in my excitement to study there, I picked it up and started to read anyway.PLEASE read this book!! It is beautiful!! The descriptions of the plains reminds me of rural Ohio, making me feel some ease at the prospect of my new local. However, the eye for the Turkish countryside could belong only to a native like Kemal!! And the story is fast-paced and brilliant, never, ever leaving the reader bored. Such a joy to read, inspiring, makes one happy to be human-being, somewhere capable of great feats or the ability to recognize them.... AMAZING!!

I read it again..........2005-04-10

I was 15 years old when I read this book. Now, many years later, I did it again.I love this book! I would recommend this book to everyone.

Average customer rating:

MEMED, MY HAWK
YASAR KEMAL
Manufacturer: FONTANA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9UNU0

Average customer rating:

Memed, My Hawk

Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GOMVOI

Average customer rating:

Memed, My Hawk.

Manufacturer: Collins and Harvill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GLV5OS

Memed, my hawk. Translated from the Turkish by Edouard Roditi

Average customer rating:

Memed, my hawk. Translated from the Turkish by Edouard Roditi
Yasar Kemal (1922-)
Manufacturer: London, Collins and Harvill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H3UQ6I

Average customer rating:

Memed, My Hawk

Manufacturer: Collins and Harvill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FNQI3A

Average customer rating:

Memed, My Hawk
Yashar Kemal
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Memed, My Hawk
Yashar Kemal
Manufacturer: Collins Harwill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FNKKPW

Book Description

Linda Lael Miller returns to an unforgettable Montana town for a very special occasion....

SPRINGWATER WEDDING

Once a frontier stagecoach stop, tiny Springwater has grown and changed and entered the twenty-first century. Cattle rustlers may still be stirring up trouble, but now they're high-tech operators in a modern world. Where stagecoaches once rolled along muddy roads, the Internet is now the newest highway in town. But heartbreak is still heartbreak and love still love, and Springwater still boasts a rich legacy of joy, sorrow, and second chances -- as two childhood sweethearts discover when they rekindle a long-ago passion in the place they will always call home.

Maggie McCaffrey left her fast-paced corporate job to take a chance on a more rewarding -- but riskier -- business venture: turning the dilapidated Springwater Station into a bed-and-breakfast. But Maggie didn't count on running straight into J.T. Wainwright, the hometown boy who stole her heart many years before. A tough former New York City cop, J.T. survived a grave gunshot wound and returned to Springwater to find a better way of life. Now, as deputy town marshal, he's facing off with modern-day cattle thieves who are plaguing local ranchers. Stronger than ever, J.T. seems ready for anything -- except, of course, Maggie.

As Maggie's B&B begins to take root, a delightful new cast of Springwater locals passes through its doors. Maggie's parents, Kathleen and Reece, are finding that their forty-year marriage requires a little renegotiating now and then. Cindy, a teenage newlywed with a baby on the way, is learning about love and sacrifice for the first time. And town marshal Purvis Digg is turning Springwater upside down by dating a woman he met on the Internet.

As always, Linda Lael Miller enchants readers with her portrayal of the complex tangle of life and love in a small town. With her trademark sensuality and her ?air for wit, she once again brings Springwater to life -- this time, at the dawn of a new era.

Download Description

Bringing a huge cast featuring the descendants of the beloved "Springwater" series, Linda Lael Miller offers a delightful new vision of the Montana town where SUVs have eclipsed stagecoaches, and railroads have given way to the information superhighway. But no matter the period, romance is still romance. When Maggie McCaffrey, a descendant of Will and Olivia McCaffrey, returns to the town, the one person she isn't prepared to run into is J.T. Wainright, the man who stole her heart years ago.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good start but it fizzeled out!.......2007-05-16

I have mixed feelings about this book I give praises to the auther for actually making me believe this was the same frontier town of Springwater. I was quit skeptical to say the least when I started the book. Although 100 years had pasted I was able to wrap my mind around the concept. THE STORY started off strong but I felt like it was a bit bogged down with substory lines that were completely boring. I skipped over a lot. I thought it was very predictable, but sweet. AT LEAST I WAS ABLE TO FINISH THIS ONE!!! I am reading Miller for the first time and now about 5 books in, I realize she is a HIT OR MISS author. WITH HER YOU ARE NOT GAURNTEED A GOOD READ.

A nice conclusion to this series..........2005-04-01

Although I was disappointed to jump 100+ years ahead of the other books in this series I still enjoyed this book. In this book you follow Maggie McCaffery (Jacob & June-Bug are her ancestors) & J.T. Wainwright (Scully & Evangeline are his ancestors). Maggie & J.T. grew up together in Springwater & were young lovers & eventually they split up & married others. 10 years later they both come back to Springwater to begin new lives & they re-kindle their love for one another very quickly. The beginning of this book is pretty slow but the ending is action packed. It made up for anything that I was missing at the beginning. It was nice hearing references to the other people in this series that lived a century earlier. If you have followed the Springwater series then I recommend this book if you are willing to jump to modern day.

Not as bad as some of the reviews suggest!.......2003-06-24

Apparently, from the other reviews, either you'll like it or you won't. I am in the middle of the road. I wished for more sparks between Maggie and JT- the romance was watered-down some. But the story was sweet. Maggie and JT go way back and because of family interference and misunderstandings they ended up with others and went through individual divorces - only to come back home to Springwater finding each other and renewing a relationship once again. Excitment is added with cattle poisoning, murder, and someone stalking Maggie. There are sub-characters that add a lot to the story as well. I suggest reading it but I don't know if I would recommend buying it. But it is a sweet read.

The most boring romance novel I've ever read.......2002-05-06

It was so boring that I didn't even bother to finish reading it. I really didn't care who the criminals were. The hero and heroine are lukewarm to the extreme. The "sexy" scenes weren't sexy (even the most intimate scene in the book makes you want to laugh out loud because of the heros comments).

I've never read a worse novel in this genre.

Hated it, but since the ending was already spoiled..........2002-04-13

I read all the Springwater series and loved them until this one. I had trouble getting into it and once I finally got into it it ended too soon. Poor Daphne, am I the only one who couldn't get over this part of the story line? Oh well, her husband isn't her husband - let me adopt a baby and get over it. I actually started to dislike Maggie because of her oh well attitude towards this tragedy happening to her best friend. I think I would slap any man who told me my best friends life was just turned upside down and in the same sentence asked me to marry him. And then she didn't see Daphne for awhile? I know I would need my best friend at that time. This contemporary Springwater is filled with a bunch of self centered jerks.

Average customer rating:

Springwater Wedding (Romantic Times)

Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739417401

Product Description

Delightful romance Newly divorced Maggie McCaffrey leaves her job to start a B& B in Montana when a man from her past shows up.

Average customer rating:

Springwater Wedding
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXUNYC

Springwater Seasons Series: Jessica, Rachel, Savannah, Miranda, Springwater, A Springwater Christmas, Springwater Wedding (Set of 7)

Average customer rating:

Springwater Seasons Series: Jessica, Rachel, Savannah, Miranda, Springwater, A Springwater Christmas, Springwater Wedding (Set of 7)
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Sonnet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000N53BWQ

LINDA LAEL MILLER - THE SPRINGWATER SEASON Series (7 Books, 1 Shipping Charge) (Spring Water - Rachel - Savannah - Miranda - Jessica - A springwater Christmas - Springwater Wedding)

Average customer rating:

LINDA LAEL MILLER - THE SPRINGWATER SEASON Series (7 Books, 1 Shipping Charge) (Spring Water - Rachel - Savannah - Miranda - Jessica - A springwater Christmas - Springwater Wedding)
Linda Lael Miller
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q6TUWC

Springwater Seasons Series of 7 Titles - Springwater - Jessica - Miranda - Rachel - Savannah - Springwater Christmas - Springwater Wedding

Average customer rating:

Springwater Seasons Series of 7 Titles - Springwater - Jessica - Miranda - Rachel - Savannah - Springwater Christmas - Springwater Wedding

Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I5VUII

Product Description

Springwater Seasons series of 7 titles - Springwater - Jessica - Miranda - Rachel - Savannah - Springwater Christmas - Springwater Wedding

Average customer rating:

SPRINGWATER WEDDING

Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HAWDY4

Book Description

When Dav Pilkey began drawing pictures of an underwear-clad, wedgie-giving superhero as a second grader, his teacher said, "You'd better start taking life more seriously, because you can't spend the rest of your days making silly books!" Luckily for us, Dav didn't listen, and Captain Underpants was born. Now, kids everywhere can enjoy this special edition of the book that started it all--with an awesome lenticular cover and a super-cool value-added component that's so amazing, so fun, and so top-secret that you'll just have to buy it to find out!

Customer Reviews:

Funny, interesting perspective to write a book.......2006-06-28

Dave Pilkey does it again with another wonderful childrens book. Also the author of dumb bunnies, this book is an action adventure book. It tells the tale of an unlikely hero who's secret identity is so secret that even he doesn't know. It's done in a format style like a of a child writing a comic book. This book brings back some memories of the goofy stories in a "newspaper" that my brother, cousin, and I used to create. Tra-La-LAAAAAA

The collectors edition comes with a "motion" front cover and a CD with games and web links to other games on it. Well worth the $9.99 I got it for right off the shelf. This is a book you can judge by it's cover, because it's just funny.

From the author of Kat Kong.......2006-06-10

The first in a series of epic novels for tykes. Readers may identify with the characters in this novel. As with the concepts in Mad Magazine, there are some diversions to add interest, such as "FLIP-O-RAMA." The book even contains a warning from the "Sturgeon General."

Stephen King started out writing a comic book at school. Evidently a similar action lead to the origins of the great red caped slightly clad hero.

This book reveals the origins of "Captain Underpants" whose true identity is so secret "that even HE does not know who he is."
TRA-LA-LAAAAAAAAAAA!

Captain Underpants And The Attack Of The Talking Toilets Collectors' Edition (Captain Underpants)

Average customer rating:

Captain Underpants And The Attack Of The Talking Toilets Collectors' Edition (Captain Underpants)
Dav Pilkey
Manufacturer: The Blue Sky Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

School | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0545027276

Book Description

When Dav Pilkey began drawing pictures of an underwear-clad, wedgie-giving superhero as a second grader, his teacher said, "You'd better start taking life more seriously, because you can't spend the rest of your days making silly books!" Luckily for us, Dav didn't listen, and Captain Underpants was born. Now, kids everywhere can enjoy this special edition of the second book in the series--with an awesome lenticular cover and a super-cool value-added component that's so amazing, so fun, and so top-secret that you'll just have to buy it to find out!

Average customer rating:

Sacred Origins of Profound Things

Concise and entertaining

Another one to add to the collection

A Very Interesting Book

Great Book!!!!

Sacred Origins of Profound Things: The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions
Charles Panati
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Sociology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Sexy Origins and Intimate Things: The Rites and Rituals of Straights, Gays, Bis, Drags, Trans, Virgins, and Others

Panati's Parade of Fads, Follies, and Manias: The Origins of Our Most Cherished Obsessions

Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything & Everybody

Words to Live By: The Origins of Conventional Wisdom and Commonsense Advice

ASIN: 0140195335

Customer Reviews:

Sacred Origins of Profound Things.......2007-01-09

Informative in an entertaining way about familiar and obscure practices of familiar and obscure religions alike. A factual but not too serious read that you can stop/start reading...but will find fascinating.

Concise and entertaining.......2005-09-30

I was thoroughly engrossed in with the information in this book. But I think the title is too broad because the topics were mostly on Christianity, Judaism and Islam and the other world religions were barely touched. Mr. Panati did warn that he is Catholic and is coming from that perspective. Being a Catholic myself, I think this is an excellent sourcebook for Catholics but be warned that some of Mr. Panati's explanations may make you doubt what you learned in catechism. What I did come away with is a better understanding of the connections between the three major world religions and how they are related to one another.

Another one to add to the collection.......2005-07-28

I've always enjoyed Charles Panati books and this one is no exception.

A Very Interesting Book.......2004-10-02

Not only did I read this book to satisfy my thirst for trivia, but also, to be enlightened on the more strange and mysterious rituals and practices of different religions. Although the cover says '..of the World's Religions', I personally think that this book focuses more on Christianity. But still, this book is very, very interesting -for me- because the author describes in colorful detail every information he has about a subject.
Even though I really like this book, I rate it 4 stars only because sometimes, the explanations are long and somewhat irrelevant. I still recommend it to others, though!

Great Book!!!!.......2002-03-13

This was a great book it explained the true meanings behind the world religions. I'm a 15 year old humanist and have never gone to church, never read the bible or any other holy books, but this book explained it perfectly. I can see why deeply religious people would be offended by this, but they need to open their eyes to the truth. Great book and a must read.

Sacred Origins of Profound Things The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions

Average customer rating:

Sacred Origins of Profound Things The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions
Charles Panati
Manufacturer: Penguin/ Arkana
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MTMNYU

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books