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Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
Jan. 31st, 2025 05:53 pmI hate to dismiss an entire genre but I think romance just doesn't work for me.
I understand the beauty and tragedy of yearning but I couldn't summon any feelings for the story or the characters. It seemed pointless to me that we had to be introduced to the main character through the eyes of a different (and almost inconsequential) man. A lot of words were wasted on our narrator's circumstances when it has no bearing to the actual meat of the story. I would have been willing to overlook this if the rest of the story was any good, which unfortunately it wasn't.
Much of the story is told through a notebook written by Raif, the protagonist, which circumstances has led the narrator to read. In here we find out about Raif's past romance - the main reason why Raif appears to be a husk of a man. There were a few lines that stuck with me but other than that it was just a tedious read. Instead of the notebook justifying Raif's character, all it did to me was to emphasize how empty Raif was even before his failed romance. He doesn't have much of a personality or drive outside of his romantic involvement. It was a bit pathetic to read. The object of his affections was equally dull. I just don't see the love and affection that Raif insists is there. I felt that they were both boring and co-dependent.
Sometimes I wonder at what people consider romantic. To me this seems to be the most pathetic form that love can take. I could also see the end from a mile away so even the storytelling I felt left a lot to be desired. Perhaps I read this at the wrong time in my life?
I understand the beauty and tragedy of yearning but I couldn't summon any feelings for the story or the characters. It seemed pointless to me that we had to be introduced to the main character through the eyes of a different (and almost inconsequential) man. A lot of words were wasted on our narrator's circumstances when it has no bearing to the actual meat of the story. I would have been willing to overlook this if the rest of the story was any good, which unfortunately it wasn't.
Much of the story is told through a notebook written by Raif, the protagonist, which circumstances has led the narrator to read. In here we find out about Raif's past romance - the main reason why Raif appears to be a husk of a man. There were a few lines that stuck with me but other than that it was just a tedious read. Instead of the notebook justifying Raif's character, all it did to me was to emphasize how empty Raif was even before his failed romance. He doesn't have much of a personality or drive outside of his romantic involvement. It was a bit pathetic to read. The object of his affections was equally dull. I just don't see the love and affection that Raif insists is there. I felt that they were both boring and co-dependent.
Sometimes I wonder at what people consider romantic. To me this seems to be the most pathetic form that love can take. I could also see the end from a mile away so even the storytelling I felt left a lot to be desired. Perhaps I read this at the wrong time in my life?