Scan barcode
A review by anusha_reads
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, ELIF SHAFAK
Elif Shafak is a Turkish - British author and activist who has written many novels in both English and Turkish. Some of her novels that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed are The Bastard of Istanbul, Forty Rules of Love, Three Daughters of Eve, Honour, The Island of Missing Trees, 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World ( shortlisted for 2019 @thebookerprize). Her non-fiction work, How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, was enlightening.
The historical epic fiction ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ kept calling to me. I rushed to buy it and paused all other reading only to just dive into it. This explores the themes of history, connectivity, loss, and helplessness and the vital ingredient of life: water.
‘WATER REMEMBERS. IT IS HUMANS WHO FORGET.’
The novel begins with the Assyrian scholar-king Ashurbanipal, who is renowned for his vast library and feared as a tyrant. His extensive kingdom, including the library and the Epic of Gilgamesh, inscribed on Lapis Lazuli, is ultimately destroyed.
The three main characters of the book are King Author, Narin, and Zaleekhah. They are connected like a water molecule. A water molecule has a polar covalent bond, and the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom are not linear but at an angle.
‘IF IT WERE LINEAR, THERE WOULD BE NO LIFE ON EARTH . . . NO STORIES TO TELL’
The author mentions at the end of the book that King Arthur, a walking encyclopedia, is a character based on the real person George Smith, the ‘intellectual picklock’, a nationally known figure who not only discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh but also dedicated his life to it.
A little girl, Narin, lives in Hasankyf. She is Yazidi and lives with her grandmother, who keeps her enthralled with her magical stories of yore.
Zaleekhah is a hydrologist going through a divorce.
Don't we all love it when a book is about a book or an author? The appearance of Charles Dickens in this novel made the story more interesting. A note at the end justifies the events relating to Charles Dickens.
What is at the epicentre of the story? That would be Water and Nineveh(Assyrian city).
Despite the cultural or religious differences, since time immemorial, humans have always been connected, through water - whether it is a river, a lake, or a well - there is a link.
Pollution, global warming, and other environmental issues have a detrimental impact on the life cycle of species on earth. The most precious element that makes this planet livable is becoming polluted, not only causing suffering to other species but also creating problems for humans. The book makes us question our disregard for water.
The beautiful cover depicts the infamous water drop, and it is the colour of Lapis Lazuli, the tablet on which the Epic of Gilgamesh was engraved.
Elif Shafak brilliantly knits together a lyrical tale that connects water, three people, and Nineveh. It is a book which you wouldn’t mind picking up again and again for the wisdom it imparts, well-researched facts, fascinating storyline, fluid writing and relatable, heartfelt quotes!
Elif Shafak is a Turkish - British author and activist who has written many novels in both English and Turkish. Some of her novels that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed are The Bastard of Istanbul, Forty Rules of Love, Three Daughters of Eve, Honour, The Island of Missing Trees, 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World ( shortlisted for 2019 @thebookerprize). Her non-fiction work, How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, was enlightening.
The historical epic fiction ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ kept calling to me. I rushed to buy it and paused all other reading only to just dive into it. This explores the themes of history, connectivity, loss, and helplessness and the vital ingredient of life: water.
‘WATER REMEMBERS. IT IS HUMANS WHO FORGET.’
The novel begins with the Assyrian scholar-king Ashurbanipal, who is renowned for his vast library and feared as a tyrant. His extensive kingdom, including the library and the Epic of Gilgamesh, inscribed on Lapis Lazuli, is ultimately destroyed.
The three main characters of the book are King Author, Narin, and Zaleekhah. They are connected like a water molecule. A water molecule has a polar covalent bond, and the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom are not linear but at an angle.
‘IF IT WERE LINEAR, THERE WOULD BE NO LIFE ON EARTH . . . NO STORIES TO TELL’
The author mentions at the end of the book that King Arthur, a walking encyclopedia, is a character based on the real person George Smith, the ‘intellectual picklock’, a nationally known figure who not only discovered and translated the Epic of Gilgamesh but also dedicated his life to it.
A little girl, Narin, lives in Hasankyf. She is Yazidi and lives with her grandmother, who keeps her enthralled with her magical stories of yore.
Zaleekhah is a hydrologist going through a divorce.
Don't we all love it when a book is about a book or an author? The appearance of Charles Dickens in this novel made the story more interesting. A note at the end justifies the events relating to Charles Dickens.
What is at the epicentre of the story? That would be Water and Nineveh(Assyrian city).
Despite the cultural or religious differences, since time immemorial, humans have always been connected, through water - whether it is a river, a lake, or a well - there is a link.
Pollution, global warming, and other environmental issues have a detrimental impact on the life cycle of species on earth. The most precious element that makes this planet livable is becoming polluted, not only causing suffering to other species but also creating problems for humans. The book makes us question our disregard for water.
The beautiful cover depicts the infamous water drop, and it is the colour of Lapis Lazuli, the tablet on which the Epic of Gilgamesh was engraved.
Elif Shafak brilliantly knits together a lyrical tale that connects water, three people, and Nineveh. It is a book which you wouldn’t mind picking up again and again for the wisdom it imparts, well-researched facts, fascinating storyline, fluid writing and relatable, heartfelt quotes!