Birds Without Wings

By: Louis de Bernieres

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Birds Without Wings traces the fortunes of one small community in Southwest Turkey (Anatolia) in the early part of the last century - a quirky community in which Christian and Muslim lives and traditions have coexisted peacefully over the centuries and where friendship, even love, has transcended religious differences.

But with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the onset of the Great War, the sweep of history has a cataclysmic effect on this peaceful place: The great love of Philothei, a Christian girl of legendary beauty, and Ibrahim, a Muslim shepherd who courts her from near infancy, culminates in tragedy and madness; two inseparable childhood friends who grow up playing in the hills above the town suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of the bloody struggle; and Rustem Bey, a wealthy landlord, who has an enchanting mistress who is not what she seems.

Far away from these small lives, a man of destiny who will come to be known as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is emerging to create a country from the ruins of an empire. Victory at Gallipoli fails to save the Ottomans from ultimate defeat, and as a new conflict arises, Muslims and Christians struggle to survive, let alone understand, their part in the great tragedy that will reshape the whole region forever.

©2004 Louis de Bernieres (P)2004 Books on Tape

haunting

I say 'haunting' because it is several weeks since I listened to this book, and the characters still reverberate in my head. The reading is wonderful, it captures the inflection and state of mind of the speaker. The reader is also very versitle and when he switches characters you don't get lost and you begin to actually seen the world through the character's eyes even while you marvel at the shape and strangeness of their world. The world he creates is every bit as articulate as Faulkner's. The big flaw in the book is the whole Kamel Ataturk sequence. After the finely textured lives and lines of the active characters, these passages just go flat. The author is seeking to situate his characters within the larger social context, but sometimes it gets lost. His Koratavok, Polixinee, Memenchik, Philotae, Rustan Bey, Tamarah-hanum and all the others will stay in my mind for a long, long time.

The Best Book I Have Read In Years

Would you listen to Birds Without Wings again? Why?

Yes. The story is compelling, the characters felt real.

I didn't want the book to end. After finishing it I thought about the book for several days, and felt a longing for the characters as if they were friends I met on a vacation that I might never see again.

Before reading this, I knew little about Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, or the terrible ethnic cleansing that occurred around the time of WWI. The story weaves chapters of the story of Mustafa Kemal between chapters written in the first person voice of the various citizens of a small village in southwestern Anatolia. The village is a melting pot of many cultures and religions that mix together to make an interesting and caring community, where the people live in harmony (mostly). However, the world is changing around them, and eventually the racism and the associated horrible atrocities sweeping Turkey and the region make their way to Eskibahçe. The book is a wonderful blend of drama, romance, humor and tragedy.

What other book might you compare Birds Without Wings to and why?

Captain Correlli's Mandolin is also by the same author and is something of a sequel to this book set at the time of WWII with one overlapping character, Drosoula. Both books have compelling characters I grew to truly care about.

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

John Lee does an outstanding job performing all the characters. However, if I have to choose one, it would Abdulhamid Hodja, though Karatavuk's potty mouthed wartime chum, despite being a smaller character, is also very memorable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A Sad But Beautiful Story Well Told

A Turkish War and Peace

Delightful reading of one of my favorite books! This was my 3rd time through it, and I value it more each time.

Wonderful story, eloquently written and beautifully told.

A long, epic tale beautifully woven to convey the transition from Ottoman Turkey to the Republic. The readers voices perfectly convey each character.

OUTSTANDING

This book is outstanding in EVERY way.
There are very beautiful parts and parts so full of humor.
It depicts life of the different characters and relationships in Anatolia during the Ottoman Empire and its collapse.
The author, mr. Louis de Bernieres is amazing. This is the first time I have read a book by him, and it certainly will not be the last.
Mr. John Lee, the narrator, outdid himself.
I have listened to many of his narrations, but none as good as this time.
All in all I highly recommend this book.
It think it will also be helpful to be familiar with the history of the former Ottoman Empire and the geographical region.
Enjoy!
My thanks to all involved to give me so many pleasurable hours, JK.

Heartbreaking tale of folly and evil.

This book,which I have recommended to everyone I talk books with, is a marvel of intertwined narratives.
It also is prophetic, with the rise of right wing Turkish nationalism and radical Islam in Turkey. Turkey still denies the massacre of millions of Armenians, people are getting assassinated for demanding it be acknowledged.

It brought home the hopelessness of the tangle of interests in that part of the world. It is fine and important literature. If I was teaching I would put it on my syllabus.


John Lee, as always, is superb.

Beautifully written. Moving and heartfelt.

John Lee's narration brings to life the little village where this title is centered. The interwoven stories of the lives of the varied people connect through historical events and shared human emotions. The words of this book are beautiful and the life Lee brings to them leaves a lasting impression. Also memorable are the characters themselves. Louis de Bernieres has succeeded in telling a complex tale without sacrificing the richness and fullness of his characters. This book is full of emotion, set in the early 1900's, it is a story of love and a story of war. It is about the birth of a nation and the death of a people. This book has given me insight to a previously unexplored world, and had me both grining and weeping. This is a fantastic book. I will be seeking out his other works in print and hope to see them on Audible soon!

Beautiful, disgusting, heart wrenching

Would you listen to Birds Without Wings again? Why?

Yes - but it's painful. This book soars to such heights of beauty, describing the lives of simple people in a complex time, but also descends to the depths of depravity with them during some of the darkest times I've ever heard described. It is nuanced, tender, and I was alternately heart broken and thankful when it was over.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't think there is a favorite. Eskibahçe, really, is the hero - yes, I know it's the setting. But this place, with its Turks (Ottomans) and its Turkish written in Greek script, its water fountain and grave of the saint, its cubbies for shoes by the doors and its plane trees, really seems to be the beating heart of the tale, even as the people walk on and off the stage.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

He brought heart to the horror of some of the battle scenes. I was unable to fast forward even the worst parts (and yes, there are some REALLY gruesome parts) because I felt like he was taking me by the hand, showing me the worst and leading me past it to get back to the best.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed, a lot. I cried, a lot. It is a wonderful, immersive book, and one I'd recommend to anyone but my mother, who can't stand a book or movie without a happy ending.

Outstanding

This is one of the top five books that I have ever read (or listened to); and, I read alot. John Lee does an absolutely masterful job with the narration of a very challenging and complicated book. This book has dramatic implications and lessons for all of us in these polarizing times. At times sad, graphic, mysterious, horrifying, imaginative and hilariously funny, this is a must read.

Incredible narration

It’s such and amazing brought and the characters are really brought to life by John Lee. Well done! Terrific!