10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World: SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019 Hardcover – 6 Jun. 2019

I had read The Island of Missing Trees by this author and loved the lyrical style of writing so was keen to try another of hers. This book had been short listed for the Booker Prize so should be good.There are 3 parts - the Mind, the Body and the Soul. Each of them is then split into small, named sections. The book has 306 pages and was first published in 2019.The concept of the novel reveals itself immediately. Leila has died and spends the next 10 minutes 38 seconds looking back at her life. Her memories jump around and we gradually build up a picture of her struggles, leading to an undignified demise in a rubbish bin.I love a book that uses an unusual premise. Whilst a dead person looking back isn't completely unique, it is certainly uncommon and the author achieves the images beautifully.The writing is lyrical and almost poetic, many times demanding that the readers slows down to savour each word. I could see the beauty of the country from different perspectives that are not often imagined to be beautiful.The characters around Leila are fantastic and full of life - they are all bold and eclectic but there are no stereotypes. They are all given time to form naturally, with great depth and sensitivity.At its heart this book is about a person, looking at her relationships with the world - good and bad.Because I loved the book so much I was carried away with the story, with no concern about plausibility. I cared for the people and wanted more of them when I got to the end.Like any good story, Leila's is not given easily to the reader. It is vaguely chronological and we only see snippets then need to fill in the rest with our imaginations - this is exactly how a story should be told as it engages readers.There are many strong elements to the book which weave together beautifully. The most prominent is Leila herself though and she dominants all thoughts and dialog throughout the whole story - this is a brilliant piece of structured and focused writing.Leila touches everyone and this presence is also felt by the reader.Unexpectedly comedy also shines through strongly - in a slapstick and dark style that gives great contrast to the other parts of the book. The scene around the grave is a genius piece or writing.So many times whilst reading I laughed or gasped out loud and the ending was no exception.The last few chapters are perfect and the Epilogue draws a satisfying conclusion. Particularly interesting is the Note to the Reader that explains a lot to me.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World tells the story of Leila in three separate parts, the first being through Leila’s conscious mind in the 10 minutes and 38 seconds following her death. The second part tells the story of Leila’s body following her death, as her friends (‘The Five’) search for her. The final part closes with Leila’s soul and it’s search for freedom and peace.Elif Shafak’s writing is stunningly beautiful, flowing such that the reader feels like they are floating through this unique exploration of mind, body and soul, pulled in through their senses and all of their emotions.Shafak explores themes of freedom and friendship, but also the difficult themes of prejudice, justice, regret, and loneliness. There are trigger warnings for this book, including violence, and child sexual abuse. Whilst the subject matter of this book is gritty and there is an undertone of sadness, Shafak portrays hope and shows the strength of friendship when faced with injustice and pain.There were elements of this novel, that reminded me of the best elements of Louis de Bernieres novels, particularly in the way Shafak coveys sadness through exquisitely beautiful writing, and her ability to create captivating fictional characters and place them in-amongst historical and political events providing greater context and believability.My only criticism of this novel, is that the second part focuses on ‘The Five’, all of whom have the potential to be strong characters in their own right, but are far too underdeveloped for the reader to feel fully invested in. I found myself flicking back to the earlier part of the book to remind myself which character was which, and to provide the context I needed to understand some of the discussions and behaviours later in the book.Despite this, I adored this book, and cannot wait to read more of Shafak’s writing.