Bliss
A Novel
by O. Z. Livaneli
List Price: $13.95
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0312360541
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
An international bestseller, Bliss embodies the sweep and contradictions of modern Turkish society and the place of women in it.
Bliss is the story of Meryem, a young village girl who is raped by her uncle. An outcast for shaming her family, she is locked in the cellar and expected to kill herself. Whe she refuses to do her duty, her cousin and childhood playmate Cemal is charged with carrying out the honor killing, to "take her to Istanbul” as the village euphemism goes. By chance, their paths cross with Irfan, an older and sophisticated professor from Istanbul who has abandoned his elite existence. Together they embark on a journey that sets them free.
Beautifully wrought and simply told, Bliss brings attention to the difficult situation of women in Turkey, and captures universal truths forged in the space between people from opposite ends of a complicated culture.
top of the page
1. Discuss the reasons why the author may have chosen the title Bliss for his novel. What is its significance?
2. Did you have any ideas or opinions on Turkey before reading the novel? Take a moment to talk about your collective knowledge of Turkish history and culture before and after reading Bliss.
3. Who is your favorite character in Bliss and why? Are there those you like who are, in fact, “unlikable?” Take a moment to talk about the cast of characters——and range of personality types——in the novel.
4. Discuss the two distinct settings of the novel——the small rural village and the larger-than-life city. What does each locale mean to each of the main characters?
5. In what ways do Meryem and Cemal’s encounters with different people on the train shed light on the problems of identity that characterize contemporary Turkey? Also, in what ways is sailing the Aegean Sea symbolic for them both?
6. What are the themes of tradition and modernity, religion vs. secularity, and male domination and female empowerment that resonate throughout Bliss?
7. Each of the main protagonists in Bliss experiences tragedy on a profound, indeed existential level. How would you describe each character’s personal transformation? What unites them in their struggle to overcome their demons?
8. How do you interpret Irfan’s final resolution at the end of the novel about what kind of a life he’s to lead? And what about Meryems?
9. How would you describe Irfan’s relation to Hidayet, a character who never appears in the novel but who’s always in Irfan’s thoughts?
10. One of the chapters in the novel is titled “At Night Don Quixote, Sancho Panza in the Morning.” Were there times in your life when you felt the same? Please discuss.
11. At one point in the novel Irfan likens himself and all Turkish intellectuals to “trapeze flyers.” Why?
12. Why is Irfan’s relationship with his parents marked with deep feelings of guilt?
13. What are the differences between Irfan’s and Cemal’s attitudes about national identity and belonging?
14. Discuss the ambassador’s comment that there are three phases in the life of an individual: camel phase, lion phase, and childhood phase.
15. There are numerous references to mythical figures and stories in the novel. Why do you think the idea of myth has such an important place in Bliss?
top of the page
"I loved this book so much that I sent a fan letter to the publisher, and demanded to be introduced to the author when I went to Istanbul. Bliss is fresh, original, and warm-hearted, the work of a cosmopolitan insider and multi-talented artist."
—Louis de Bernieres, author of Corelli's Mandolin
"Livaneli is an essential force in Turkey’s musical, cultural and political scene."
—Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize Winner and author of Snow
"The intersecting destinies of the three heroes present a portrait of Turkey at once tender and compassionate. I am sure they will have a deep influence upon French readers just as they have conquered the hearts of more than a hundred thousand of your compatriots.”
—President Jacques Chirac of France, in a letter to the author
"A gripping contemporary story that gets behind stereotypes of exotic Islam to reveal the diversity in individual people and the secrets and lies, cruelty and love, in family, friendship, and public life. This will make a terrific bookclub selection when it reaches paperback."
—Booklist
