WIW IN MOSTAR + ZULEIKHA (A BOOK REVIEW)

 Hello. I'm back with a book review and an outfit post. Maybe you noticed that I've been a bit absent lately. The main reason for my absence is (not surprisingly) health problems. I've also been busy with a short term job I couldn't say no to so that kept me away from this blog as well. You could say that I'm meeting the holiday season fairly exhausted, but still in a relatively good mood.  

In this post I will share with you two denim outfits and one book review. I wore these two denim outfits a few weeks ago for a stroll in Mostar city. Both of these outfits feature a pair of blue flared jeans. I don't really wear jeans that often, but sometimes I do reach for them. Plus, my significant other likes when I wear them.  My first outfit is all about two tonalities: camel and denim blue. I think these two colours work well together. It felt good to wear this! Plus, it was a sunny day and I was in a good mood. I love sunny autumn and winter days. 

Zdravo. Vratila sam se s ogledom knjige i objavom odjevnim kombinacija. Možda ste primijetili da sam u posljednje vrijeme pomalo odsutna. Glavni razlog mog nestanka su (nimalo čudno) zdravstveni problemi. Također sam bila zauzeta kratkoročnim poslom kojem nisam mogla reći ne pa me i to držalo podalje od ovog bloga. Moglo bi se reći da blagdansko vrijeme dočekujem prilično iscrpljena, ali još uvijek relativno dobro raspoložena.

U ovom postu s vama ću podijeliti dvije denim odjevne kombinacije i jedan ogled knjige. Ova dva traper outfita obukla sam prije nekoliko tjedana za šetnju Mostarom. Obje ove kombinacije vrte se oko para plavih zvonastih traperica. Traperice zapravo ne nosim tako često, ali ponekad ipak posegnem za njima. Osim toga, netko važan voli kada ih nosim. Moja prva odjevna kombinacija je samo u dva tonaliteta: bež nijansa devine dlake i traper plava. Mislim da se ove dvije boje dobro slažu. Bilo je dobro nositi ovo! Osim toga, bio je sunčan dan. Volim sunčane jesenje i zimske dane, uvijek me oraspolože.

THE STORY OF MY OUTFITS- HOW I WORE THESE ITEMS BEFORE?

OUTFIT NUMBER ONE- A COAT WORN WITH A BLAZER, A SHIRT, A TIE AND A PAIR OF FLARE JEANS

THE SHORT CAMEL COAT-  My husband bought me this coat at the end of 2019. I've got a lot of wear out of it so far. I'm close to 30 documented wears with this coat and that's fantastic. In the collage bellow you can see 23 ways I have styled it. It's entirely possible I'm already over 30 wears already but I didn't post all those outfits on the blog yet (sometimes it happens that I forget to photograph or publish some outfits).  I'm not going to link up all those looks because you can see them in a collage (and it would take up too much time). 

THE BLUE FLARED JEANS (piazza Italia)- I bought this pair of jeans a few years ago. I have reached 30 wears with this pair of jeans. That makes them a sustainable item. Hooray. 

SEE 17 WAYS TO STYLE THEM HERE. MORE OUTFIT IDEAS HERE (September 2021) , HERE (April 2021) , HERE (May 2021) and HERE (August 2021). 

OVERSIZE BEIGE SCARF- Two ways to wear it HERE

THE BLUE TIE (second hand)- I think I wore this second hand tie before, but I wasn't able to find a post with it on my blog. 

THE CAMEL BOOTS (Peko)- See the plus thirty ways to style caramel/camel boots HERE. Also worn here , here and here. 

THE GREY BLAZER (second hand)- See how I wore it here & here.

OUTFIT NUMBER TWO- For extra warmth I sometimes layer a dress over jeans. 

THE SHORT BLACK COAT is an old favourite. See plus thirty wears to wear it here. I have worn it quite a few times recently too (for example here and here). 

THE BLUE FLARED JEANS- links in outfit details number one.

THE CAMEL BOOTS- links in outfit details number two.

THE BLACK SKATER DRESS- See how I styled it here and here. 

THE MUSTARD TURTLENECK SWEATER- here and here.

...AND NOW THE  BOOK REVIEW I PROMISED TO YOU....

  ZULEIKHA, A NOVEL BY GUZEL YAKHINA 

I read this novel about the same time we took these photographs, that is a few weeks ago. This novel was recommended to me by a local librarian. I don't remember him every recommending me anything, so I was intrigued by his recommendation. I'm glad I went for it because I ended up enjoying this novel. In Russian, this novel is titled Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes. The shorter title that was chosen for the English translation looses some of the original meaning. The phrase 'Zuleikha opens her eyes' is repeated and used throughout the novel to symbolize Zuleikha's ability to think adapt to a new life. 

 What kind of book is it? Published in 2015, Zuleikha is a  historical fiction novel that focuses on life of exiles in Siberia during 1930s to 1960s. It was written by a Russian author of Tatar descent Guzel Yakhina. This novel follows a story of a Tatar woman Zuleikha who is exiled into Siberia after her husband is killed off by Soviets. While Zuleikha is being transported to Siberia in inhumane conditions, she makes friends with other 'enemies of the people'. Once they find themselves in Siberia, they have to fight for their survival. Initially Zuleikha is a timid woman living in the shadow of her dominant mother-in-law and husband, but as the novel progresses the titular female protagonist manages to find incredible strength inside of herself.   Guzel Yakhina was inspired by her grandmother's life story as well as life stories of some other people. The story is neither an autobiography nor a biography but some parts of it were based on real events. The novel is written in third person narration but the focus of the story is mostly placed on Zuleikha. There is one digression in the novel and that is when a character of a mentally ill but kind doctor of German descent is introduced. The writer takes us back into his past, explaining how he developed a mental illusion that protected his psyche from the troubled times he lived in. Not soon after this digression, this humane doctor with a wrong surname crosses paths with Zuleikha. They meet onboard a train and strike an unlikely friendship.

From what I found online, Zuleihka was Guzel Yahina's first novel. Originally written as a screen play, it was converted into novel form and rejected by numerous publishers. However, once it was published, the book was a success, won awards and was translated into twenty-two language. Thanks to it, Guzel Yakhina is now being introduced as a rising writing star. There is even a TV show based on this book that did very well. I haven't seen the show myself, but if book is anything to by, it might be worth watching. One thing I loved about this book is that it is very descriptive. In fact, calling this novel a cinematic experience wouldn't be going too far. It started as a screenplay, after all. While reading this book, I often felt like I was watching a movie. Guzel Yakhina does a great job of describing people and places.  While you are reading, you will probably experience a strong feeling you're by Zuleikha's side. Moreover, the novel is quite eventful. Even if some plot turns felt predictable to me, I was still very much intrigued by the book.

Zuleikha is a page turner for sure. As I mentioned before, some plot turns were predictable but still interesting enough to make you turn those pages. If I remember well, I read this novel in a day (or two maximum). I just couldn't stop reading. As historical fiction, this novel works pretty well. Some details in this novel didn't seem very plausible, but generally speaking, it seems like the author did her research. The nightmarish train rise filled with starvation, the settling of prisoners in Siberia, their struggles and isolation in the wild- these are some of the scenes that were described rather well. That being said, this novel is not without its flaws. It describes certain horrible events in detail and makes them sound very convincing, but it doesn't establish a deep emotional connection between its characters and the reader. 

 The characters that populate this novel are very vivid and interesting. However, their psychology is neither explored deeply nor analysed. Personally, I prefer a more in-depth characterization. I'm not saying that the characterization of characters is necessarily shallow, but many characters felt like 'types'. I felt like some characters were there to represent a certain class of people pursued by the Soviets (for example the intellectuals and artists). I have already mentioned the character of a kind doctor of German descent and he is another great example of a certain 'type'. I think the author really put some thought and effort into creating her characters. The inclusion of these different misfits or social rebels of Soviet times and placing them in Siberia added to historical accuracy of the novel.  While their presence made sense, I wish they were explored in more detail. Even the protagonist Zuleihka remains something of a mystery. At times, the plot really feels too convenient for Zuleikha. Once Zuleikha gets to Siberia, it seems luck is (almost always) on her side. I couldn't really get into her head from that point. There are too many 'deus in machina' moments. I have to say that I expected more from Zuleikha's character development. 

 I did like this novel, but to be honest I was hoping to get a bit more from it. The ending seemed too sudden. Starting this book, I was looking forward to learning more about Tatar culture, but I guess this novel was more a story of  one woman adapting to a new life than an examination of Tartar culture and identity. I mean that is fine, but not exactly what I was expecting. There's also a love story within this novel and I can't say that I understood it very well. Nevertheless, Zuleikha was still a very enjoyable book to read. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction or those looking for a novel with a strong female protagonist. 

MORE POSTS ABOUT MOSTAR CITY: 

RECENT

FAREWELL TO SUMMER FROM MOSTAR CITY  2018 STREET ART MOSTAR , 2016 STREET ART , 2021 STREET ART and also here , here and here.   STROLLING MOSTAR CITY 2021  

OLDER

1. You can see Mostar from the bird perspective in my previous posts (here, here and here).

2. One of my favourite streets in Mostar here and here.
3. Musala bridge (also known under its old name Tito's bridge here and here)
4. You can see photographs of Mostar's catholic cathedral here.
5. You can see images of Mostar and its famous Nertva river here, here and here.
6. You can see the surrounds of one of its most iconic catholic churches here.
7. You can see both photographs of old bridge and my drawing of it here.
8. Another one of my favourites when it comes to streets here.
9. You can see photographs of Croatian cultural centre/theater here , here , here , here and here.
10. You can see photographs of the main city park here here, here, here and here.
11. You can see images of Spanish square here, here , here , here and here.
12. You can see photographs of Custom's bridge here and here.
13. You can see photographs of the new bridge here and here.

14. A few photographs from old city centre (2018) here.

15. What to wear for sightseeing Mostar in summer here.

16. This post is focused on 7 outfits I wore but you can see many of Mostar's attractions there as well. I suppose the same can be said for most of my outfit posts.

17. Mostar as an Easter destionation (2019) here.

18. Mostar dinning and cafe recommendations here.

19. Hiking options in Mostar here.

20. My drawing of Mostar old bridge here.

21. University campus in Mostar here.

22. How I have fallen in love with Mostar here.

Thank you for visiting. Happy holidays to everyone!