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Title details for Nights of Plague by Orhan Pamuk - Available

Nights of Plague

A Novel

by Orhan Pamuk
Ekin Oklap
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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From the the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Part detective story, part historical epic—a bold and brilliant novel that imagines a plague ravaging a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire.
It is April 1900, in the Levant, on the imaginary island of Mingheria—the twenty-ninth state of the Ottoman Empire—located in the eastern Mediterranean between Crete and Cyprus. Half the population is Muslim, the other half are Orthodox Greeks, and tension is high between the two. When a plague arrives—brought either by Muslim pilgrims returning from the Mecca or by merchant vessels coming from Alexandria—the island revolts. 
To stop the epidemic, the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II sends his most accomplished quarantine expert to the island—an Orthodox Christian. Some of the Muslims, including followers of a popular religious sect and its leader Sheikh Hamdullah, refuse to take precautions or respect the quarantine. And then a murder occurs. 
As the plague continues its rapid spread, the Sultan sends a second doctor to the island, this time a Muslim, and strict quarantine measures are declared. But the incompetence of the island’s governor and local administration and the people’s refusal to respect the bans doom the quarantine to failure, and the death count continues to rise. Faced with the danger that the plague might spread to the West and to Istanbul, the Sultan bows to international pressure and allows foreign and Ottoman warships to blockade the island. Now the people of Mingheria are on their own, and they must find a way to defeat the plague themselves. 
Steeped in history and rife with suspense, Nights of Plague is an epic story set more than one hundred years ago, with themes that feel remarkably contemporary.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 4, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593152850
      • File size: 839496 KB
      • Duration: 29:08:56

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 15, 2022
      In the ambitious latest from Nobel Prize winner Pamuk (My Name Is Red), a plague has swept through Mingheria, a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire. The 1901 calamity was chronicled by Princess Pakize, whose letters historian Mina Mingher is preparing for publication in 2017. But struck by the princess’s “descriptive flair” and weary of writing another “dreary” history book, Mina decides to turn the letters into a novel. Indeed, there’s flair to Mina’s text, which forms the bulk of a narrative that includes the murder of Istanbul’s royal chemist, sent to the island to implement quarantine protocol; political upheaval that results in Mingheria declaring its independence; and romances among a slew of characters. Via Mina, a descendent of Mingherians, Pamuk ascribes importance to players from all social strata: politicians, religious leaders, and ordinary citizens alike. Though Mina’s romanticizing of her ancestors and her nation’s history can sometimes be overwrought, the story she shapes is consistently captivating. As a result, the grandiose statements—“emotions and decisions of individuals could often change the course of history”—wind up ringing true. Though it doesn’t stand with the author’s best work, the cracking narrative will keep readers in for the long haul. Agent: Sarah Chalfant, Wylie Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Amira Ghazalla delivers a quietly powerful performance of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's investigation into the ways people react when faced with a health epidemic. In 1901, the dreaded bubonic plague appears on the fictional island of Mingheria, part of the weakening Ottoman Empire. A doctor's wife writes letters to her sister, describing the events as they unfold. A hundred years later, a young scholar discovers the letters, and the novel takes shape. From the government's denial that there is a problem to the ways people react to quarantine restrictions, Ghazalla brings a nonjudgmental intelligence to her storytelling. She handles Pamuk's lengthy expository passages easily. While she has a great deal of information to impart, her strong, steady voice will keep listeners engaged. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2023

      Turkish Nobel Laureate Pamuk's (My Name Is Red) epic historical-fiction title tells the story of a plague that breaks out on the imaginary island of Mingheria, a state of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s. The island's population is split between Muslims and Orthodox Greeks, with each side blaming the other for the outbreak. Fights over quarantine protocols occur, eventually leading to murder. This novel is narrated through the eyes of a fictional historian telling the tale as it is revealed to her through letters and other artifacts. The writing is so realistic that listeners may forget that it is fiction. Narrator Amira Ghazalla's beautiful accent adds to this immersive work, translated from the original Turkish. Her performance clearly delineates between the historian's perspective and the staggering number of characters throughout the story. Ghazalla remains engaging throughout this 29-hour-long production. VERDICT Ghazalla's soothing voice will draw listeners into this captivating story. While set in a very different era, this is a timely listen in the ongoing age of COVID.--Carleigh Obrochta

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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