\u2018But for that slender connection with the mainland, Andal\u0131\u00e7 would have been a regular island,\u2019 says Asl\u0131 Bi\u00e7en in the opening chapter of this deliciously multi-layered novel.\u00a0And it would have been an ordinary story about love and loss, if it weren’t for the earthquake that unexpectedly sets the landmass afloat on the Aegean, kindling a series of increasingly oppressive measures by the authorities; ostensibly to keep public order. As Andal\u0131\u00e7 drifts between Greece and Turkey, things get from bad to worse, until eventually our heroes, Cemal and J\u00fclide, join the growing resistance, and even nature lends a helping hand, offering a secret underground system that plays its part in ousting the tyranny. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n What starts as the realistic tale of a charming provincial town develops into a richly detailed political novel in a fantastic setting. Bi\u00e7en\u2019s dreamy language weaves a flowing style that transports the reader into every nook and cranny of Andal\u0131\u00e7 and the crystal-clear waters of the Aegean; her metaphors are imaginative, her observations insightful, and her descriptions melodious.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “<\/em>. . .\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0part political thriller, part love story, part comic opera, and part commentary on post-coup Turkey, all wrapped up in a most elegant, witty, and understated style. . .\u00a0For English readers, Asl\u0131 Bi\u00e7en is a very happy discovery. Once started, Snapping Point is difficult to put down. It is easily one of the most complex, funny, captivating, beautifully written \u00a0political thrillers I have ever read. I plan to read it again next week, after Friday Prayers.”<\/em><\/p>\n Michael\u00a0Tate,\u00a0LA Review of Books<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “I was reminded of Orhan Pamuk\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>Snow<\/strong>\u00a0reading this book. The premise is ultimately the same, minus the speculative element of the floating island. They are both about a community\u2019s underlying tensions flaring up once it is cut off from the outside world. However, where the difference emergeds is that the tensions in\u00a0<\/em>Snow<\/strong>\u00a0are about the ideological split within Turkish society at large. However, the fault lines within\u00a0<\/em>Snapping Point<\/strong>\u00a0are much more to do with petty corruption and backbiting amongst the police and municipal administration that lurch towards fascism as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Both are important and relevant perspectives on the nature of political life in Turkey.”<\/em><\/p>\n
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