A Turk in England

Well, wasn't that a dramatic change of pace? Personally, I found it refreshing. I think the thing I liked the most was that the story was told with a close, intimate first person perspective. That may sound strange when everything we've read so far has been told in first person narrative, but there's a distinct difference in the style of Ishmael's account and those of the other writers we've read.

Ishmael's story is immediate. It's about particular instances, a catalogue of experiences instead of impressions. The tone is more personal and personable than anything we've read thus far. In fact, I'd say it almost read like a piece of modern fiction, so immediate was the tone and impressions of his story. Of course, the typeface itself made it impossible to forget the story had been told during a time when the printing press apparently only came with one "s". How fun! It took a few paragraphs to become accustomed to the bizarre typography.

As for the poor man's experiences..what can I say? At times I wondered if it were possible that all these misfortunes had truly befallen our little friend. I've heard of bad luck, but his was tragic. Beatings, robberies and unjust imprisonment seemed to be a recurring theme in his life. If those weren't bad enough, he also seems destined to lose people he loves. First he lost his native family when he was enslaved. Then, over the course of the next few decades, he loses almost of all his children.

Damn!

I wonder how many fictional stories his sad tale have spawned. I can easily see it influencing generations.