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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
This book is one of my personal favorites. Jahan's tale in Istanbul, as well as Istanbul's presentation during the time period of this book, are done excellently. I often found myself caring and empathizing with the characters. The ending act is also very intense as everything begins crashing down for our lead character.
Loved it a lot. My only problem is the mid-section of the story. It essentially felt like a collection of mini-episodes not coherently strung together, and it was a bit repetitive. Luckily, this section doesn't last very long as the plot quickly picks up towards the end, and the closing chapter will surely leave you with a bittersweet, melancholic feeling.
Very underappreciated work from Elif Shafak that needs a lot more attention.
Loved it a lot. My only problem is the mid-section of the story. It essentially felt like a collection of mini-episodes not coherently strung together, and it was a bit repetitive. Luckily, this section doesn't last very long as the plot quickly picks up towards the end, and the closing chapter will surely leave you with a bittersweet, melancholic feeling.
Very underappreciated work from Elif Shafak that needs a lot more attention.
As I entered Istanbul, my guide pointed out the borders of erstwhile Constantinople. Further into the city, he pointed out the aqueducts. And as a part of the full-fledged city tour, I saw all the other monuments and a few mosques that rose high on the Istanbul sky line. In an earlier musing on Istanbul – one of my favourite cities – I had said that history is pervasive in this otherwise modern, world-class city; all you need to do is stop and look.
Elif Safak’s latest book is set in the 16th century Istanbul and, among many other things, revolves around the construction of the grand structures under a talented and dedicated architect Master Sinan. The book opens with the arrival of a 12 year old Indian boy Jahan with a white elephant named Chota. At the start of the book, the couplet by the 16th century Indian poetess Mirabai caught my eye. Along with it is another couplet by a 16th century Ottoman poetess. The prologue of this book also has a letter in which the protagonist confesses that his master had buried, underneath one of the great buildings he built, the secret of the center of the universe. I looked to tie up the couplets to some fragment of the book, and I couldn’t. I was eager to stumble upon the center of the universe somewhere in the written word, and I didn’t.
The plot of the novel revolves around Jahan and Chota as they arrive in Topkapi Palace and join the royal menagerie. As the story progresses, an inquisitive Jahan, finds himself as the royal architect’s apprentice, while he also plays mahout to the magnificent white animal. He not only learns how to take care of an animal much larger than him in size, he also learns how to create drawings of structures so huge that they’d stay long after he and his master would die. Not only does Jahan find a vocation and his passion, but he also falls in love with the Sultan’s daughter, Princess Mihrimah. As he starts to loosen the clutch of his past and embrace a new future, Jahan falls privy to schemers, meets with disappointments, and makes the odd friend. Jahan juggles his different lives, that of being a thief, a mahout, an architect’s apprentice, and even a one-sided lover, while the reader cruises through Istanbul’s story of creating and even destroying.
I have followed Elif Safak assiduously as her ultimate fan girl. I’ve read all her books, seen/read all her interviews and her TED talk, written to her email address numerous times, spoken to her on BBC radio, and even took my maiden solo trip to her country. I safely assume some credit to say that this book is far from enchanting. I beg to differ from the reviews on major sites which say that this is her best work yet. No, I’m afraid it is not. I will not recommend The Architect’s Apprentice to someone who hasn’t read her yet. If you want to start reading this wonderful author, this book is not one to be started with. For this novel is all over the place to say the least.
In her attempt to capture the people who are generally not given screen space, this book is more of a catalogue of the 16-century Istanbul commonfolk, food items, religions, animals, professions and on and on. She’s not only tried to coalesce the grandeur of building something greater than oneself, but also tried to bring across how God built the world. There are numerous references to people of all Abrahamic faiths who lived in Istanbul back then. There are also gypsies, harlots, and infidels. In places, her sentences are too descriptive, and there is more reflection than action. Her narrative of the menagerie and the animals is lackluster. While reading it, I was reminded of Yann Martel’s description of the zoo owned by Pi’s parents in Pondicherry. I think Yann Martel has done a fabulous job of dealing with the biology of animals and painting a picture to the general reader. Come to think of it, Life of Pi is a book I don’t even like all that much.
Some notable online reviews have also called this Safak’s most ambitious book, yet. I have to agree with that. She has tried to fit a lot of nuances in one outing: architecture, common folk, royal politics, religion, love, discovering oneself, rich heritage of Istanbul, revenge, jealousy and more. It tends to wear down eventually and get tedious. I wish the story had been treated differently or narrated in an unorthodox fashion. This story is forgettable as opposed to that of Jamila in Honour, or that of Zeliha in The Bastard of Istanbul. By the end of the book, you’ve left behind Mirabai, the center of the Universe, and even disappointed by how easily everyone can be passed, except Chota. Although I waited for this book with tipping anticipating, it doesn’t live up.
The secret of creating something bigger than oneself is elusive to me. However, I think that’s the eternal search of life. For everyone. Your life is bigger than you. You’re creating it. What tools do you need to bring to each work day?
I think that’s the important question this book tried to answer.
I think that’s the important question we must all answer.
Elif Safak’s latest book is set in the 16th century Istanbul and, among many other things, revolves around the construction of the grand structures under a talented and dedicated architect Master Sinan. The book opens with the arrival of a 12 year old Indian boy Jahan with a white elephant named Chota. At the start of the book, the couplet by the 16th century Indian poetess Mirabai caught my eye. Along with it is another couplet by a 16th century Ottoman poetess. The prologue of this book also has a letter in which the protagonist confesses that his master had buried, underneath one of the great buildings he built, the secret of the center of the universe. I looked to tie up the couplets to some fragment of the book, and I couldn’t. I was eager to stumble upon the center of the universe somewhere in the written word, and I didn’t.
The plot of the novel revolves around Jahan and Chota as they arrive in Topkapi Palace and join the royal menagerie. As the story progresses, an inquisitive Jahan, finds himself as the royal architect’s apprentice, while he also plays mahout to the magnificent white animal. He not only learns how to take care of an animal much larger than him in size, he also learns how to create drawings of structures so huge that they’d stay long after he and his master would die. Not only does Jahan find a vocation and his passion, but he also falls in love with the Sultan’s daughter, Princess Mihrimah. As he starts to loosen the clutch of his past and embrace a new future, Jahan falls privy to schemers, meets with disappointments, and makes the odd friend. Jahan juggles his different lives, that of being a thief, a mahout, an architect’s apprentice, and even a one-sided lover, while the reader cruises through Istanbul’s story of creating and even destroying.
I have followed Elif Safak assiduously as her ultimate fan girl. I’ve read all her books, seen/read all her interviews and her TED talk, written to her email address numerous times, spoken to her on BBC radio, and even took my maiden solo trip to her country. I safely assume some credit to say that this book is far from enchanting. I beg to differ from the reviews on major sites which say that this is her best work yet. No, I’m afraid it is not. I will not recommend The Architect’s Apprentice to someone who hasn’t read her yet. If you want to start reading this wonderful author, this book is not one to be started with. For this novel is all over the place to say the least.
In her attempt to capture the people who are generally not given screen space, this book is more of a catalogue of the 16-century Istanbul commonfolk, food items, religions, animals, professions and on and on. She’s not only tried to coalesce the grandeur of building something greater than oneself, but also tried to bring across how God built the world. There are numerous references to people of all Abrahamic faiths who lived in Istanbul back then. There are also gypsies, harlots, and infidels. In places, her sentences are too descriptive, and there is more reflection than action. Her narrative of the menagerie and the animals is lackluster. While reading it, I was reminded of Yann Martel’s description of the zoo owned by Pi’s parents in Pondicherry. I think Yann Martel has done a fabulous job of dealing with the biology of animals and painting a picture to the general reader. Come to think of it, Life of Pi is a book I don’t even like all that much.
Some notable online reviews have also called this Safak’s most ambitious book, yet. I have to agree with that. She has tried to fit a lot of nuances in one outing: architecture, common folk, royal politics, religion, love, discovering oneself, rich heritage of Istanbul, revenge, jealousy and more. It tends to wear down eventually and get tedious. I wish the story had been treated differently or narrated in an unorthodox fashion. This story is forgettable as opposed to that of Jamila in Honour, or that of Zeliha in The Bastard of Istanbul. By the end of the book, you’ve left behind Mirabai, the center of the Universe, and even disappointed by how easily everyone can be passed, except Chota. Although I waited for this book with tipping anticipating, it doesn’t live up.
The secret of creating something bigger than oneself is elusive to me. However, I think that’s the eternal search of life. For everyone. Your life is bigger than you. You’re creating it. What tools do you need to bring to each work day?
I think that’s the important question this book tried to answer.
I think that’s the important question we must all answer.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
Very ornate writing, which led me to pick this up multiple times only to abandon it. But I'm glad I finally finished it because ultimately the detailed descriptions of the surroundings, sounds, tastes, smells really brings the characters and narrative alive. With books this detailed, I find myself picking up my reading pace substantially when I notice this level of detail isn't adding value to the underdeveloped characters or plot. Or rather, I'm waiting for the details to make way for the story. If the book does hook me, I slow down and sometimes go back a bit and pay more attention those the details.
This novel is episodic and doesn't lend itself well to speed reading. Initially it did, I then became intrigued and devoted my time but as each episode came to a close, my desire to keep reading diminished, story by story. Even those that could be the makings of a novel of their own ended fruitlessly. There was little reward in carrying on.
Oh remember when we (I'm imagining I'm the protagonist Jahan) travelled to Rome. Spent weeks trying to see Michelangelo, who was busy painting the Sistine Chapel, and finally got to see him? When he wrote a letter to our master the Royal Architect but when we went home, we were robbed and the letter was stolen? Great story right? Moving on to the next...
The worst sentence by far is uttered, and therefore, it must make a brief appearance in my review, is when Jahan stumbles onto the archetypal bad guy. He figures out the grand plan which isn't that grand, because again, it's another episode! And like a bad, bad movie, the figuring out is done in front of the bad guy, who then says "I cannot let you go, you know to much" and has his guards hit Jahan over the head.
Overall, a well-written mixed bag leading to a mixed review. By no means a poorly written book; it's beautiful, and would have almost lent itself better to being a series about Jahan's live. Imagine a novel devoted to architect apprentices from islamic Istanbul, travelling to Rome, centre of Christianity in the high Renaissance, where they meet Michelangelo to exchange knowledge. It would give some of these episodes the chance of being explored to their full potential. If someone knows a book like this, leave a comment!
This novel is episodic and doesn't lend itself well to speed reading. Initially it did, I then became intrigued and devoted my time but as each episode came to a close, my desire to keep reading diminished, story by story. Even those that could be the makings of a novel of their own ended fruitlessly. There was little reward in carrying on.
Oh remember when we (I'm imagining I'm the protagonist Jahan) travelled to Rome. Spent weeks trying to see Michelangelo, who was busy painting the Sistine Chapel, and finally got to see him? When he wrote a letter to our master the Royal Architect but when we went home, we were robbed and the letter was stolen? Great story right? Moving on to the next...
The worst sentence by far is uttered, and therefore, it must make a brief appearance in my review, is when Jahan stumbles onto the archetypal bad guy. He figures out the grand plan which isn't that grand, because again, it's another episode! And like a bad, bad movie, the figuring out is done in front of the bad guy, who then says "I cannot let you go, you know to much" and has his guards hit Jahan over the head.
Overall, a well-written mixed bag leading to a mixed review. By no means a poorly written book; it's beautiful, and would have almost lent itself better to being a series about Jahan's live. Imagine a novel devoted to architect apprentices from islamic Istanbul, travelling to Rome, centre of Christianity in the high Renaissance, where they meet Michelangelo to exchange knowledge. It would give some of these episodes the chance of being explored to their full potential. If someone knows a book like this, leave a comment!
ماذا فعلتي بي يا اليف !! كتبك دائما ما تدخل على قلبي السرور ، كتبك تبعدني عن الواقع و تحملني إلى الخيال ، أحس أني متعطشة لأقرأ أكثر و أكثر
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love historical fiction but have not read many (if any) based in the time of the Ottoman Empire. It was fascinating after the fact to learn that while the main character Jahan is made up, many of the other characters were real historical figures. Once I got into the story, I couldn’t stop. Having a character who experiences life both in the royal household and the regular population made the experience of Istanbul very immersive. The style of story made the book drag a little for me. Instead of one coherent storyline it seemed to be told in little short episodes of what was happening in Jahan’s life. I also can’t stand books that only have 4ish chapters that take you hours to read, so because of those reasons I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Taking place in the sixteenth century, this novel about a clever young boy and his elephant portrays a bustling Istanbul, opulent palaces and mosques, and a cast of colorful characters. Jahan, arriving from India, catches the eye of the Chief Royal Architect, with whom he becomes apprenticed. Chota, his elephant, arriving on the same boat from India, becomes both very useful in building mosques and a favorite of the Palace. Early in the book, Sinan, the Master tells Jahan, "Sometimes for the soul to thrive the heart needs to be broken." He refers here to the art of building only to see a masterpiece destroyed. As a theme, however, it characterizes the trials and tribulations Jahan faces as he grows from a boy to a man. The first half of the story went slowly for me, but it picked up momentum as it unfolded.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced