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A review by sofia_reading
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
5.0
I read Elif Shafak's books, Honour, and The Forty Rules of Love. Both books are very different but her writing style and and grace with which she handles and presents sometimes quite controversial and delicate topics is unequivocally present.
With these books in mind, I was eager to read the Bastard of Istanbul, not least because I'd read she had even been put on trial in Turkey for it (the accusation being she had "insulted Turkishness")! The book however didn't grab me the way her previous two did, but once the story had my attention she did not fail to deliver another thought provoking novel.
The story starts off in Istanbul with the birth of the Bastard child, Asya, and the family she is born into. Each character is colourful but not necessarily enthralling initially, though this too changes as the story unfolds. It's only when the Armenian/American family is introduced to the story that Elif Shafak's greatest skill, to provoke deeper questions and reflection really comes to the fore. She weaves a magnificent story with layers of histories and perceptions. This is what I think makes the book. The storyline itself has a twist towards the end. Friends who had read the book had told me there was an "unexpected turn" at the end, but to be honest I had my suspicions fairly early on.
If this is your first Elif Shafak book and you're not entirely impressed do still give her other two books I have mentioned a go. In my opinion, they are better indicators of the depth of her works.
With these books in mind, I was eager to read the Bastard of Istanbul, not least because I'd read she had even been put on trial in Turkey for it (the accusation being she had "insulted Turkishness")! The book however didn't grab me the way her previous two did, but once the story had my attention she did not fail to deliver another thought provoking novel.
The story starts off in Istanbul with the birth of the Bastard child, Asya, and the family she is born into. Each character is colourful but not necessarily enthralling initially, though this too changes as the story unfolds. It's only when the Armenian/American family is introduced to the story that Elif Shafak's greatest skill, to provoke deeper questions and reflection really comes to the fore. She weaves a magnificent story with layers of histories and perceptions. This is what I think makes the book. The storyline itself has a twist towards the end. Friends who had read the book had told me there was an "unexpected turn" at the end, but to be honest I had my suspicions fairly early on.
If this is your first Elif Shafak book and you're not entirely impressed do still give her other two books I have mentioned a go. In my opinion, they are better indicators of the depth of her works.