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The Architect Apprentice A Novel Elif Shafak Books

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The Architect Apprentice A Novel Elif Shafak Books

As i write this review in July 2015, television is running an advertisement for travel to Turkey, noting that Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two different continents, namely Europe and Asia. Over centuries, this has made the city a unique crossroads, one that has integrated influences from India, China, and the Islamic world to the east and Christian-Judaic Europe to the west.

And in no period in Turkish history has the blending of these influences produced a more glorious cultural tapestry than in the medieval centuries of the Ottoman sultanates. Imagine then the possibilities presented to Elif Shafak, one of Turkey's most acclaimed contemporary authors, as she marries in "The Architect's Apprentice" her longtime interests in religion, philosophy, oral storytelling, and architecture in a story that is part political intrigue, part romance, and, above all, part a celebration of Istanbul's history. Shafak's writing is a bit less luminous and significantly less experimental in format than Orhan Pamuk's in "My Name is Red," also a tale of artistic endeavor in medieval Istanbul. Even so, she is a superb stylist with a notably pleasing rhythm to her sentences. All told, this book is a pleasure to read as it provides a sweeping panorama of social life in the Ottoman period. Undoubtedly it will tempt many readers to continue acquainting themselves with both Turkish literature and history.


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The Architect Apprentice A Novel Elif Shafak Books Reviews

What a wonderful tale! Elif Shafak weaves an incredibly rich tapestry of old Istanbul. In 1540, Jahan, an Indian boy, brings his white elephant to this teaming metropolis as a gift for the sultan. This becomes the starting point for tales of intrigue, war, love and, above all, perseverance. Jahan needs all his wits to survive once he becomes apprenticed to Turkey’s most notable architect, Mimar Sinan - whose legacy travelers to Istanbul admire to this day. Heinrich Landolt
Interesting novel about Istanbul and architecture during the Middle Ages and the man who loved and cared for an elephant.
Great as every book written by Elif Safak. The sensibility of a woman's pen but not sticky.
The reader has the chance to read two books at once . One the historic novel and a second one which is a metaphor that every reader will find based on the owns experiences . Highly recommended book
Touching story about a young person's quest to find happiness as he twists and turns through life's journey and amidst much adversity. Some very deep emotional connections between himself and certain characters, including an elephant, strengthened this story of love, betrayal, disappointment, hope, despair and most of all about creation.
A great way to understand the old India's days and how their majestic buildings where built around a nice love story of sorts. Very recommendable.
Simply captivating, while reasonably historic!
Elif Shafak made you care about her characters, not in support but in fascination. Each person had their flaws which only added to the engine of the story.
I greatly appreciated her close fidelity to the history (with some timeline adjustments she described in the afterword).
A worthy read!!
I appreciated the tremendous amount of research that went into this book. The author seemed to capture the era thoroughly. My main objection was the tone of the writing, i.e., like a child speaking throughout. Also, the characters were one dimensional. I have read other books by this author and found them to be more fully developed. The book fascinated me and kept me engrossed because of the great story it told and the period of history it encompassed.
As i write this review in July 2015, television is running an advertisement for travel to Turkey, noting that Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two different continents, namely Europe and Asia. Over centuries, this has made the city a unique crossroads, one that has integrated influences from India, China, and the Islamic world to the east and Christian-Judaic Europe to the west.

And in no period in Turkish history has the blending of these influences produced a more glorious cultural tapestry than in the medieval centuries of the Ottoman sultanates. Imagine then the possibilities presented to Elif Shafak, one of Turkey's most acclaimed contemporary authors, as she marries in "The Architect's Apprentice" her longtime interests in religion, philosophy, oral storytelling, and architecture in a story that is part political intrigue, part romance, and, above all, part a celebration of Istanbul's history. Shafak's writing is a bit less luminous and significantly less experimental in format than Orhan Pamuk's in "My Name is Red," also a tale of artistic endeavor in medieval Istanbul. Even so, she is a superb stylist with a notably pleasing rhythm to her sentences. All told, this book is a pleasure to read as it provides a sweeping panorama of social life in the Ottoman period. Undoubtedly it will tempt many readers to continue acquainting themselves with both Turkish literature and history.