mrisher's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, riveting. Nice job transporting me to somewhere I've never been (but am about to go).
dariaanna's review against another edition
3.0
Lyrical, dreamy, almost soporific (in a good way). Perhaps missing some bite in terms of political background. Thus ended the book wanting more. It was the right note on which to end a lazy Sunday afternoon.
rebzreads100's review against another edition
4.0
While this book was an easy, lyrical read that I enjoyed, I didn't find it amazing per say, which is why I have given in 4 instead of 5 stars.
cheryl1213's review against another edition
5.0
(neglected to post this here...review written in Feb 2011 right after reading the advance copy supplied by Harper...)
In this debut novel, the author introduces us to Eleanora, a girl whose 1877 birth is accompanied by signs and who grows into a precocious and talented young girl. She is born as her small town is being invaded and her mother dies moments after naming her daughter. Eleanora is raised by her father and step-mother (her mother's sister) in a small town until she stows away to accompany her father on a trip to Istanbul. Her story there intersects with a low-level statesman, an American professor, and the Sultan of the fading Ottoman empire.
The book is simply lovely. The prose is well-crafted and the characters multi-faceted. I want to share tea and scones with Eleanora, a brilliant young lady who does not fully understand her gifts and who is looking for stability and familial love. I can relate to Eleanora's love for reading and passion for the characters in the books she read (furtively at first, thanks to her aunt's ideas of educating girls). The author clearly shares this joy of books and it comes through at every turn. He has crafted a tale for book lovers and for people who believe in the power of the written word and the spirit of wisdom.
On a side note, my book is an advance reader's edition so it might not hold true in all cases, but I appreciated the book's physicality as well. It is a 300 page paperback and its rough-cut edges feel perfectly matched to the content and spirit of the book.
Highly recommend.
In this debut novel, the author introduces us to Eleanora, a girl whose 1877 birth is accompanied by signs and who grows into a precocious and talented young girl. She is born as her small town is being invaded and her mother dies moments after naming her daughter. Eleanora is raised by her father and step-mother (her mother's sister) in a small town until she stows away to accompany her father on a trip to Istanbul. Her story there intersects with a low-level statesman, an American professor, and the Sultan of the fading Ottoman empire.
The book is simply lovely. The prose is well-crafted and the characters multi-faceted. I want to share tea and scones with Eleanora, a brilliant young lady who does not fully understand her gifts and who is looking for stability and familial love. I can relate to Eleanora's love for reading and passion for the characters in the books she read (furtively at first, thanks to her aunt's ideas of educating girls). The author clearly shares this joy of books and it comes through at every turn. He has crafted a tale for book lovers and for people who believe in the power of the written word and the spirit of wisdom.
On a side note, my book is an advance reader's edition so it might not hold true in all cases, but I appreciated the book's physicality as well. It is a 300 page paperback and its rough-cut edges feel perfectly matched to the content and spirit of the book.
Highly recommend.
jenn_baumstein's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up as the ONLY one I thought MIGHT be interesting at my local book sale (last night). After coming home, I found that, not only was a) the author a Brown Alum, but also, b) the sibling (or half sibling, I'm not sure), of a friend. Small Brunonian world. So, yes, I was biased, but what are the odds? Anyhow, I am writing this note so that Max or Helen or someone who knows more about Turkey and the Ottoman empire can read the book and give me their opinion of the book. I thought it was really well written, a little wordy, fully of esoteric and "I'm an intellectual" quotes, but hey, I like books that can show off the author's knowledge. It wasn't tooooo showey. Also, any book with a precocious / talented young girl is okay in my opinion. Anyhow, it is a fun, quick ready. Some plot gaps. Anticlimactic ending, but I guess that was her chosen destiny. I won't give anything away. Now, on to the next book?
fainting_couch's review against another edition
The writing style is good and there are a few pieces that really stuck. The shape of the book, the plot etc, is a bit winding. It’s a choice that some people probably like; I thought it was fine but I do like a bit more shape and purpose to a plot. Overall solid I like the sheer amount of history.
bellatora's review against another edition
3.0
Can I just say how much I love the feel of this book? I usually get library copies of books, which means they have those weird plasticy hardcovers. But paperbacks are more my style and this one just felt so nice (the pages are raggedy like old-school books and the cover is textured). It’s so pretty (of course I proceeded to spill on it about three times so it’s not nearly so pretty anymore). It was just a joy to hold in my hands. Does that sound weird? This is why I will never accept e-readers as the future. As a supplement, yes. As a replacement? NEVER! (and I'm saying this as I'm about to buy a Kindle for myself, because I'm going to spend several months next year in a foreign country and need easy access to English-language books and don't want to haul them all home/try to give them away when I return AGAIN; so, yes, I do understand that e-readers can be really great in some instances).
Okay, end diatribe. Now onto the book itself. I'm usually not a fan of slice-of-life books. I generally find descriptions tedious and end up trying to skim my way to action and/or romance, or at the very least dialogue. This being, really, a slice-of-life book (albeit with a magical realism overlay), I should've been bored. But I never was. I thought Lukas' descriptions of Istanbul were lovely and I loved that glimpse-into-the-past feeling that I get out of good historical fiction (despite the magical realism, I view it as historical fiction).
Child prodigy Eleonora Cohen is meant for great things. The portents foretell it. Unfortunately, these great things do not include having awesome magic powers. They do include being clever and well-read. In fact, being so clever that she comes to the attention of the Sultan and gains the reputation for being an oracle (not that she can foresee the future, she just gives really great advice). There's also some spying and political intriguing going on, but mostly it's about life in Istanbul and how this one little girl is quietly special and the Sultan has an overbearing mama and a warmonger advisor and, really, the little girl gives much better advice.
This is a good book for a lazy summer day. It's as languid as the Bosphorus (I'm makings this up; I don't know how languid the Bosphorus is, but it seemed pretty slow-moving when I was there). It's a pleasant, enjoyable read. Never boring, just leisurely.
Disclosure: I got this through GoodRead's First Reads.
Okay, end diatribe. Now onto the book itself. I'm usually not a fan of slice-of-life books. I generally find descriptions tedious and end up trying to skim my way to action and/or romance, or at the very least dialogue. This being, really, a slice-of-life book (albeit with a magical realism overlay), I should've been bored. But I never was. I thought Lukas' descriptions of Istanbul were lovely and I loved that glimpse-into-the-past feeling that I get out of good historical fiction (despite the magical realism, I view it as historical fiction).
Child prodigy Eleonora Cohen is meant for great things. The portents foretell it. Unfortunately, these great things do not include having awesome magic powers. They do include being clever and well-read. In fact, being so clever that she comes to the attention of the Sultan and gains the reputation for being an oracle (not that she can foresee the future, she just gives really great advice). There's also some spying and political intriguing going on, but mostly it's about life in Istanbul and how this one little girl is quietly special and the Sultan has an overbearing mama and a warmonger advisor and, really, the little girl gives much better advice.
This is a good book for a lazy summer day. It's as languid as the Bosphorus (I'm makings this up; I don't know how languid the Bosphorus is, but it seemed pretty slow-moving when I was there). It's a pleasant, enjoyable read. Never boring, just leisurely.
Disclosure: I got this through GoodRead's First Reads.
heddahboots's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit I was disappointed. The story was great, but even I thought it kind of fizzled and that there were too many loose ends left at the end of the novel. (And if you know me at all, you know I can ignore plot holes you can drive a truck through. I have a high tolerance for shenanigans in stories.) I don't regret reading it, but I'm not sure I'd read it again.
dujyt's review against another edition
2.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the poetic description of Turkey during the last days of the Ottoman Empire (1877), and I found myself entranced by the character of Eleonora, the girl prodigy who has such an affinity for literature. But, by the last third of the book, I was disappointed that the author just frittered away these strengths with a plot that kept meandering and fizzling out, until the book just ended with really no purpose.
Since this was a debut novel, I'm going to keep an eye out for his next book. He obviously has a talent for writing about a place and for creating interesting characters, he just needs to focus on a path and stay with it.
Since this was a debut novel, I'm going to keep an eye out for his next book. He obviously has a talent for writing about a place and for creating interesting characters, he just needs to focus on a path and stay with it.
tinabaich's review against another edition
2.0
The Oracle of Stamboul grew out of Michael David Lukas’s MFA thesis at the University of Maryland, College Park. It is the story of Eleanora Cohen. Born in 1877, Eleanora grows into somewhat of a savant. She learns to read at five and by six can calculate figures in her head. She is immersed in novels before she is eight and has mastered several languages. When her father must travel to Stamboul for business, she stows away in one of his trunks at the age of eight. While in Stamboul, Eleanora’s life changes dramatically. Then the Sultan learns of her talents and seeks her advice. In the end, Eleanora must choose what path her life will take.
I enjoyed following Eleanora’s journey, but found the chapters on the Sultan less engaging. However, they were interesting enough that I always kept reading. The Oracle of Stamboul was well-written, especially for a first novel, but I was disappointed by the ending. It was not at all what I expected and seemed somewhat abrupt after the journey Lukas took me on.
If you find this time period and setting intriguing, you will probably enjoy The Oracle of Stamboul. Otherwise, I recommend you wait to see what Michael David Lukas gives us next. I expect his next novel will far exceed The Oracle of Stamboul. The bones are there. Lukas just needs a chance to flesh out his style and story-telling skills.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-oracle-of-stamboul.html
I enjoyed following Eleanora’s journey, but found the chapters on the Sultan less engaging. However, they were interesting enough that I always kept reading. The Oracle of Stamboul was well-written, especially for a first novel, but I was disappointed by the ending. It was not at all what I expected and seemed somewhat abrupt after the journey Lukas took me on.
If you find this time period and setting intriguing, you will probably enjoy The Oracle of Stamboul. Otherwise, I recommend you wait to see what Michael David Lukas gives us next. I expect his next novel will far exceed The Oracle of Stamboul. The bones are there. Lukas just needs a chance to flesh out his style and story-telling skills.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-oracle-of-stamboul.html