evvahoo's review against another edition
5.0
I loved how the characters were described. Each of them was so distinct from the other, and each of them an interesting person with depth. I also liked her writing style in general. It's not too slow, not too fast. It focuses and zooms in but at the same time the story unfolds at a good pace. The story takes turns which you don't expect. And the themes explored are important. At the heart of the novel is Asya, the bastard of the family, who is raised without a father. Generally, the figure of the patriarchal male is missing in the family which makes the whole family dynamic very interesting, especially when males enter the circle of the family.
I loved this book and I'll read more of hers soon!
I loved this book and I'll read more of hers soon!
veealiceh's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Excellent listen. The story evolved so much. The flow of the stories of each character was seamless within a chapter. Felt like I was there in the household with them!
bibliophilelinda's review against another edition
4.0
"The Bastard of Istanbul" is great book about two families, one Armenian and one Turkish, who are unknowingly intertwined by history yet separated by politics and distance, until brought together again by a confused daughter looking to understand her Armenian heritage. By exploring the Armenian grudge against Turks for the atrocities committed decades past, and the Turkish culture of forgetting and moving on from their less-than-exemplary bits of history, the story highlights the emotional rifts between each community. While the story is a bit complicated to fully summarize, suffice to say that each family harbors secrets which are slowly revealed throughout the novel, eventually leading to the revealation of their common past and the questioning of whether the past dictated their future. Containing fully-formed and unforgettable characters, liberal doses of anger and resentment, and startling moments of insight, this is a great read for those who like to delve into the psyches of wounded families.
courtahneyyy's review against another edition
5.0
Elif Shafak has completely altered my idea of Turkish novelists. This book is an excellent representation of cross-culture histories and stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the way she connected and tied together everything by the end. Excellent read!
livesinthetub's review against another edition
3.0
book #28 of 2021: The Bastard of Istanbul (pub. 2007) by Élif Shafak (Turkish) this is a well-handled story of ethnic, Armenian and Turkish, and generational cruelty and resilience. this author is adept at making each character, even the minor ones, rounded and believable. not every mystery gets resolved, but the crucial ones do. it’s difficult to tell, when listening to audiobooks, if pieces you felt were missing were your failure in listening or the author not connecting the dots, esp when there are so many threads and related characters, though several mysteries were definitely left unaddressed by the author. that said, I prefer a more nuanced story than a morality tale, where everything is spelled out. I look forward to more novels by this author: this was the third of hers that I’ve read.
rdhk's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I have to be honest: this is one of the worst books I've ever read. I'm completely befuddled by Elif Shafak's ascent in literary circles; in this book, at least, the writing is so trite and contrived it makes Kristin Hannah's (author of The Nightingale - another personal enemy of mine) writing seem exquisite in comparison. Versions of terribly written phrases like "she was very angry and cross" and "her eyes were looking stunning" abound. It's a pain to read. Quality of prose aside, the story is far-fetched and borders on silly, with complex discussions on mass atrocities like the Armenian genocide reduced to smart-alecky chatroom chatter. There is a tragic attempt to weave in magical realism with the introduction of two djinns, who are called - I kid you not - Mrs. Sweet and Mr. Bitter. I simply cannot with this book and I want a month of my life back.
viveknshah's review against another edition
4.0
A nuthouse of characters with their colorful personalities, intertwined with their eccentricities and back stories makes a for a very delectable hodgepodge of Asure (closest to the Indian kheer). In that mayhem, she captures Armenian - Turkish conflict from a civilian stand point, the globalisation of cultures and breaking of stereotypes as an Armenian American meets a Turkish family and tries to fit in. Oh and you'll walk out of this book and survive on any Turkish cookery show with descriptions of dishes sprinkled all through every chapter. Is there a message in this book? I didn't find it but is the book an entertaining page turner? That it is.
maddelleine's review against another edition
5.0
This is exactly what The Bastard of Istanbul left me with. Elif Shafak manages to immerse her readers into a faraway land (of course, for a person foreign to the Turkish culture), where stories intertwine so naturally as there wouldn't be any other way for them to be ordered. Using a combination of narrative styles, the author weaves her story by delicately switching between characters' stories and destinies, past and present and different states of mind.
Her originality is also shown in the choice of chapter names - each one bearing the name of a spice or ingredient, except for the last one, an ingredient of a different nature. This way, cinnamon, pistachio, sugar, white rice and others carry us through Istanbul, Arizona and San Francisco, spicing the road with history, national values and personal resolutions.
Cultural differences seem to be one of the main themes, whether they appear in the same country, across the ocean or even inside the same culture (or even more, house) and the characters appear to live in a world of irrationality, a micro-cosmos made of the Kazanci's home that creates the illusion of being almost completely independent of the outside world.
Now among one of my personal favourites :)