The Bastard Of Istanbul - Elif Shafak

The Bastard Of Istanbul
by Elif Shafak

Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 368
ISBN: 0143112716

"Whatever falls from the sky above, thou shall not curse it."

A few months ago (May) I caught one of my good friends carrying this gem of a book in Urdu School. Since I had completed all my classwork, I decided to take a quick look through it. I wasn't ready for what happened next. Almost instantly from the very first line, I was absorbed into the world of this gem. The very next day I had to go out and look for the book.

Delicious chapter titles and colourful personalities are only two of the things that you love about this book. After reading only a few chapters, you will find yourself feeling, smelling, tasting, hearing and seeing everything that is taking place in the book. This book won't fail to seduce you.

The surplus of characters in the first few chapters tempts you to put the book down. However, that is a very bad idea. As Shafak continues to develop them, you wonder if these people are real. You might even be able to relate to one of the many female characters. Throughout the book you bond with the characters, making it hard to say goodbye when the book is over. The women and their plights continue to stay with you days after putting the book down.

Full of contradictions, coincidences and surprises, this book tells the tale of an epic family saga started a century ago during Turkey's turbulent past, combining history, humour, tragedy and a little pinch of the supernatural. You will laugh and you will cry. You will be shocked, even though you might be able to see it coming, you cannot bring yourself to believe the painful truths.

I don't want to talk too much about the events in the book or about the characters because I feel like I might spoil it for you guys. I highly recommend this book to all of you out there.

Thank You!

Faiyaz