The Bastard of Istanbul

Bastards of Istanbul by @shafakelif is a captivating novel that weaves together culture, identity, and history in the vibrant city of Istanbul.The story revolves around two families, each with its own secrets and emotional baggage. Asya Kazancı, a young woman living in Istanbul, is the focal point of the narrative. Raised by her rebellious and enigmatic mother, she grapples with her identity and family heritage while harbouring a deep curiosity about her heritage. Meanwhile, across the world in Arizona, an Armenian-American woman named Armanoush seeks answers about her family's past, leading her to the Kazancı family in Istanbul.Through richly drawn characters, the book explores complex family dynamics, tackles sensitive historical issues like the Armenian Genocide, and delves into contemporary themes like tradition versus modernity and women's rights.Shafak has beautifully crafted this intellectually stimulating novel that skillfully examines family, heritage, and the universal quest for self-discovery. Shafak's storytelling skills shine through, making this book a highly recommended read for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking fiction with a strong sense of cultural immersion.

It's quite an engrossing book. Honestly, after reading this I'm already in love with Istanbul and the food! I so wannna visit Turkey and experience the food, culture, lifestyle and climate first hand.Coming back to the book, in my opinion I did find certain parts too streched and immensely detailed but then the beauty does reside in the details after all. The mental trauma of the past, the baggage of knowledge that each character possesses have been described beautifully. The minute details of even the tea glasses just goes on to show how much the author is dedicated in her writing.All the stories of every character is weaved into a beautiful tapestry of emotions, feelings, love and lots of food. It's a recommended read while you're traveling or just lounging on a weekend.

The book makes you want to revisit the story again and again even after you’re done reading it. Very beautiful

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book.Shafak is a great writer and the book did expand a bit of my knowledge about Istanbul and its history but that it isn't a novel.While reading I got the feeling that Shafak wanted to talk about history and wanted to do it through fiction so she invented the characters in thr book. But the family history is so twisted it at times felt incredulous.Nevertheless, it is a decently written book. Though not Shafaks' best work. So if you are new to her writings don't pick this up. Pick forty rules of love instead.

This beautiful work of fiction by Elif Shafak revolves around Asya Kazanci & Armanoush sharing a similar genetic heritage. Enbodying in itself an absolute vibrance of Turkish as well as Armanian legacy, the book carries a spectacular brightness within itself. Asya is depicted to be raised by Kazanci females, surrounded by all her aunts, Petite Ma & Grandmother Gulsum in an Ethnic Turkish household. While Asya's distant cousin Armanoush, an Armenian American being raised by an American Mother and an Arbanian father along with the complete Tchakhmakhchian family. Filled with the mention of mouthwatering Turkish cuisines, canary & cats makes the reader feel transported to Istanbul. The plot finds itself travelling along intermingled family stories, carrying mysteries and secrets of past alongwith. Full of abundant twists and turns this book categorises as an interesting read.

Elif likes dichotomies, explores them in every book. Here I am torn between rating the book 3 (average) and 4 (special to me).The book seems too dramatic in parts, and I don't think Mustafa was drawn accurately. Also, the intended mixing of the two families was not to my liking: I would prefer them to not be related.But then, the book has imageries that are close to my heart, the characters have temperaments I relate to.The main plot and the initially intriguing 'missing links' are slightly predictable. Nonetheless, the book offers the much needed conversation about the Armenian genocide and state propaganda in general.

Just awesome.

It's an experience for someone who has little or no knowledge of Turkish and Armenian culture. The lives of the characters interwoven beautifully manifesting into an interesting journey where you are keen to learn how it's going to end and it doesn't disappoint. I would totally recommend it.

It would take me too much time and energy to try to tell why i LOVED this book and why i will never like a fictional book that much, but at the end of the book the author tells us why she writes in English and she says : « The Bastard of Istanbul is a novel that concentrates on an Armenian and a Turkish family and the unspoken atrocities of the past », and in my opinion, there is no best way to summarise this book called « The Bastard of Istanbul » but that mostly talk about the Armenian genocide.

Ha llegado en perfecto estado

The Bastard of Istanbul got home when I finished reading The Forty Rules of Love. They're completely different and I really missed the previous book characters in the first pages. Little by little, I was impressed by the women in The Bastard. Every one of them was such a necessary ingredient, as the mentioned recipes, to live in the way they do after revealed family secrets. Those secrets will follow every member of the two families and new generation women must decide to live with the truth once they know their origin's secret.

Absolutely adore this author!! This book was a fantastic read, and was really quite taboo at the time, she even went to court for it. If you haven't already, I recommend reading the three daughters of eve!

I found the first 20 pages difficult and thought, ohh, really not liking it.. and then whoooooooooosh got swept into Istanbul, the food, the women, the various characters in the book.I wish it had ended differently, and if i ever meet the author I will ask her why the plot twisted the way it did..Would it have been a fairy tale had it not?