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The Oracle of Stamboul
An elegantly crafted, utterly enchanting debut novel set in a mystical, exotic world, in which a gifted young girl charms a sultan and changes the course of an empire's history
Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. "They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch." But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.
Raised by her doting father, Yakob, a carpet merchant, and her stern, resentful stepmother, Ruxandra, Eleonora spends her early years daydreaming and doing housework—until the moment she teaches herself to read, and her father recognizes that she is an extraordinarily gifted child, a prodigy.
When Yakob sets off by boat for Stamboul on business, eight-year-old Eleonora, unable to bear the separation, stows away in one of his trunks. On the shores of the Bosporus, in the house of her father's business partner, Moncef Bey, a new life awaits. Books, backgammon, beautiful dresses and shoes, markets swarming with color and life—the imperial capital overflows with elegance, and mystery. For in the narrow streets of Stamboul—a city at the crossroads of the world—intrigue and gossip are currency, and people are not always what they seem. Eleonora's tutor, an American minister and educator, may be a spy. The kindly though elusive Moncef Bey has a past history of secret societies and political maneuvering. And what is to be made of the eccentric, charming Sultan Abdulhamid II himself, beleaguered by friend and foe alike as his unwieldy, multiethnic empire crumbles?
The Oracle of Stamboul is a marvelously evocative, magical historical novel that will transport readers to another time and place—romantic, exotic, yet remarkably similar to our own.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
158 people are currently reading
3934 people want to read
About the author
Michael David Lukas
11 books205 followersMichael David Lukas has been a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey, a late-shift proofreader in Tel Aviv, and a Rotary Scholar in Tunisia. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Maryland, his writing has been published in the Virginia Quarterly Review, Slate, National Geographic Traveler, and the Georgia Review. He has received scholarships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and the Elizabeth George Foundation. When he isn’t writing, he teaches creative writing to third and fourth graders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 842 reviews
October 24, 2010
If I am not for myself who will be for me?
July 24, 2019
Update: Kindle $1.99 special today.
I read this years ago. I still own a copy of the book.
It was sooooo special to me and my daughters.
It’s an adult book - but young girls would love reading it - or having it read to them.
My tiny review from years ago:
I don't see anybody writing likes this today. Its my 'FAVORITE' novel of the year ----a very special 'gem' of a story.
I read this years ago. I still own a copy of the book.
It was sooooo special to me and my daughters.
It’s an adult book - but young girls would love reading it - or having it read to them.
My tiny review from years ago:
I don't see anybody writing likes this today. Its my 'FAVORITE' novel of the year ----a very special 'gem' of a story.
May 30, 2018
I was quite excited to read this novel about Turkey (especially after hearing an interview with the author on NPR) and anticipated losing myself in the magic of Eleonora's adventures. Instead, I was struck by huge bricks of wordiness and insignificant (read: unnecessary) characters. Every time the story started to pick up pace and get more interesting, poor word choice or a dry situation would kill the moment.
A few things were unclear to me, including Eleonora's native tongue. I couldn't tell whether it was Romanian or Hebrew (upon re-reading and looking at the map on the inside cover, I discovered it was Romanian). Since she read and spoke both- along with 5 other languages, it was difficult to ascertain. While the protagonist was Jewish, her being Jewish didn't have much of an impact on the story (only a sentence or two that the Sultan's mother distrusted Jews). I would have liked to have seen Eleonora's character and personality developed a bit more. It was, after all, her story.
While the ending wasn't horrible, it was quite anti-climactic. There was build up to pretty much nothing at the end, which left me quite disappointed. The magic of the hoopoes diminished as did my hope in and of the "oracle." This novel had the potential to be better than it was.
A few things were unclear to me, including Eleonora's native tongue. I couldn't tell whether it was Romanian or Hebrew (upon re-reading and looking at the map on the inside cover, I discovered it was Romanian). Since she read and spoke both- along with 5 other languages, it was difficult to ascertain. While the protagonist was Jewish, her being Jewish didn't have much of an impact on the story (only a sentence or two that the Sultan's mother distrusted Jews). I would have liked to have seen Eleonora's character and personality developed a bit more. It was, after all, her story.
While the ending wasn't horrible, it was quite anti-climactic. There was build up to pretty much nothing at the end, which left me quite disappointed. The magic of the hoopoes diminished as did my hope in and of the "oracle." This novel had the potential to be better than it was.
May 27, 2022
How to take an interesting story from history and turn it dull and wooden with egregiously bad dialog and stilted sentence construction. Grateful the “oracle’s” career was short so that the book was too. The location, European sections of Istanbul, was well drawn and gives the reader something positive.
February 21, 2011
I am so disappointed. Until the last two chapters of the book, I was captivated by Eleonora's story. Lukas has a gift as a story-teller. He creates interesting characters and his writing is rich in imagery and imagination. The plot he weaves is intricate and evocative. With a background rich in the cultural and political history of Stamboul, the story draws the reader into its web, creating a tension and a feeling that one is moving to an exciting, earth-shattering climax. It's unfortunate, then, that the climax never occurs. At the novel's end, the entire facade crumbles and the tremendous events that you were expecting to occur suddenly shatter into a million tiny pieces as Eleonora makes her final decision about the future. I can't deny Lukas' talent and I certainly look forward to future works from him, but I only wish that his ending to this book was more satisfying.
April 6, 2017
Sheer Reading Pleasure
If you enjoy reading for its unique possibilities — mellifluous language, vivid imagery, immersion in places and circumstances you might never experience — then you’ll love this book. From the very first page, The Oracle of Stamboul will draw you relentlessly into the world of the Ottoman Empire in its twilight years of the 1880s. You’ll meet an extraordinary child, Eleanora Cohen, and you’ll be present with her from the violence of her birth in Rumania through her ninth year in Istanbul (then Stamboul) as the unlikeliest of advisers to the Sultan. You’ll revel in the sights and sounds and smells of this fabled imperial capital of two million souls, and you’ll gain a front-row seat on the plotting and scheming in the palace and among the timid revolutionaries who only wish that something, perhaps anything, might change. This book is a marvel of the writer’s craft.
For example, consider this scene-setting passage:
“Summer slipped into Stamboul under the cover of a midday shower. It took up residence near the foundations of the Galata Bridge and drifted through the city like a stray dog. Ducking in and out of alleyways, the new season made itself felt in the tenacity of fruit flies buzzing about a pyramid of figs, in the increasingly confident tone of the muezzin, and the growing petulance of the shopkeepers in the produce market.”
And that’s just the beginning of the paragraph.
The nine-year arc of this richly detailed story begins in the Rumanian town of Constanta, with the death of Eleanora’s mother just minutes after her own birth. You’ll follow Eleanora and her father through through her early years as she demonstrates the extraordinary powers of her young mind, learning new languages in hours as though by magic and devouring the Greek and Roman classics in the original. You’ll follow her father, Yakov, on his journey to Stamboul to sell the most valuable of his stock of carpets, with Eleanora stowed away on the ship that carries him to the imperial capital.
I have nothing but good things to say about this outstanding first novel — except for the ending, which I found abrupt and disappointing. It struck me almost as though the book’s young author couldn’t figure out how to resolve his tale and simply dropped it in the middle.
If you enjoy reading for its unique possibilities — mellifluous language, vivid imagery, immersion in places and circumstances you might never experience — then you’ll love this book. From the very first page, The Oracle of Stamboul will draw you relentlessly into the world of the Ottoman Empire in its twilight years of the 1880s. You’ll meet an extraordinary child, Eleanora Cohen, and you’ll be present with her from the violence of her birth in Rumania through her ninth year in Istanbul (then Stamboul) as the unlikeliest of advisers to the Sultan. You’ll revel in the sights and sounds and smells of this fabled imperial capital of two million souls, and you’ll gain a front-row seat on the plotting and scheming in the palace and among the timid revolutionaries who only wish that something, perhaps anything, might change. This book is a marvel of the writer’s craft.
For example, consider this scene-setting passage:
“Summer slipped into Stamboul under the cover of a midday shower. It took up residence near the foundations of the Galata Bridge and drifted through the city like a stray dog. Ducking in and out of alleyways, the new season made itself felt in the tenacity of fruit flies buzzing about a pyramid of figs, in the increasingly confident tone of the muezzin, and the growing petulance of the shopkeepers in the produce market.”
And that’s just the beginning of the paragraph.
The nine-year arc of this richly detailed story begins in the Rumanian town of Constanta, with the death of Eleanora’s mother just minutes after her own birth. You’ll follow Eleanora and her father through through her early years as she demonstrates the extraordinary powers of her young mind, learning new languages in hours as though by magic and devouring the Greek and Roman classics in the original. You’ll follow her father, Yakov, on his journey to Stamboul to sell the most valuable of his stock of carpets, with Eleanora stowed away on the ship that carries him to the imperial capital.
I have nothing but good things to say about this outstanding first novel — except for the ending, which I found abrupt and disappointing. It struck me almost as though the book’s young author couldn’t figure out how to resolve his tale and simply dropped it in the middle.
August 10, 2021
Reading the story was like stepping into a fairy tale. It centered around Eleonora Cohen, an 8 year old girl. All sorts of improbable things happened to her. Some I enjoyed, while other events seemed contrived or too similar to fairy tales I've read in the past (ie. she had an evil step-mother).
Here is a short summary of the story: Eleonora was born in 1878 in a Romanian town. Her birth was marked by signs and portents and a flock of hoopoes (rather remarkable birds). These birds stayed with her throughout the years and watched over her. As she grew older, it was evident that Eleonora was a genius. Her brilliance was both a gift and a burden. Events in the story took both Eleonora and her father to Turkey, where her intellect made her known to the Sultan.
I enjoyed the colorful descriptions of Stamboul (Istanbul). Having an interest in birds, I also liked reading about the hoopoes as well as birds native to Turkey. The Sultan himself was portrayed as a birder whose birding observations were spot on.
Here is a short summary of the story: Eleonora was born in 1878 in a Romanian town. Her birth was marked by signs and portents and a flock of hoopoes (rather remarkable birds). These birds stayed with her throughout the years and watched over her. As she grew older, it was evident that Eleonora was a genius. Her brilliance was both a gift and a burden. Events in the story took both Eleonora and her father to Turkey, where her intellect made her known to the Sultan.
I enjoyed the colorful descriptions of Stamboul (Istanbul). Having an interest in birds, I also liked reading about the hoopoes as well as birds native to Turkey. The Sultan himself was portrayed as a birder whose birding observations were spot on.
October 16, 2012
'That is exactly why I requested to be sent here,'said Fredrick. 'They fought me on it first. Didn't think the readers would want a sketch from Asia. So I told them, first of all, half the city is in Europe. And second, this is exactly what the readers want. They want dervishes and elephants. Just look at Kinglake. Look at the Arabian Nights. People want Oriental colour.'
The Reverend raised his glass in toast.
'To Oriental colour. And old friends. Welcome to Stamboul.'
This is the kind of book you either love passionately or hate intensely from the get go. There is no middle ground. Some will be intrigued by the beguiling mixture of magic realism and historic fact; others will find it vague and unsatisfying.
Sometimes I love to be swept up by the sensory experience of a novel, the sights, smells and colours. Michael David Lukas has a painterly writer's eye, with the result that this is a very vivid novel -- at the expense of plot. Not much happens. But it is utterly captivating nevertheless.
Behind the lushness and exotic sensuality, Lukas has a lot to say about romanticising the Middle East, which is a very colonial attitude, as well as the needling question of who gets to write the history we know and read about.
I loved the ending, which is brave, beautiful and exquisitely sad. This is quite an extraordinary novel.
My only gripe: believing that the savant heroine is eight years old. The character just does not come across as a child. (I think the lingering ending would have been served better with a coda in which she is older and wiser.)
The Reverend raised his glass in toast.
'To Oriental colour. And old friends. Welcome to Stamboul.'
This is the kind of book you either love passionately or hate intensely from the get go. There is no middle ground. Some will be intrigued by the beguiling mixture of magic realism and historic fact; others will find it vague and unsatisfying.
Sometimes I love to be swept up by the sensory experience of a novel, the sights, smells and colours. Michael David Lukas has a painterly writer's eye, with the result that this is a very vivid novel -- at the expense of plot. Not much happens. But it is utterly captivating nevertheless.
Behind the lushness and exotic sensuality, Lukas has a lot to say about romanticising the Middle East, which is a very colonial attitude, as well as the needling question of who gets to write the history we know and read about.
I loved the ending, which is brave, beautiful and exquisitely sad. This is quite an extraordinary novel.
My only gripe: believing that the savant heroine is eight years old. The character just does not come across as a child. (I think the lingering ending would have been served better with a coda in which she is older and wiser.)
March 3, 2011
I was completely charmed by this unexpected fairy tale of a novel which tells of a young stowaway in a rug-seller's trunk who travels by boat to Stamboul, the city at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Stamboul is a city shrouded in mystery & incense, colored with bazaars & sunsets, and clamorous with music & many tongues. It may be universal that children, unfettered as they are by knowledge of the world, nourish the seed of hope that they might be discovered to possess unusual skills or talents, or that they be discovered to be gifted, or beautiful beyond compare. I remember that wonderful dream myself; the softness of the velvets surrounding me, the sweetness of the fruits given me, the brillance of the ribbons decorating my clothes and hair. No matter that my life was nothing of the sort.
This novel has the flavor of an old fairy tale but with an indescribable freshness that makes even a world-weary curmudgeon remember days breaking bright and fresh with possibility and fantasy. The descriptions play to the western mind, wreathed as they are in eastern mystery and intrigue. The unencumbered ending was as suprising and unexpected as were the revelations carefully unfolded in preceding chapters. We feel something, and it is wistfulness.
This book is entirely suitable for readers from age 12. It is especially recommended for those who think they are too old for fairy tales.
This novel has the flavor of an old fairy tale but with an indescribable freshness that makes even a world-weary curmudgeon remember days breaking bright and fresh with possibility and fantasy. The descriptions play to the western mind, wreathed as they are in eastern mystery and intrigue. The unencumbered ending was as suprising and unexpected as were the revelations carefully unfolded in preceding chapters. We feel something, and it is wistfulness.
This book is entirely suitable for readers from age 12. It is especially recommended for those who think they are too old for fairy tales.
January 11, 2011
The book is well-written and just interesting enough that I finished it. The premise is interesting, and I actually had a lot of hope for it in the opening. But as I read on, I just found it kind of lacking. Really, I'd say it's an interesting book wherein nothing really happens.
I didn't find the main character very believable as an eight-year-old girl, even as an exceptionally gifted one, and none of the other characters really held any interest for me. I would find myself wondering about their motivations, or their inner workings, but never really felt satisfied that I knew them. In some ways, this is a great thing -- when your main point of view is a child, can you really expect to understand the world of the adults around her?
It may just be that literary fiction isn't for me, or that there was something going on under the surface of the story that I missed; I don't claim to be the best of readers. But I can say that whenever presented with the opportunity to put this down and read something else, I did.
I didn't find the main character very believable as an eight-year-old girl, even as an exceptionally gifted one, and none of the other characters really held any interest for me. I would find myself wondering about their motivations, or their inner workings, but never really felt satisfied that I knew them. In some ways, this is a great thing -- when your main point of view is a child, can you really expect to understand the world of the adults around her?
It may just be that literary fiction isn't for me, or that there was something going on under the surface of the story that I missed; I don't claim to be the best of readers. But I can say that whenever presented with the opportunity to put this down and read something else, I did.
March 11, 2011
"The Oracle of Stamboul" by Michael David Lukas is not just a novel, it is a literary portal that transports you to the streets of Turkey in the late 1800's. And while you are there, Michael David Lukas takes you on a magical journey - with his beautiful prose, he builds the city around you, surrounds you with the smell of its spices, and the warmth of its people. It is this particular quality in Lukas' writing that really gives this novel its edge.
Eleanora Cohen is born to Yakob Cohen on a tragic day in Constanta. The Ottoman Empire is coming an end, and two ladies who assist her birth claim that her birth was predicted by the last Tartar king, and that they had followed the signs to their home. Losing her mother on her birthday, little Ellie is raised by her loving and devoted father, and her cold and disciplinarian aunt, who ends up marrying her father. As Ellie grows, it is apparent to anyone that crosses paths with her, that she is an exceptional child - in a way that is beyond their comprehension. And it is due to her nature, that she is kept at bay from the world.
But when Ellie's father leaves for Stamboul on business, Ellie cannot stand to live in her house with her frigid aunt, and escapes in one of his carpet trunks, and finds herself on board the same streamer as her father as a stowaway. It is in Stamboul that Ellie truly flourishes, and finds herself immersed in a world of knowledge and literature. She learns to speak various languages, memorizes passages from books by heart with much ease, and breaks ciphers and codes with even more ease. It is due to talents such as this, and her pack of hoopoes, along with the prophecies that surround her birth that bring her to the attention of the then king, Sultan Abdulhamid II. Upon meeting little Ellie, the Sultan is immediately impressed by her knowledge and mannerisms, and despite oppositions from his Vizier and his own mother, he heeds her advice. It is due to her advice that he breaks ties with Germany, and the Kaiser. Unfortunately, for Ellie, these turn of events come under scrutiny by an American reporter, and Ellie is soon more famous than she cares to be. Will Ellie be able to handle the pressure that being an Oracle brings her? Will she become the Sultan's advisor in court? Or will she become a beloved Oracle to all of the world?
Michael David Lukas' "The Oracle of Stamboul" is an enchanting and fascinating read, full of magical realism and written in lilting prose, this book impresses from the first chapter to its last. Also, for those who may not be sure about its significance, hidden under the layers of beauty, fantasy and magic is a bit of truly magnificent history - a turn of events which, had they not come to pass, could very well have resulted in an entirely different world today. Eleanora, although a child, will astound you with her curiosity, maturity and humility and "The Oracle of Stamboul" will cocoon you into its world, and leave you breathless with the many beautiful views of Turkey.
Eleanora Cohen is born to Yakob Cohen on a tragic day in Constanta. The Ottoman Empire is coming an end, and two ladies who assist her birth claim that her birth was predicted by the last Tartar king, and that they had followed the signs to their home. Losing her mother on her birthday, little Ellie is raised by her loving and devoted father, and her cold and disciplinarian aunt, who ends up marrying her father. As Ellie grows, it is apparent to anyone that crosses paths with her, that she is an exceptional child - in a way that is beyond their comprehension. And it is due to her nature, that she is kept at bay from the world.
But when Ellie's father leaves for Stamboul on business, Ellie cannot stand to live in her house with her frigid aunt, and escapes in one of his carpet trunks, and finds herself on board the same streamer as her father as a stowaway. It is in Stamboul that Ellie truly flourishes, and finds herself immersed in a world of knowledge and literature. She learns to speak various languages, memorizes passages from books by heart with much ease, and breaks ciphers and codes with even more ease. It is due to talents such as this, and her pack of hoopoes, along with the prophecies that surround her birth that bring her to the attention of the then king, Sultan Abdulhamid II. Upon meeting little Ellie, the Sultan is immediately impressed by her knowledge and mannerisms, and despite oppositions from his Vizier and his own mother, he heeds her advice. It is due to her advice that he breaks ties with Germany, and the Kaiser. Unfortunately, for Ellie, these turn of events come under scrutiny by an American reporter, and Ellie is soon more famous than she cares to be. Will Ellie be able to handle the pressure that being an Oracle brings her? Will she become the Sultan's advisor in court? Or will she become a beloved Oracle to all of the world?
Michael David Lukas' "The Oracle of Stamboul" is an enchanting and fascinating read, full of magical realism and written in lilting prose, this book impresses from the first chapter to its last. Also, for those who may not be sure about its significance, hidden under the layers of beauty, fantasy and magic is a bit of truly magnificent history - a turn of events which, had they not come to pass, could very well have resulted in an entirely different world today. Eleanora, although a child, will astound you with her curiosity, maturity and humility and "The Oracle of Stamboul" will cocoon you into its world, and leave you breathless with the many beautiful views of Turkey.
January 17, 2012
I think perhaps that Michael David Luka, the author of “The Oracle of Stamboul” might be the king of the simile. For example: “Hoopoes covered the town like frosting, piped in along the rain gutters of the governor’s mansion and slathered on the gilt dome of the Orthodox church.” Or “ At one point, in what might have been a dream, a deer glanced past her window, its eyes reflecting some hidden luminosity like a string of lighthouses multiplied along the shore. Or “The morning pressed its face to the small window above the sink like a beggar”. This is Mr. Luka‘s debut novel and it is so beautifully written that you almost don’t care about the plot. But not quite. Because you fall in love with Eleonora Cohen, her magical world elegantly and concisely told in quite the manner she, a precocious 8 year old, might understand it. You are drawn into her story, her sorrows, her triumphs, her dawning understanding. If I had any complaints it would be that the book just ends, and there you are, as if you have been abruptly woken from a most delightful dream that flies away and now will never be finished.
July 23, 2014
A magical novel, short but fulfilling; great atmosphere and prose, it just took over my reading from the moment I opened it. I will add the full FBc reviews soon, but so far I would say that the blurb is reasonably accurate but it cannot convey the beautiful writing and magical recreation of a world long gone that the novel manages in a reasonably historical accurate way with hints of the fantastic, though still staying within the possible
As promised FBC Rv below:
INTRODUCTION: The Oracle of Stamboul was the first real positive surprise of 2011 for me as it was a book that came out of nowhere for me and took over my reading with a combination of magical prose and pitch perfect atmosphere.
I recently saw the title in a list of "just published" books when looking for more information about what turned out to be the first big flop of 2011 for me and the title sounded appealing, so I checked the blurb below which made me continue exploring the novel, while the excerpt linked above convinced me to get the novel immediately and then it took over my reading.
"Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. "They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch." But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.
Raised by her doting father, Yakob, a carpet merchant, and her stern, resentful stepmother, Ruxandra, Eleonora spends her early years daydreaming and doing housework—until the moment she teaches herself to read, and her father recognizes that she is an extraordinarily gifted child, a prodigy."
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Oracle of Stamboul is a magical novel, short but fulfilling. Somewhere at the border between historical fiction and the fantastic, not straying away from the possible but hinting at the supernatural, the book has as main protagonist Eleonora, a girl whose birth in unsettled and ultimately tragic circumstances is heralded by portents.
Growing up in Constanta on the Black Sea - the ancient Tomis of Ovid and a city I spent many summers on its beaches, though here we see it in the twilight of the Ottoman era and the beginning of the Romanian one in the 1870-1880's - and in a world of prejudice against women and minorities - her family is a Jewish merchant one - Eleonora is grudgingly allowed to develop her stunning intellectual gifts by doting father Yakob Cohen against the wishes of her aunt/stepmother Ruxandra who pushes her into "women stuff" - eg housework of all kinds from as early an age as possible.
There are strict conditions that Eleonora cannot show or tell anyone what she learns since already a flock of rare birds has taken residence around her house and sometimes the birds are following her when she goes out and as Ruxandra knows too well, when you are Jewish and reasonably prosperous, it is not good to attract too much attention. As it's obvious, soon Eleonora will make a naive misstep when shopping with her aunt and the ignorant shop boy miscounts the change, so from then on she is restricted to one book per month.
In very poignant scenes we follow the 8 year old as she must a make a choice as what book she will get to treasure in the next month, until by chance she discovers an old favorite novel of her mother, a 7 volume series called The Hourglass which will open her eyes to the wider world and give her a taste for adventure. So when her father goes to expand his business to Stamboul, it is natural for Ellie to follow what she has learned in her treasured books and sneak in a trunk with all planned as how she will endure the week long sailing trip.
And so Eleonora's adventure begins and in the Ottoman capital we meet an assorted cast of characters that will interact with her in both usual and unusual ways of which the most notable are Yoncef Bey a Turkish official and intellectual with a reputation for subversive liberal thought, Rev. Prof. Muehler who is rector of the American college there and moonlights as a spy for both the Grand Vizier and the US government and of course Abdulhamid himself, the (last true) Sultan of the empire...
As structure, The Oracle of Stamboul mostly follows Ellie's POV but alternates it with the Sultan's one and occasionally with some of the other adults that come into Eleonora's magical circle. There are no other children in the book and in many ways her world is the world of a "real world" child - doing what the adults ask while creating her own separate universe - though the mundane and the fantastic intertwine around her.
The main strength of the book is the superb style of the author - poetic and evocative, but also making one turning the page until the "too soon, I want more" fitting end. From this point of view the book sits comfortably in the tradition of tales of yore without any modern anachronisms regarding the way the world was in the late 19th century. The atmosphere is also wonderfully evocative and I felt the author really understood the flavor of the places where he has his action happening.
The Oracle of Stamboul (A+) also belongs to the category of books that feature children as main protagonists but are not really addressed to them for the reasons expounded above - basically the children live in an adult world and follow adult rules, rather than being the motive power of action, eg saving the day, world, situation, by themselves - the awesome The Children's Book by AS Byatt or the excellent but darker The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti are similar narrative space novels I have reviewed here - and as such it is a book for all ages, but one that I predict will be enjoyed more by lovers of beautifully written "magical" tales than anyone else.
I would like to note that The Oracle of Stamboul is Michael David Lukas' debut though it reads like the work of a quite experienced writer...
As promised FBC Rv below:
INTRODUCTION: The Oracle of Stamboul was the first real positive surprise of 2011 for me as it was a book that came out of nowhere for me and took over my reading with a combination of magical prose and pitch perfect atmosphere.
I recently saw the title in a list of "just published" books when looking for more information about what turned out to be the first big flop of 2011 for me and the title sounded appealing, so I checked the blurb below which made me continue exploring the novel, while the excerpt linked above convinced me to get the novel immediately and then it took over my reading.
"Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. "They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch." But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.
Raised by her doting father, Yakob, a carpet merchant, and her stern, resentful stepmother, Ruxandra, Eleonora spends her early years daydreaming and doing housework—until the moment she teaches herself to read, and her father recognizes that she is an extraordinarily gifted child, a prodigy."
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Oracle of Stamboul is a magical novel, short but fulfilling. Somewhere at the border between historical fiction and the fantastic, not straying away from the possible but hinting at the supernatural, the book has as main protagonist Eleonora, a girl whose birth in unsettled and ultimately tragic circumstances is heralded by portents.
Growing up in Constanta on the Black Sea - the ancient Tomis of Ovid and a city I spent many summers on its beaches, though here we see it in the twilight of the Ottoman era and the beginning of the Romanian one in the 1870-1880's - and in a world of prejudice against women and minorities - her family is a Jewish merchant one - Eleonora is grudgingly allowed to develop her stunning intellectual gifts by doting father Yakob Cohen against the wishes of her aunt/stepmother Ruxandra who pushes her into "women stuff" - eg housework of all kinds from as early an age as possible.
There are strict conditions that Eleonora cannot show or tell anyone what she learns since already a flock of rare birds has taken residence around her house and sometimes the birds are following her when she goes out and as Ruxandra knows too well, when you are Jewish and reasonably prosperous, it is not good to attract too much attention. As it's obvious, soon Eleonora will make a naive misstep when shopping with her aunt and the ignorant shop boy miscounts the change, so from then on she is restricted to one book per month.
In very poignant scenes we follow the 8 year old as she must a make a choice as what book she will get to treasure in the next month, until by chance she discovers an old favorite novel of her mother, a 7 volume series called The Hourglass which will open her eyes to the wider world and give her a taste for adventure. So when her father goes to expand his business to Stamboul, it is natural for Ellie to follow what she has learned in her treasured books and sneak in a trunk with all planned as how she will endure the week long sailing trip.
And so Eleonora's adventure begins and in the Ottoman capital we meet an assorted cast of characters that will interact with her in both usual and unusual ways of which the most notable are Yoncef Bey a Turkish official and intellectual with a reputation for subversive liberal thought, Rev. Prof. Muehler who is rector of the American college there and moonlights as a spy for both the Grand Vizier and the US government and of course Abdulhamid himself, the (last true) Sultan of the empire...
As structure, The Oracle of Stamboul mostly follows Ellie's POV but alternates it with the Sultan's one and occasionally with some of the other adults that come into Eleonora's magical circle. There are no other children in the book and in many ways her world is the world of a "real world" child - doing what the adults ask while creating her own separate universe - though the mundane and the fantastic intertwine around her.
The main strength of the book is the superb style of the author - poetic and evocative, but also making one turning the page until the "too soon, I want more" fitting end. From this point of view the book sits comfortably in the tradition of tales of yore without any modern anachronisms regarding the way the world was in the late 19th century. The atmosphere is also wonderfully evocative and I felt the author really understood the flavor of the places where he has his action happening.
The Oracle of Stamboul (A+) also belongs to the category of books that feature children as main protagonists but are not really addressed to them for the reasons expounded above - basically the children live in an adult world and follow adult rules, rather than being the motive power of action, eg saving the day, world, situation, by themselves - the awesome The Children's Book by AS Byatt or the excellent but darker The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti are similar narrative space novels I have reviewed here - and as such it is a book for all ages, but one that I predict will be enjoyed more by lovers of beautifully written "magical" tales than anyone else.
I would like to note that The Oracle of Stamboul is Michael David Lukas' debut though it reads like the work of a quite experienced writer...
January 4, 2012
I wavered between giving this book 4 stars or 3 stars. Three quarters into the book, I was certain it would be just short of a 5 star, the thing keeping it from being on the top was plausibility. The protagonist was an 8 year old Jewess savant from Romania, living in Stamboul and giving military advice to the Sultan. It was just a bit too fantastic. Still, at that point, it was holding my interest.
I found the ending to be unsatisfying. The author could have tied up a few loose ends to finalize the story. The fourth star was drooping and losing its shine.
I thought back over the story and realized that it wasn't constructed all that well. There were a couple of similes that had me scratching my head. For example, what is a forest of wet pants and what does it smell like? The store smelled like a forest of wet pants. Another was The base of her stomach felt slick as an empty bathtub. Really? When I'm hungry, my stomach doesn't feel anything like a bathtub. It doesn't feel slick either. I think that sometimes authors try too hard to be original.
Many people have classed this book as historical fiction. I have a pretty rigid definition of historial fiction - a historical event or person brought to life in fiction. The history should be true to facts, and make you feel as if you were there witnessing the events. While this story was set in the late 1800's and did refer to actual people and events, it was too much of a fantasy for the genre - in my opinion.
My mouse hovered over the fourth star and a side box popped up, "I really liked it". I moved over to the third star, "I liked it."
I did like it. It was a quick, easy read that kept my nose in the book until it was finished. I liked the premise of the story. I enjoyed the descriptions of the sights and sounds of Istanbul. I wanted to rush out and buy pomegranate and pistachios. I wanted to sink my teeth into the glorious confection called Turkish Delight and to sip the strong coffee.
I would recommend this book to those looking for an afternoon escape, who don't mind their history rewritten.
I found the ending to be unsatisfying. The author could have tied up a few loose ends to finalize the story. The fourth star was drooping and losing its shine.
I thought back over the story and realized that it wasn't constructed all that well. There were a couple of similes that had me scratching my head. For example, what is a forest of wet pants and what does it smell like? The store smelled like a forest of wet pants. Another was The base of her stomach felt slick as an empty bathtub. Really? When I'm hungry, my stomach doesn't feel anything like a bathtub. It doesn't feel slick either. I think that sometimes authors try too hard to be original.
Many people have classed this book as historical fiction. I have a pretty rigid definition of historial fiction - a historical event or person brought to life in fiction. The history should be true to facts, and make you feel as if you were there witnessing the events. While this story was set in the late 1800's and did refer to actual people and events, it was too much of a fantasy for the genre - in my opinion.
My mouse hovered over the fourth star and a side box popped up, "I really liked it". I moved over to the third star, "I liked it."
I did like it. It was a quick, easy read that kept my nose in the book until it was finished. I liked the premise of the story. I enjoyed the descriptions of the sights and sounds of Istanbul. I wanted to rush out and buy pomegranate and pistachios. I wanted to sink my teeth into the glorious confection called Turkish Delight and to sip the strong coffee.
I would recommend this book to those looking for an afternoon escape, who don't mind their history rewritten.
September 1, 2013
A story of a young girl who learns at an insane speed, and seems destined to have a role in late 19th century Turkey's political turmoil.
I enjoyed it but it doesn't really feel all that Turkish, in the end. You could have picked Eleanor up and dropped her into any exotic location with a sultan/king/emperor and the story could have been the same. I think the author wrote the book to get to write Istanbul but it wasn't essential for the story somehow.
And while it isn't classified YA, it had that feeling to it to me, also in how quick of a read it is. I've always loved stories of kids who were too smart for their own good, who hang out in libraries and have special powers.
"There are new buildings every day. New cafes and shops, new schools, mosques, and markets, but the essential character of the city remains unchanged. No matter who sits on the throne, no matter how many new railroad stations are built, no matter which country's warships patrol the Bosporus, Stamboul will always be Stamboul, from now until the end of time."
I enjoyed it but it doesn't really feel all that Turkish, in the end. You could have picked Eleanor up and dropped her into any exotic location with a sultan/king/emperor and the story could have been the same. I think the author wrote the book to get to write Istanbul but it wasn't essential for the story somehow.
And while it isn't classified YA, it had that feeling to it to me, also in how quick of a read it is. I've always loved stories of kids who were too smart for their own good, who hang out in libraries and have special powers.
"There are new buildings every day. New cafes and shops, new schools, mosques, and markets, but the essential character of the city remains unchanged. No matter who sits on the throne, no matter how many new railroad stations are built, no matter which country's warships patrol the Bosporus, Stamboul will always be Stamboul, from now until the end of time."
September 9, 2025
I need to re-read this book again, as too many years have passed since I last read it. But I remember one thing, and it's how beautiful this book was and how much I enjoyed reading it. There was a special feeling associated with this book, that I still get when I think of it.
March 10, 2011
Disappointing Debut
In the year 1877, Eleonora Cohen was ushered into the magnificent and opulent world of the Ottoman Empire to the smell of witch hazel, the sound of thunderous hoof-beats from Russian invaders, the flapping of wings from flocks of mysterious birds, and to the bright flashes of lightening striking. The Tartar midwives holding her up to the sky said she was the long awaited Oracle from a prophecy dictated long ago a by a king upon his deathbed. He foretold there would be a baby girl born when a certain alignment of moon and stars occurred amidst a sea of horses, and a when a conference of black and yellow birds darkened the sky.
Raised by her father, as her mother died in childbirth, it is soon learned that at the age of 6, something was special about Eleonora. She read voraciously, could perform complicated math sums, read Latin and 6 other languages, provide discourse on the ancient philosophers, decipher codes and puzzles, and memorize long passages of difficult books. With a child savant to raise, her father was protective and unsure of what the future could bring to one so innocent and yet a dangerous Pandora’s box. When Eleonora’s father plans a business trip to Istanbul, then called Stamboul, Eleonora stows on board as a runaway as to not be left behind with her unsavory stepmother. Shocked but not surprised, Eleonora’s father vows to take advantage of the situation and allows his daughter to learn and enjoy the culture of Turkey where she can embrace the life of a young scholar rather than have her mind hindered by the stifling domestic atmosphere she was used to.
Soon after their arrival, tragedy strikes again and Eleonora’s father dies in a tragic boating accident that suspiciously is thought to be an incident of political sabotage. From the moment of his death, Eleonora chooses not to speak, but communicates through writing. She is well taken care by her guardian, her father’s longtime friend who is being watched carefully by the present Sultan for possible treason. Eleonora happily takes residence with him, living the life of a little princess in a lovely Turkish Palace. When word gets out to the Sultan that she is the Oracle, he invites Eleonora to the Topkapi palace in hopes of using her to advise him on current social, political and international issues of intrigue. Eleonora becomes caught up in a world of war games and military tactics as she plays the pawn to the Sultan’s future chessboard strategies regarding his current conflict with Russia.
Although Lukas’ writing is quite beautiful and poetic, I can’t recommend this new debut too highly. I loved the idea of the Oracle of Stamboul, and I love the character of Eleonora. But, it seems the author had a great idea and simply didn’t know how to weave a plot around it. By midpoint I was bored out of my mind, the story meanders at a snail’s pace with no action, no drama, no romance, no mystery….no nothing. There is a hint of magic realism that was an ingenious little creation that went nowhere, the purpose of her being the long awaited Oracle remains to be revealed, and Eleonora herself simply has no personality to speak of. I kept thinking there had to be worthy ending to all of this drivel to make it worth the time, and was terribly disappointed by the time the last page turned. I felt the ending was rather a cop-out revealing that the author just didn’t know how to finish the story in a satisfactory manner. There really wasn’t and ending any more than there was a purpose in my opinion. I’m sorry, although I see the author having future potential due to the fact his writing style can be lovely, I think he has a way to go yet before he becomes polished and noteworthy. The Oracle of Stamboul was so close to being a gem, but just needed more panache, a little focus, and a riveting plot to make it stand out.
In the year 1877, Eleonora Cohen was ushered into the magnificent and opulent world of the Ottoman Empire to the smell of witch hazel, the sound of thunderous hoof-beats from Russian invaders, the flapping of wings from flocks of mysterious birds, and to the bright flashes of lightening striking. The Tartar midwives holding her up to the sky said she was the long awaited Oracle from a prophecy dictated long ago a by a king upon his deathbed. He foretold there would be a baby girl born when a certain alignment of moon and stars occurred amidst a sea of horses, and a when a conference of black and yellow birds darkened the sky.
Raised by her father, as her mother died in childbirth, it is soon learned that at the age of 6, something was special about Eleonora. She read voraciously, could perform complicated math sums, read Latin and 6 other languages, provide discourse on the ancient philosophers, decipher codes and puzzles, and memorize long passages of difficult books. With a child savant to raise, her father was protective and unsure of what the future could bring to one so innocent and yet a dangerous Pandora’s box. When Eleonora’s father plans a business trip to Istanbul, then called Stamboul, Eleonora stows on board as a runaway as to not be left behind with her unsavory stepmother. Shocked but not surprised, Eleonora’s father vows to take advantage of the situation and allows his daughter to learn and enjoy the culture of Turkey where she can embrace the life of a young scholar rather than have her mind hindered by the stifling domestic atmosphere she was used to.
Soon after their arrival, tragedy strikes again and Eleonora’s father dies in a tragic boating accident that suspiciously is thought to be an incident of political sabotage. From the moment of his death, Eleonora chooses not to speak, but communicates through writing. She is well taken care by her guardian, her father’s longtime friend who is being watched carefully by the present Sultan for possible treason. Eleonora happily takes residence with him, living the life of a little princess in a lovely Turkish Palace. When word gets out to the Sultan that she is the Oracle, he invites Eleonora to the Topkapi palace in hopes of using her to advise him on current social, political and international issues of intrigue. Eleonora becomes caught up in a world of war games and military tactics as she plays the pawn to the Sultan’s future chessboard strategies regarding his current conflict with Russia.
Although Lukas’ writing is quite beautiful and poetic, I can’t recommend this new debut too highly. I loved the idea of the Oracle of Stamboul, and I love the character of Eleonora. But, it seems the author had a great idea and simply didn’t know how to weave a plot around it. By midpoint I was bored out of my mind, the story meanders at a snail’s pace with no action, no drama, no romance, no mystery….no nothing. There is a hint of magic realism that was an ingenious little creation that went nowhere, the purpose of her being the long awaited Oracle remains to be revealed, and Eleonora herself simply has no personality to speak of. I kept thinking there had to be worthy ending to all of this drivel to make it worth the time, and was terribly disappointed by the time the last page turned. I felt the ending was rather a cop-out revealing that the author just didn’t know how to finish the story in a satisfactory manner. There really wasn’t and ending any more than there was a purpose in my opinion. I’m sorry, although I see the author having future potential due to the fact his writing style can be lovely, I think he has a way to go yet before he becomes polished and noteworthy. The Oracle of Stamboul was so close to being a gem, but just needed more panache, a little focus, and a riveting plot to make it stand out.
October 6, 2011
I was ready to be charmed. After reading too much violence and gore lately, I was ready for history and subtle intrigue. Unfortunately, The Oracle of Stamboul was flat and lifeless for me. The descriptive writing was nice in places, but I never felt the heartbeat of the characters. They moved about as sketches, or ghosts of the past without the writer revealing what lay beneath their skin.
The dialogue was mechanical and often annoying. Mr. Lukas has a habit of describing a situation, then giving the character's assessment or decision, then writing flat and straight forward dialogue stating that decision. This made reading rather painful and boring, so I began to skim, hoping some action would occur, or true conflict arise. Nada. No real subplots either, really. I saw potential for many. What about palace plots and politics and betrayals? Those were only alluded to and one event occurred, but was quickly resolved. As the novel stands, it should have been a short story or novella. For the novel as advertised, it needed more substance. The ending was unsatisfying as well. Surprising, yes, but much like the surprise you get when you drop a carton of milk on the floor and realize the waste of something that might have been delicious.
The dialogue was mechanical and often annoying. Mr. Lukas has a habit of describing a situation, then giving the character's assessment or decision, then writing flat and straight forward dialogue stating that decision. This made reading rather painful and boring, so I began to skim, hoping some action would occur, or true conflict arise. Nada. No real subplots either, really. I saw potential for many. What about palace plots and politics and betrayals? Those were only alluded to and one event occurred, but was quickly resolved. As the novel stands, it should have been a short story or novella. For the novel as advertised, it needed more substance. The ending was unsatisfying as well. Surprising, yes, but much like the surprise you get when you drop a carton of milk on the floor and realize the waste of something that might have been delicious.
February 16, 2018
Per quanto scritto molto bene, questo romanzo non mi ha convinto molto, principalmente per la sua protagonista.
Eleonora è una prodigiosa bambina di otto anni, che a sei ha imparato a leggere speditamente frasi complesse in un giorno (!) e che a otto sa parlare sette lingue (tra cui il russo, il greco antico e il turco), oltre a leggere trattati di filosofia e gli autori greci comprendendoli. Boh, io sono sempre un po' scettica sui bambini prodigio nei romanzi, penso siano una scappatoia, specie se in questo caso riguardano un "talento" non naturale. Passi la comprensione e la dimestichezza con le lingue, ma per interpretare, più che leggere, un testo sono necessarie delle strutture mentali, delle mappe mentali che non sono naturali, ma si imparano con l'esperienza.
Anche perché la mente corre subito a Matilde, di Roal Dahl: Matilde legge libri molto più complessi di quanto ci si aspetterebbe già a sei-sette anni, compreso Dickens, ma ammette che ci sono cose che non ha capito, ma fa commenti adatti a quello che lei conosce per la sua età e le sue esperienze di vita. Ha dei problemi con la sua famiglia perché la sua famiglia la tratta da schifo, in maniera orribile, ma il suo desiderio alla fine è imparare e avere una vita felice. Anche quando poi può finalmente accedere a un'istruzione superiore, vive con la signorina Dolcemiele e si gode un'esistenza familiare tranquilla e serena.
Ma soprattutto Matilde rimane in un contesto fantastico, quasi sognante, che permette di accettare che una bambina impari da sola a leggere perché trascurata e senza molto altro da fare, così che consumi la biblioteca civica prima degli otto anni. Se la regina d'Inghilterra chiamasse Matilde nel periodo in cui comincia la scuola per farsi consigliare sulla politica estera, rideremmo tutti per l'improbabilità della cosa.
Eppure in questo romanzo succede. Oggettivamente, in quanti minuti dopo aver consultato una bambina di otto anni su una potenziale guerra imminente un sultano sarebbe stato detronizzato con l'accusa di pazzia? Cinque? Suvvia...
Eleonora boh, non è credibile. Pure il suo desiderio di libertà un po' a caso, sinceramente, non lo so... La zia chiaramente è una macchietta per giustificare... si inalbera perché? Perché la bambina le fa notare che il droghiere la sta imbrogliando sul prezzo della spesa. "Quale uomo desidererà sposarla?"
Una donna che sa fare i conti e non si fa derubare, mamma mia che disonore.
Poi la parte finale... boh, tutto il romanzo sembra una lunga introduzione a un qualcosa che non arriva mai. Non si entra mai nel vivo.
Eleonora è una prodigiosa bambina di otto anni, che a sei ha imparato a leggere speditamente frasi complesse in un giorno (!) e che a otto sa parlare sette lingue (tra cui il russo, il greco antico e il turco), oltre a leggere trattati di filosofia e gli autori greci comprendendoli. Boh, io sono sempre un po' scettica sui bambini prodigio nei romanzi, penso siano una scappatoia, specie se in questo caso riguardano un "talento" non naturale. Passi la comprensione e la dimestichezza con le lingue, ma per interpretare, più che leggere, un testo sono necessarie delle strutture mentali, delle mappe mentali che non sono naturali, ma si imparano con l'esperienza.
Anche perché la mente corre subito a Matilde, di Roal Dahl: Matilde legge libri molto più complessi di quanto ci si aspetterebbe già a sei-sette anni, compreso Dickens, ma ammette che ci sono cose che non ha capito, ma fa commenti adatti a quello che lei conosce per la sua età e le sue esperienze di vita. Ha dei problemi con la sua famiglia perché la sua famiglia la tratta da schifo, in maniera orribile, ma il suo desiderio alla fine è imparare e avere una vita felice. Anche quando poi può finalmente accedere a un'istruzione superiore, vive con la signorina Dolcemiele e si gode un'esistenza familiare tranquilla e serena.
Ma soprattutto Matilde rimane in un contesto fantastico, quasi sognante, che permette di accettare che una bambina impari da sola a leggere perché trascurata e senza molto altro da fare, così che consumi la biblioteca civica prima degli otto anni. Se la regina d'Inghilterra chiamasse Matilde nel periodo in cui comincia la scuola per farsi consigliare sulla politica estera, rideremmo tutti per l'improbabilità della cosa.
Eppure in questo romanzo succede. Oggettivamente, in quanti minuti dopo aver consultato una bambina di otto anni su una potenziale guerra imminente un sultano sarebbe stato detronizzato con l'accusa di pazzia? Cinque? Suvvia...
Eleonora boh, non è credibile. Pure il suo desiderio di libertà un po' a caso, sinceramente, non lo so... La zia chiaramente è una macchietta per giustificare... si inalbera perché? Perché la bambina le fa notare che il droghiere la sta imbrogliando sul prezzo della spesa. "Quale uomo desidererà sposarla?"
Una donna che sa fare i conti e non si fa derubare, mamma mia che disonore.
Poi la parte finale... boh, tutto il romanzo sembra una lunga introduzione a un qualcosa che non arriva mai. Non si entra mai nel vivo.
December 30, 2010
Okay, firstly, this book was a bit slow. Doesn't catch you attention right away. But, if you can get past this, The Oracle of Stamboul is very well written. I realized very early on that if you read this book out loud, it's very fun. It has words that are fun to say, especially if you say them in a fake British accent. You know, not that I tried it...
Michael David Lukas created some interesting characters for this book. They were well developed, and the main character, Eleonora, kinda reminded me of Harry Potter. After her mother died, she was raised by her stern, no-nonsense aunt. She spent the early years of her childhood cleaning and cooking. When it is discovered that she is academically talented, her aunt forces her to hide her gift, threatening not to teach her anything else if she so much as speaks of it. You get that kind of pity for the character that you know and like. And Mr. Lukas creates the kind of character that you can instantly like. And he does so greatly.
As I said before, the story is a bit slow, and at the beginning of the book you don't see anything that instantly catches your attention. But, I strongly encourage you to keep reading because this is a good book. The writing isn't something you see in the teen section at a book store. Lukas worded things in a more Tolkien way, something that I liked a lot. And like Tolkien's writing, this book takes a little patience to read. But, it really is awesome.
Austin http://www.readingteen.net/2010/12/bo...
Michael David Lukas created some interesting characters for this book. They were well developed, and the main character, Eleonora, kinda reminded me of Harry Potter. After her mother died, she was raised by her stern, no-nonsense aunt. She spent the early years of her childhood cleaning and cooking. When it is discovered that she is academically talented, her aunt forces her to hide her gift, threatening not to teach her anything else if she so much as speaks of it. You get that kind of pity for the character that you know and like. And Mr. Lukas creates the kind of character that you can instantly like. And he does so greatly.
As I said before, the story is a bit slow, and at the beginning of the book you don't see anything that instantly catches your attention. But, I strongly encourage you to keep reading because this is a good book. The writing isn't something you see in the teen section at a book store. Lukas worded things in a more Tolkien way, something that I liked a lot. And like Tolkien's writing, this book takes a little patience to read. But, it really is awesome.
Austin http://www.readingteen.net/2010/12/bo...
May 28, 2011
Barring some kind of miracle, this looks like it's shaping up to be a 2 star book. This is normally the kind of book that I gradually stop reading. You know, you read a few pages and find you can't concentrate on what's going on because it's not holding your interest. So, you set it aside for a while. Then, you pick it up, same thing- read a few pages and put it down. Gradually, it becomes a few days, then a week until you pick it up and it eventually gets forgotten and buried under Mount TBR. So, why am I still reading it? Do you know how few historical fiction books there are that are written by an author with a last name starting with the letter "L"? Very few. This is a book I'm reading for a challenge and I'm not enjoying it. If it gets any worse, I will be so resentful at the the end that it may end up being a 1 star book.
Kind of a typical first novel- very rough. You can see the talent underneath, so hopefully, his next novel will be much improved. It had the type of ending I really loathe- very abrupt as if the author realized they wrote 300 pages and needed to finish up. Can't recommend this book to buy- if you must read it, get it from the library.
Kind of a typical first novel- very rough. You can see the talent underneath, so hopefully, his next novel will be much improved. It had the type of ending I really loathe- very abrupt as if the author realized they wrote 300 pages and needed to finish up. Can't recommend this book to buy- if you must read it, get it from the library.
September 26, 2016
انتهت الرواية و لم تنتهي الاحداث جميلة و السرد رائع و لكنك ما ان تصل الى نهاية الرواية تشعر بإنه مازال هناك صفحات ربما فقدت من نهاية الرواية لا يمكن ان تكون تلك النهاية
نهاية الرواية مبتورة كأنما الكاتب شعر بأنه قد فوت امر هام و يجب عليه انهاء الرواية الان
نهاية الرواية مبتورة كأنما الكاتب شعر بأنه قد فوت امر هام و يجب عليه انهاء الرواية الان
September 1, 2016
كتاب ساحر في مقدمته رائع في توصيفه الا انك تشعر بنوع من الاحباط عندما تنهيه
April 30, 2025
3.5🌟
بعيداً عن النهاية الغير مفهومة، فأكتر شئ ضايقني من الرواية هو الوصف الزائد عن الحد والممل في بعض الاحيان للاماكن والطيور واسطنبول عامة بمعالمها (وانا اكره ما علي قلبي الوصف اصلا) فكان دا الجانب الوحيد اللي خلاني امل في بعض الفصول واكون مستثقلة القراءة ولكن عالعموم كانت تجربة لا بأس بها .
بعيداً عن النهاية الغير مفهومة، فأكتر شئ ضايقني من الرواية هو الوصف الزائد عن الحد والممل في بعض الاحيان للاماكن والطيور واسطنبول عامة بمعالمها (وانا اكره ما علي قلبي الوصف اصلا) فكان دا الجانب الوحيد اللي خلاني امل في بعض الفصول واكون مستثقلة القراءة ولكن عالعموم كانت تجربة لا بأس بها .
February 2, 2017
اسطنبول، مدينة تصب عندها أنهار الحضارات، فيها العرب والترك والأرمان والروس والأوربيون باختلاف مشاربهم.
هناك قابعةً على مضيق البوسفور (كل حملةٍ عسكرية من آسيا إلى أوربا وبالعكس، توجب عليها عبور هذا المضيق على مر التاريخ).
كانت اسطنبول عاصمة الإمبراطورية العثمانية، إحدى أكبر الإمبراطوريات على الإطلاق. على كلٍّ، ففترة الرواية هي أواخر القرن التاسع عشر، وهي فترةٌ كانت شمس هذه الامبراطورية تغيب فيها.
تتحدث الرواية عن فتاةٍ يهوديةٍ عبقريةٍ تفقد أباها لتعيش في بيت صديقه (الذي لا تغفو عنه جواسيس السلطان) في اسطنبول ويصدف أن يسمع بها السلطان عبد الحميد الثاني، فيستديعها وتتدور بينهما مجموعة حوارات.
هذه هي الخلفية التاريخية للرواية، ومن هنا تبدأ مراجعتي لها:
الرواية تاريخية، وهذا يعني أننا يجب أن نعلق عليها أدبياً وتاريخياً.
أدبياً:
حقيقةً، فإننا قد لا نتوقع أن رواية مترجمة يمكن أن تتشبع بروح اللغة العربية، لدرجة أننا -إن لم نعلم أن مؤلفها غير عربي- لاعتقدنا أنها كُتِبت من أديبٍ عربيٍ ذي ملكةٍ لغويةٍ يُحسد عليها، حتى أنها أفضل من كثير من روايات الكتاب العرب المعاصرين من الناحية الأدبية.
ومن هنا، فإننا نستطيع أن نتخيل البيئة والأشخاص الذين تدور حولهم الرواية كما لو كنا قريبين منهم.
وهذا كله يُحسب لصالح المؤلف والمترجم.
يعيب الرواية أدبياً -من وجهة نظري- إسهابها أحياناً في رسم التفاصيل وافتقارها إلى حدٍّ ما إلى عنصر التشويق، وخاتمةٌ قد تبدو أشبه بنهايةٍ مبتورة (هذا ما يمكن ملاحظته من تعليقات القراء على موقع "غودريدز" لكنني لا أراها إلى هذه الدرجة من السوء).
تاريخياً:
لا يمكننا أن نحاكم الرواية التاريخية كما لو كانت مرجعاً تاريخياً، فيحق للكاتب أن يستعمل خياله ضمن المعقول شرط ألا تخالف الخلفية التاريخية الحقيقية للأحداث وألا تؤدي إلى إلصاق صفاتٍ معينةٍ بأشخاصٍ دون سند تاريخي.
وأعتقد أن نقطة ضعف الرواية تكمن هنا، حيث أنها تحوي تفاصيل عن حياة السلطان العثماني لا يمكن أن تُستقى إلا منه شخصياً (أي من مذكراته) فيحدثنا الكاتب عما يفكر فيه السلطان عندما يختلي بنفسه وماذا يفعل عندما لا يراه أحد مما يعطي بانطباعٍ عن السلطان لا دليل تاريخي عليه.
ومع ذلك، فإننا أرى أنها (أي الرواية) -وإن لم تفلح في وصف السلطان- فقد أفلحت في وصف حالة الضعف التي وصلت إليها الدولة العثمانية آنذاك.
نهايةً، أنصح بهذه الرواية، وأتمنا أن يكون مؤلفو الروايات المعاصرين بمثل قدرة هذا المترجم (المترجمة بالأحرى)
هناك قابعةً على مضيق البوسفور (كل حملةٍ عسكرية من آسيا إلى أوربا وبالعكس، توجب عليها عبور هذا المضيق على مر التاريخ).
كانت اسطنبول عاصمة الإمبراطورية العثمانية، إحدى أكبر الإمبراطوريات على الإطلاق. على كلٍّ، ففترة الرواية هي أواخر القرن التاسع عشر، وهي فترةٌ كانت شمس هذه الامبراطورية تغيب فيها.
تتحدث الرواية عن فتاةٍ يهوديةٍ عبقريةٍ تفقد أباها لتعيش في بيت صديقه (الذي لا تغفو عنه جواسيس السلطان) في اسطنبول ويصدف أن يسمع بها السلطان عبد الحميد الثاني، فيستديعها وتتدور بينهما مجموعة حوارات.
هذه هي الخلفية التاريخية للرواية، ومن هنا تبدأ مراجعتي لها:
الرواية تاريخية، وهذا يعني أننا يجب أن نعلق عليها أدبياً وتاريخياً.
أدبياً:
حقيقةً، فإننا قد لا نتوقع أن رواية مترجمة يمكن أن تتشبع بروح اللغة العربية، لدرجة أننا -إن لم نعلم أن مؤلفها غير عربي- لاعتقدنا أنها كُتِبت من أديبٍ عربيٍ ذي ملكةٍ لغويةٍ يُحسد عليها، حتى أنها أفضل من كثير من روايات الكتاب العرب المعاصرين من الناحية الأدبية.
ومن هنا، فإننا نستطيع أن نتخيل البيئة والأشخاص الذين تدور حولهم الرواية كما لو كنا قريبين منهم.
وهذا كله يُحسب لصالح المؤلف والمترجم.
يعيب الرواية أدبياً -من وجهة نظري- إسهابها أحياناً في رسم التفاصيل وافتقارها إلى حدٍّ ما إلى عنصر التشويق، وخاتمةٌ قد تبدو أشبه بنهايةٍ مبتورة (هذا ما يمكن ملاحظته من تعليقات القراء على موقع "غودريدز" لكنني لا أراها إلى هذه الدرجة من السوء).
تاريخياً:
لا يمكننا أن نحاكم الرواية التاريخية كما لو كانت مرجعاً تاريخياً، فيحق للكاتب أن يستعمل خياله ضمن المعقول شرط ألا تخالف الخلفية التاريخية الحقيقية للأحداث وألا تؤدي إلى إلصاق صفاتٍ معينةٍ بأشخاصٍ دون سند تاريخي.
وأعتقد أن نقطة ضعف الرواية تكمن هنا، حيث أنها تحوي تفاصيل عن حياة السلطان العثماني لا يمكن أن تُستقى إلا منه شخصياً (أي من مذكراته) فيحدثنا الكاتب عما يفكر فيه السلطان عندما يختلي بنفسه وماذا يفعل عندما لا يراه أحد مما يعطي بانطباعٍ عن السلطان لا دليل تاريخي عليه.
ومع ذلك، فإننا أرى أنها (أي الرواية) -وإن لم تفلح في وصف السلطان- فقد أفلحت في وصف حالة الضعف التي وصلت إليها الدولة العثمانية آنذاك.
نهايةً، أنصح بهذه الرواية، وأتمنا أن يكون مؤلفو الروايات المعاصرين بمثل قدرة هذا المترجم (المترجمة بالأحرى)
March 21, 2011
The Oracle of Stamboul is a gorgeously written book. It brings the old city of Stamboul to life in a vivid and breathtaking way, down to the scents in the air and the patterns of the carpets. Unfortunately, despite the lushly rendered setting, this is one of those novels in which not much happens.
Perhaps that is not a fair criticism of a book wherein a child is born amidst signs and portents, discovers that she has mental abilities beyond her years, runs away from home in a steamer trunk, buries both of her parents, and becomes an advisor to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire before vanishing from the pages of history. But aside from her decision to run away from home, Eleonora Cohen walks these pages as a main character who is never an active agent in her own destiny. Things only ever happen to her, which makes for an exceedingly passive read. Combined with the fact that she stops speaking for a large section of the book, she comes across less as a mysterious oracle and more as a bit of a yawn.
There are also a lot of plot points that are raised, but never resolved. Characters with murky motivations and irrelevant back stories abound, but never make good on the sense of secrecy and suspense that surrounds them. The purple hoopoe flock is a fanciful and graceful touch, but I found myself longing for a more imaginative narrative history.
Perhaps that is not a fair criticism of a book wherein a child is born amidst signs and portents, discovers that she has mental abilities beyond her years, runs away from home in a steamer trunk, buries both of her parents, and becomes an advisor to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire before vanishing from the pages of history. But aside from her decision to run away from home, Eleonora Cohen walks these pages as a main character who is never an active agent in her own destiny. Things only ever happen to her, which makes for an exceedingly passive read. Combined with the fact that she stops speaking for a large section of the book, she comes across less as a mysterious oracle and more as a bit of a yawn.
There are also a lot of plot points that are raised, but never resolved. Characters with murky motivations and irrelevant back stories abound, but never make good on the sense of secrecy and suspense that surrounds them. The purple hoopoe flock is a fanciful and graceful touch, but I found myself longing for a more imaginative narrative history.
February 20, 2011
It is marvelous when
a book transports me to a different time and place with people I want to spend time with,
I turn the final page satisfied but yet long for more, and
I immediately want to share the experience with a friend.
The book is wonderful, the story enchanting, and I'm convinced this book is a winner. It is one that I personally will provide copies to our public and the school libraries.
But this time, I'd like to share a bit more. Although I normally don't post about the physical part of reading, this book was very special. The book arrived in a gilt lined decorative box, closed with a hoopoe label, like a precious gift. The book itself is beautiful with rich colors and a soft feel. Just the right size for holding. The rough edges of the cream-colored pages were easy. From the beautiful letter from Terry Karten, through the story, to the story behind the book and the information on the author, it was pure enjoyment.
Thank you Michael, Danielle, Harper Publishing and Goodreads for this blessing.
Note: This beautiful advance readers edition was provided through the GoodReads First Read program with the expectation of an honest review. My opinions are my own.
a book transports me to a different time and place with people I want to spend time with,
I turn the final page satisfied but yet long for more, and
I immediately want to share the experience with a friend.
The book is wonderful, the story enchanting, and I'm convinced this book is a winner. It is one that I personally will provide copies to our public and the school libraries.
But this time, I'd like to share a bit more. Although I normally don't post about the physical part of reading, this book was very special. The book arrived in a gilt lined decorative box, closed with a hoopoe label, like a precious gift. The book itself is beautiful with rich colors and a soft feel. Just the right size for holding. The rough edges of the cream-colored pages were easy. From the beautiful letter from Terry Karten, through the story, to the story behind the book and the information on the author, it was pure enjoyment.
Thank you Michael, Danielle, Harper Publishing and Goodreads for this blessing.
Note: This beautiful advance readers edition was provided through the GoodReads First Read program with the expectation of an honest review. My opinions are my own.
April 23, 2011
I did so like the gentle but effective writing of this story. It portrays the story of a young savant/genius who is left an orphan and ultimately winds up as an advisor to the sultan. While the book is encased in magic and mystery, the story clicks along thanks to the wonderful prose of the author.
While to book is simple, for there is not much there except a bit of intrigue and the precociousness of our heroine, Eleanora, there was a sense of peace to this tale. Eleanora only a girl of eight has a most amazing talent. She is able to learn seven languages and reads and retains everything and thus is able to make correlations in the history of the past to what is happening within the sultan's kingdom. Adding to the mystique of the tale is the fact that Eleanora is followed from place to place by her flock of birds which magically appeared at her birth.
How this talent will be used is covered well and Eleanora's final choice with her life might be one that you applaud her for making. The criticism might be one that the story is too simple, that the author does not make use of an effective tale and needed to blend in more mystery and mysticism. However, for me, he struck just the right note and I hope to see this author in the future.
While to book is simple, for there is not much there except a bit of intrigue and the precociousness of our heroine, Eleanora, there was a sense of peace to this tale. Eleanora only a girl of eight has a most amazing talent. She is able to learn seven languages and reads and retains everything and thus is able to make correlations in the history of the past to what is happening within the sultan's kingdom. Adding to the mystique of the tale is the fact that Eleanora is followed from place to place by her flock of birds which magically appeared at her birth.
How this talent will be used is covered well and Eleanora's final choice with her life might be one that you applaud her for making. The criticism might be one that the story is too simple, that the author does not make use of an effective tale and needed to blend in more mystery and mysticism. However, for me, he struck just the right note and I hope to see this author in the future.
April 5, 2011
Wow. Beautifully written. The author uses the most delicious metaphors, and I found myself breaking off reading at times to re-read & savour some of the more striking ones. Not quite sure why it's taken my 3 weeks to read this - it's not a difficult book by any means, and the story was a bit thin in places in retrospect. Looking forward to more from this author.
April 13, 2011
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.
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