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The Bastard of Istanbul | 
| Author: Elif Shafak
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $7.63
You Save: $17.32 (69%)
New (11) Used (10) from $6.88
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 304987
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.3
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
ASIN: B000W0IEXS
Publication Date: January 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When The Bastard of Istanbul was published in Turkey, Elif Shafak was accused by nationalist lawyers of insulting Turkish identity. The charges were later dropped, and now readers in America can discover for themselves this bold and powerful tale. Populated with vibrant characters, The Bastard of Istanbul is the story of two families, one Turkish and one Armenian American, and their struggle to forge their unique identities against the backdrop of Turkeys violent history. Filled with humor and understanding, this exuberant, dramatic novel is about memory and forgetting, about the tension between the need to examine the past and the desire to erase it.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
What a story............. September 26, 2008
I just received this book and read it at once. its the story of a turkish family and an armenian family that are intertwined. The young woman, Armanoush travels to Turkey to find her Armenian identity and answers to the questions she has had about the Armenian genocide. Its a funny book too, the use of the word odar (non-armenian) and it's connotations are reflective of all of our cultures and attitudes toward outsiders.
It reminded me a lot of Rise the Euphrates, another really good book that discusses the identity of the Armenian Diaspora and the generational effects of genocide. As stated in that book: there is an archetypal pattern in which the first generation denies, the second generation forgets and the third generation rediscovers the event.
The complexities of this book didn't hit me until after I finished the novel. The role of women in this book was not what i would have expected, mini-skirts, profanity and a nose-rings never fit into the persona of the Istanbulite woman that I was aware of, but by the end of the novel I understood. Not meeting the standards of social convention, the character Zeliha, reaches some sort of freedom in her exile, which happens to women all over the globe. It also explores the role of men in Istanbul society, although certainly not to the extent as it does women. I really liked how the author had woven fortune telling and a sort of mysticism into the story line, because that has so much to do with most societies, not to mention Turkish and Armenian cultures (coffee cup fortunes can rule one's life if they are done well). The author also handled the question of the Armenian genocide with blunt delicacy, through the eyes of the older women in their silence, but as well through the slightly defensive eyes of Ayse. I thought the online cafe discussion was pretty good. The ideas of survival and human nature are exemplified in the main characters.
This book is an important one. The affection displayed toward Armanoush by both the Turkish and Armenian families is significant. There are too many characters and the connections were a little frustrating to decipher, but the basic question of identity and the wish to belong exist in all of us, regardless of ethnic background and this point is brought home in the book.
A Pleasant Book About A Different Point Of View August 22, 2008
I live in So California where we have a sizable Armenian community. I have come to hear tales of the Armenian genocide and the evil Turks from people I've met in the community and from people I work with. That entire part of history has been interesting to me. So, when I found this book, I picked it up and began reading.
The novel revolves around the lives of 4 sisters living in Istantul: one is very religiously observant, one is a Turkish history teacher, one is developmentally delayed, and one is a rebel, who has given birth to a child out of wedlock. This child, Asya, has grown up a bit of a rebel herself, in Istanbul. There is also a brother who has immigrated to America and married a woman who has a daughter (Arnoush) whose father is Armenian. As Arnoush grows she desires to learn more of her Armenian roots and plots to travel to Turkey to meet her stepfather's family.
What I found most interesting about this novel was discovering the Turkish point of view surrounding the Armenian genocide. I had been told the Turkish government denied it ever happened, but this novel goes into detail on the viewpoint of ordinary Turkish citizens.
In general, the novel is well written and very easy to read. The author stayed on track and kept me engaged. The ending was a little.....odd, but I was okay with it. I liked the author's style, and would look forward to reading other works she has written.
 Exceptional book June 17, 2008
I loved this book. I could not put it down. I loved the layering and the unfolding of the stories contained within. The characters were endearing and the story magnificent. You will not forget this book nor its characters. I thought the author very brave in confronting the subject of the Armenian slaughter and diaspora and that her handling of the Turkish point of view as well as the Armenian point of view, quite fair and most excellent. I am going to read all of her books. She is a major writer.
 great beginning May 14, 2008
I was really excited to start reading this book, and the beginning was very well written, with wonderful descriptions of the people and environments. I felt I was seeing and hearing what the characters were experiencing. But as the book went on, the descriptions and storylines were loosening and just not as tight as the beginning of the book; and there was that whole incorporating the 'magical' aspect that was a bit much (not saying it wasn't creative, but a bit much) and the ending just didn't seem like the same time and effort was applied as it was in the beginning.
A pleasant surprise; engaging storyline amidst controversy May 11, 2008
This book is a pleasant surprise. The characters are endearing and engaging. Revolving in the background is the question of the Armenian genocide; the novel touches directly and indirectly on the subject of truth versus denial. The reader experiences how the passing of time eases, alters, and erases factual events - not that far removed from the actual interpretation of the Turkish Ottoman state surrounding the Armenian genocide of 1915. Of course, the political intonations are unobtrusively woven so that one can choose to be carried away by the distinctive characters and storyline.
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