Be Specific About Appertaining To Books The Oracle of Stamboul
| Title | : | The Oracle of Stamboul |
| Author | : | Michael David Lukas |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 294 pages |
| Published | : | February 8th 2011 by Harper (first published 2011) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Fantasy. Magical Realism |
Relation In Pursuance Of Books 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.
Specify Books As The Oracle of Stamboul
| Original Title: | The Oracle of Stamboul |
| ISBN: | 0062012096 (ISBN13: 9780062012098) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Stamboul(Turkey) |
Rating Appertaining To Books The Oracle of Stamboul
Ratings: 3.5 From 3213 Users | 784 ReviewsJudge Appertaining To Books The Oracle of Stamboul
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 remindedI 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
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,
Dedication: To my siblings -Adam and Anna, Coleman and Allison -for reminding me what matters;and to Hayley,for everything.Acknowledgements at the front; what a gentleman.Opening Quote: 'Ah, Stamboul! Of all the names that can enchant me, this one re,mains the most magical.' Pierre Loti.Opening: Eleonora Cohen came into this world on a Thursday, late in the summer of 1877. Those who rose early that morning would recall noticing a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes circling above the harbour,
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
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
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 governors 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
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.