The Bastard of Istanbul

by Elif Shafak

A “vivid and entertaining” (Chicago Tribune) tale about the tangled history of two families, from the author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick) "Zesty, imaginative . . . a Turkish version of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club." —USA Today As an Armenian American living in San Francisco, Armanoush feels like part of her identity is missing and that she must make a journey back to the past, to Turkey, in order to start living her life. Asya is a nineteen-year-old woman living in an extended all-female household in Istanbul who loves Jonny Cash and the French existentialists. The Bastard of Istanbul tells the story of their two families--and a secret connection linking them to a violent event in the history of their homeland. Filed with humor and understanding, this exuberant, dramatic novel is about memory and forgetting, about the need to examine the past and the desire to erase it, and about Turkey itself.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle East, Novels, Contemporary, Turkish, Turkish Literature

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books, eleven of which are novels. Her work has been translated into fifty languages. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice a TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better. She has judged numerous literary prizes and is chairing the Wellcome Prize 2019. www.elifshafak.com

Reviews

[هدى يحيى · Rating 4 out of 5]

إن كنت أعجبت بقواعد العشق فقط لنزعتها الصوفية وعبقها المميز
فربما لن تعجب بهذه الرواية

أما إن كنت قد أعجبت بمهارة إليف شافاق كروائية فغالبا ستحب لقيطة استنبول كعمل روائي فريد من نوعه

:::::::

أن تقرأ هذه الرواية يعني أن تقدر عاشوراء كثيراً

بل إن طبقًا من حلوى العاشورة هو ما يصنع هذه الرواية‏ المميزة

الفصول تُعنْوَن بمكونات هذا الطبق الشهي
أما الشيف فتلعب دوره إليف بمهارة طباخة عاشقة للفلسفة
لتنتج لك طبقاً ملآن بحكمة جديدة من نوعها
فإليف صاحبة رؤية خاصة للغاية لا أظن أحدًا ينازعها فيها

;;;;;;;;;

استعد بملعقتك الصغيرة في يدك
و لنبدأ التذوق سوياً‏
*
*
*
*حب الرمان*
=========

حسب رواية الخالة بانو فقد حدثت جميع الأحداث الهامة في تاريخ العالم في يوم عاشوراء
ففي ذلك اليوم تقبل الله توبة آدم
وفي ذلك اليوم خرج النبي يونس من بطن الحوت
‏ و في ذلك اليوم التقي الرومي بشمس‏
وصعد المسيح إلى السماء
وأنزل الله الوصايا العشر على موسى
ـــــــــــــــــ

*فــانيــلا*
=========

الخيال سحرٌ آسرٌ خطير للذين يرغمون على أن يكونوا واقعيين في الحياة
ـــــــــــــــــ

هذه هي
قصة لقيطة استانبول
‏ أسيا العدمية التي تتكشف لها الحياة كأسوأ ما تكون‏
هذه التي يقودها مصيرها الذي أصبحت تشابهه أو يشابهها إلى اكتشافات ذاتية مثيرة ومفجعة

التي تقابل الحياة باستهزاء فتقابلها بأسوأ منه
وأحيانا تتساءل

من الذي بدأ هذا القدر العجيب من السخرية؟
فلو كانت اسيا في وضع مختلف
هل كانت لتقابل العالم بتقزز مجددا؟

أنحن كوننا أنفسنا بحسب المتغيرات حولنا أم أننا ولدنا مؤهلين تماماً لنصبح ‏ذواتنا التي نحن عليها
؟

*زبيب أصفر*
=========

إلا أن الرغبة في هدم صرح وجودها كانت قابعة في داخلها
تتلألأ برقة في عينيها
سحر تدمير الذات الجميل الذي لا يصيب سوى المحنكين أو المصابين بالكآبة
ـــــــــــــــــ

العدمية تشكل جزءاً لا يستهان به من الرواية
فالشخصية الرئيسية اعتنقتها لمواجهة
العالم من حولها

والجميل هنا أن إليف بنوازعها الصوفية المعروفة لم تتعامل مع العدمية باستهزاء أو بجهل ‏
بل باحترام وتفهم ربما ينبع حتى من تجربة شخصية

فأغلبنا لا يصبح صوفياً ، عدمياً أو لا أدرياً مثلاً مرة واحدة

فقد يمر بالمراحل جمعيها خلال تفاعلاته مع الحياة

الفارق فقط اين بدأ وكيف انتهى

*ماء الورد*
=========

الشخصيات معقدة وسبر غورها كما يتم بسلاسة ناعمة وعليمة فإنه يعطينا أكثر من مجرد تسلية
فكل شخصية عجيبة في طبيعتها متفردة في شطحاتها ومثيرة للإعجاب باختيار كل واحدة
لجنونها الخاص

إذا كان يوجد بين المجتمع والنفس واد عميق لا يربطهما إلا جسر متحرك
تستطيعين أن تحرقي ذلك الجسر
وأن تقفي إلى جانب الذات سالمة مسلمة
إلا إذا كان الوادي هدفك
ـــــــــــــــــ

كل شخصية تكاد تعتبرها رئيسية
بل أحيانا وبسبب دقة رسمها تكاد تعرف ردة فعلها قبل أن تحدث
و كل شخصية مميزة بتاريخها الوافي الثري الممتع في حكيه‏

أنت تعيش الشخصيات
ببين مهووسة الأمراض النفسية والتي تصبغ
‏ شعرها كما نمشطه نحن
ومهووسة التنانير القصيرة
ومهووسة الأساور
ومخاوية الجن المعذبة بفضيلة المعرفة

*حبات الصنوبر*
=========

وتبدو في الخلفية شخصيات ذكورية مختلفة ومتشابهة في آن لا نعتبرها شخصيات ثانوية بحال
يكللهم العار أو المجد
الهزيمة ،الحزن أوالحرمان

أينما تشخص ببصرك وجدت أفراداً من لحم ودم
ينبضون على السطور كما هم في داخلك

إن اخترت شخصيتي المفضلة فإنني بالتأكيد أختار زليخة ثم بانو

فبالرغم أن أرمانوش هي أكثر شخصية تشبهني
خصوصاً فيما يتعلق بالأنا الأخرى في متاهة بورخيس بالإضافة لعشق القراءة بالطبع

‏ إلا أن زليخة هي التي توحدت معها منذ سطور الرواية الأولى‏

أحببتها بكل ما فيها وقرب النهاية تعلمت معها اشياء ما كانت في حسباني أبدا

وبانو لأنها صاحبة الفضل في جعل هذه الرواية تقترب من الواقعية السحرية بالجنييْن السيد مر ‏والسيدة حلو ‏
واللذان أعطيا للرواية بعداً جديداً
وأضافا لها نكهة مميزة

كما أن شخصية بانو نفسها ممتعة ‏
أحببت ردات فعلها طوال الرواية وذهلت مما فعلته في النهاية

*قشور البرتقال*
=========

إن الأغلبية الساحقة من الناس لا يفكرون مطلقاً
والذين يفكرون لا يصبحون الأغلبية الساحقة مطلقاً
فاختاري في أي فئة تريدين أن تكوني
؟
ـــــــــــــــــ

وبمناسبة الذهول فإن إليف لا تكتب هذا النوع من الروايات
الروايات التي تكتبها – وقد قرأت اثنتين إلى الآن تعطيك شحنة كي تتأمل في حياتك
مغزاها وكنهها‏

فإن إليف لا تصنع الدهشة الناتجة عن الصدمة

بل تمهد لمفاجئاتها
وتستكمل حكايتها في سلاسة
جاعلة شهقتك تتصاعد‏ خافتة تكاد تكون بلا صوت

وجاعلة منك القاريء "المتأمل" الذي تريده‏

*تين مجفف*
=========

إذا وجدتِ صديقة عزيزة احرصي على ألا تتعودي عليها ‏
ولا تنسي أن كل واحدة منا وحيدة في الوجود‏
وأن العزلة الأبدية ستتجاوز أي صداقة عرضية إن آجلاً أو عاجلاً
ـــــــــــــــــ

يبدو أن إليف تحب القواعد كثيراً
ولا تتنازل عنها في رواياتها
!
ولكن فكرة القواعد تتكرر هنا بطريقة مختلفة عن قواعد العشق الشهيرة

فهذه المرة هي ملآنة بالسخرية ، خفة الدم والحزن المضمخ بالفلسفة كذلك

فستجد مثلاً
القواعد الذهبية ، الفضية ، الحديدية والنحاسية
‏ لحصافة المرأة الإستنابولية‏
و
بيان أسيا الشخصي عن العدمية


#سينايد البوتاسيوم#
=========

قد تكون الكلمات سامة للذين كتب عليهم أن يلوذوا بالصمت دائماً‏
ـــــــــــــــــ

هذه الرواية أعلمتني عن ‏أشياء لم أكن أعرف عنها غير عناوينها
كالصراع الأرمني التركي
التهجير والإبادة التي حدثت في الماضي

وبسببها بدأت في البحث بتوسع
والحقيقة أن كم المعلومات والصور التي رأيتها أصابتني بذهول

ولم أستطع وضعها هنا لأنها حقاً لا يُستطاع احتمالها لبشاعتها

وقد نسجت إليف بعبقرية
قصة الحمامة الصغيرة الضائعة والبلد السعيد
والتي يكتبها مثقف أرمني إبان عمليات التهجير من تركيا
وكان تضمينها مع الأحداث شيقاً وممتعاً وذكياً كذلك
مع قصة التهجير الدامية

وكان الفصل الذي يحوي
‏ ظروف كتابتها هو الأفضل كتابة في الرواية كلها‏

;;;;;;;

بيت المجانين


كم تحبه وتعتاد عليه
تحب كل هذه الشخصيات الشديدة التباين
‏ والتي تتعايش معاً في تناغم حلو حتى بشجاره وخلافاته

"-وعلى رأس هذا كله ما-الهيفا "الجدة
التي تحيل كل مشهد تحتله إلى بقعة دافئة
معطرة بنكهات الكعك المنزلي

سلسة الباشاوات من القطط
السميط الأسبوعي يوم الأحد
أساور أسيا
‏ نوبات زهايمر ما-الهيفا
نسخة بانو من قصة نوح
مقهى كونديرا ورواده المثقفين و مدعي الثقافة‏
وفتافيت قصة الحمامة الصغيرة

كلها تنسج معاً واحدة من أجمل الحكايات المعجونة بالحب ، والجنون والصدف الغير معقولة
والتي كدت أقيمها بخمس نجوم لتميزها
ولكنني اكتفي بأربعة ونصف هذه المرة

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the cover that snared me. Turkey is one of the top three countries on my mental list of countries to visit, along with the Czech Republic and Morocco, and I love Turkish architecture and design. The cover reminded me of those beautiful mosaics and arches and mosques, and then the title! Who could resist? A less impulsive person than me, sure, but this is my idea of living dangerously :)

Beautifully, gracefully, vividly written with a light, airy atmosphere that really allows you to breathe, The Bastard of Istanbul follows the story of two girls and their families, one Turkish, one Armenian American, and how their histories interweave. Asya Kazanci is the bastard daughter of Zeliha, raised by an eccentric group of aunts and grandmothers in Istanbul. Now 19, she spends most of her time listening to Johnny Cash records and philosophising with a group of older, cynical political outcasts at the Cafe Kundera. In Arizona, 19 year old Armanoush "Amy" Tchakhmakhchian bounces between her over-protective American mother Rose and quiet Turkish step-father Mustafa, and her father Barsham's large Armenian family in San Francisco. Struggling to understand herself and what it means to be Armenian, she decides to journey to Turkey and stay with her step-father's family, the Kazanci's.

Politics, history, philosophy, religion, and the familiar struggle for personal identity in relation to and against a collective group flesh out this lovely tale, littered with references to popular culture and classic literature. Likened to the work of Amy Tan, Shafak's prose is much more philosophical and lyrical, and her themes are less dramatic for drama's sake. I found all her characters to be instantly recognisable, and I felt that both Asya and Amy to be familiar, and similar, to myself in some ways. I identified with them far more readily than I would reading about a more conventional teenager.

The atmosphere is wonderful, from dry Arizona to misty San Francisco to loud, colourful, vibrant Istanbul - made me want to go there even more than before! I could hear and smell and see it all so clearly, though the prose is not overly descriptive. With an omniscient narrator who reveals the inner tortures and idiosyncracies of the characters with a humorous but sympathetic touch, the narrative goes back and forth in time, skilfully revealing the past as it corresponds to the present, creating a tapestry as detailed and vivid as a Turkish carpet. I loved all the aunts too, with their quirks and Banu's djinni. Yes, there's a touch of magic realism in this book that serves it well.

The conflict between Turks and Armenians, the denial of the Armenian genocide which, I believe, is still keeping Turkey out of the EU, is dealt with with a great deal of compassion and understanding. Shafak makes an effort to show different arguments, as in, why the Turks are so ignorant of this history and why the Armenians are so stubborn to relive it. There was a wonderful quote about that but sadly I didn't mark the page and now I can't find it.

This was a random find in the bookshop and an absolute gem to read, and I highly recommend it. On a side note, the author mentions that the book was first released in Turkey in 2006 (she wrote it in both Turkish and English) and she was facing up to three years in jail because some of the things the Turkish characters said went against the nation, something like that, but the charges were dropped. Still, it's a bit scary, but also fascinating - Turkey is arguably one of the more liberal Muslim states, by western standards, where women have rights and opportunities, but where conservative traditions still play a heavy hand in domestic affairs.

[Amrita · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book suffers due to its trite language, stereotypical characterization, and unsubtle plot. You end up not really caring for any of the characters, and wishing that the two deep questions - the Armenian genocide and the Turkish identity pre and post Ataturk, had been painted on a more deserving canvas...

[Marwa Owais · Rating 4 out of 5]

اعشق الكتب التي تتخذ من التاريخ نقطة ارتكازية لها .. في لقيطة إستانبول كانت عن الأرمن والأتراك .. أحب الروايات التي تفتح لك النافذة لعالم اخر لم تكن تدري عنه شيئا من قبل

تمتاز إليف شافاق بأسلوب متميز رائع لا تمل منه أبداً ..

فقد كانت طوال الرواية تصنع الحلوي التركية "العاشورا" متخذة من عنوان كل فصل مكون من مكونات تلك الحلوي الشرقية، سكّر .. مشمش مجفف .. قرفة .. بندق محمص .. قشر برتقال ... لتضيف نكهة خاصة لم اجدها في رواية اخري

رواية تشعرك بالدفء مع لسعة الهواء الليلية من شهر أكتوبر .. توقيت رائع !

[zuza_zaksiazkowane]

Ta książka to w głównej mierze manifest historyczny i geopolityczny. I tak jak nie ma w tym nic złego, jest zrobione to dobrze i tak jak miało być, tak ja jestem bardzo mało zaangażowana emocjonalnie w te historię. Przeczytałam tej książki dwieście stron, które mają w sobie dużo różnych wartości, ale dalej już nie dźwignę 😩
Nie ma w niej tego pięknego języka, który zachwycał mnie w 10 minutach i 38 sekundach, bohaterowie są wykreowani tylko w kontekście swojego pochodzenia i oprócz tego nie mają dużo więcej do zaoferowania i wszystko to sprawiło, że po prostu nie czuję tej książki kompletnie

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma Verdade "Emprestadada"


A Bastarda de Istambul foi um best seller na Turquia - uma obra polémica que em 2006, levou a autora a tribunal. E a razão foi muito simples (?!):

O conflito Arménio-Turco que entre 1915 e 1923 redundou numa matança massiva de cerca de um milhão e meio de Arménios - o primeiro genocídio do século XX - nunca foi assumido pela Republica da Turquia. No livro, a destemida Elif Shafak aborda esse tema tabu, num diálogo entabulado pelas personagens Asya e Armanoush. Acusada de heresia e de denegrir a identidade turca, a autora só escapa à prisão graças aos protestos internacionais!...

Foi, pois, com redobrado interesse que me entreguei a esta leitura, e devo confessar que o que mais me cativou, foi a diversidade de personagens femininas. Acostumada àquela imagem da mulher islâmica doméstica-parideira, coberta da cabeça aos pés, foi deveras gratificante deixar-me surpreender por um leque de variadíssimas muçulmanas, todas elas de personalidade vincada. Foram elas:

1 - A rebelde Asya com a sua paixão por Jean Paul Sartre e a musica de Johnny Cash.

2 - A belíssima e irreverente Zhelia, uma mãe solteira de trajos arrojados que gere um salão de tatuagens.

3 - Armanoush, uma arménia-americana em busca de si mesma no passado.

4 - A vidente Banu sempre rodeada pelos seus djinnis conselheiros.

5 - A disciplinada Cevriye, uma professora de história a abarrotar de auto-controlo, mas sem a menor ponta de humor.

6 - A hipocondríaca Feride, que só nos últimos 6 anos, fora diagnosticada com 8 doenças diferentes, qual delas a mais estapafúrdia?!

7 - Petite-Ma, uma bisavó de 77 anos, já com a memória carcomida pela Alzheimer, que solta suspiros sempre que um copo ou um espelho se quebram.
"Lá vai mau olhado" é o comentário que, invariavelmente, acompanha os suspiros emitidos!

Etc, etc...

Loucas, sensatas, hipocondríacas ou rebeldes, elas simplesmente são… sem coerções nem pressões!...

Ficção? Verdade?
Sendo a Turquia um país Euro-Asiático, pode ser que uma Verdade viajante se vá insinuando sub-reptíciamente, emprestada cá pelo lado europeu?! E que o lado asiático opte pela “não devolução”?! Com sorte, pode ser!... 😉

[Mohamed Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

يقول علامة عصر النهضة الإنكليزي فرانسيس بيكون "بعض الكتب يجب التلذذ بها، وغيرها يجب أن تلتهم، وأخرى تمضغ جيداً وتهضم" ورواية إليف شافاك هذه جمعت بين الأنواع الثلاثة جميعها



فهي تقوم في كتابها هذا بطهو حكاية، وإعادة تسخين تاريخ -الأرمن-، وقلي أفكار نيّة، وتتبيلها بمشاهد حيّة، أي أنّها تحوّل موضوعا شائكًا إلى شيءٍ شائق، لكي يعض القارئ عليه بنهم.


هكذا يجب أن نتحدث نحن القراء عن رواية إليف شافاك .. كوجبة، تماما مثلما قدمتها لنا كوصفة باستهلالها لفصول الرواية بمكونات من المطبخ التركي

[Fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Elif Safak and I liked this book. She makes her characters so alive when writing, good are not always good, bad are not always bad, there is beauty and poison in all of us at times. It is only a matter of how we use it.

[Tim Null]

After reading this book, I decided not to rate or review it.

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bastard of Istanbul is a book with a lot of deep layers, not immediately visible when one starts reading the book. What one takes to be the story of two families - one Turkish, one Armenian, linked together in a convoluted way - in the best tradition of the "family drama" slowly metamorphoses into a tale full of the magic of the metaphor. While showing us the face of the modern Istanbul, a city of contradictions, it also pulls us deeply into its past; romantic and anguishing at the same time.

Teenager Asya Kazanci is the eponymous "bastard" of the novel. Born to the rebellious Zeliha, the youngest daughter of the Kazanci family, the truth of who her father is kept a close secret by her mother. Asya lives in a family of "aunties" - her mothers three elder sisters, and her mother herself, all of whom she addresses as aunties. There are also her Grandma Gulsum and her great-grandmother Petite-Ma.

The aunties are characters by themselves. The eldest, Auntie Banu, is a soothsayer, having two djinni (one good and one evil) at her beck and call. The second auntie, Cevriye, is a history teacher and an academic intellectual. The third auntie, Feride, is a sort of visionary schizophrenic. And finally, Auntie Zeliha is a tattooist and a rebel.

The menfolk of the Kazanci family apparently suffer from a strange sort of curse which prevent them from surviving beyond middle age - a fate which has overtaken Banu's children in their childhood itself. All the Kazanci women are either divorced, separated, widowed or unmarried. The only male in the family is Mustafa, brother to all the aunties, who has relocated to Arizona and is only in sporadic touch with his family for two decades now.

Into this dysfunctional family, comes Armanoush ("Amy") Tchakhmakhchian, the offspring of a divorced couple, an Armenian father and an American mother - and the stepdaughter of Mustafa. Amy is fighting ghosts from her own past: or rather, the collective past of the Armenians, whose life is largely controlled by the memories of the genocide perpetrated on them by the Ottoman regime in the 1920s. Her trip to Istanbul, unknown to both her parents, is her way of coming to terms with the historical baggage dumped on her head without her consent.

As the girls bond together in the exhilarating and frustrating Istanbul, it becomes the melding of two nations; one with a geography without a history, and the other with only history and no geography. And it also becomes a tale of two families, tied together by unseen threads across time and space, threads unravelled by Auntie Banu using her methods which reside outside the time-space continuum. As the story moves on to its inevitable tragic conclusion, the reader is left with a sense of completion which goes beyond tragedy and comedy.

***

Why is the novel given this particular title? 'Bastard' means a child born out of wedlock; it implies someone having no legitimacy in a patriarchal society. In that sense, Asya is a bastard in more ways than one. She lacks a father, and her culture lacks a history, something which is brought home to her brutally through her friendship with Armanoush and her anonymous, online Armenian friends. This unlikely friendship creates in her a sense of forgotten cultural roots (at the same time making Amy realise that she must learn to live more in the present). And at the end of the story, with the revelation of who her biological father is, Asya comes to realise the full depth of her personal tragedy - something which is symptomatic of the rootless Istanbulite society in general, the author seems to be hinting.

And why Istanbul? Because this city, the meeting point of two cultures, the "open-air history museum" (as the locals like to call it), this city with 3600+ mosques and a 99% Muslim population, this city with its raki-swilling men and its mini-skirt-wearing tattooed women, this city with its obsession with food, wine and sex - it is this magical place which is the heroine of this novel.

It is past dawn now. A short step away from that uncanny threshold between nighttime and daylight. The only time of the day when it is early enough to harbor hopes of realising one's dreams but far too late to actually dream, the land of Morpheus now flung far away.

Allah's eye is omnipotent and omniscient; it is the eye that never closes, or even blinks. But still no one can tell for sure if the earth is equally omniobservable. If this is a stage wherein spectacle after spectacle is displayed for the Celestial Gaze, there might be times in between when the curtains are down and a gauzy head scarf covers the surface of a silver bowl.

Istanbul is the hodgepodge of ten million lives. It is an open book of ten million scrambled stories. Istanbul is waking up from its perturbed sleep, ready for the chaos of the rush hour. From now on there are too many prayers to answer, too many profanities to note, and too many sinners, as well as too many innocents, to keep an eye on.

Already it is morning in Istanbul.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lines are beautiful.
The humor is priceless.
The questions are numerous.
One example being: what is the value of truth?
Is truth always to be sought, AT ALL COSTS?
because: "the past is anything but bygone."

and as Elif Shafak also so eloquently speaks:

"Once there was. Once there wasn't. God's creatures were as plentiful as grains and talking too much was a sin, for you could tell what you shouldn't remember and you could remember what you shouldn't tell."

The humor - I adored the depiction of French cuisine at a restaurant where each plate was composed as a known work of art. Could you dig into a Chagall, Magritte or a Mogdigliani portrait?

As Asya describes her family, "this must be a nut-house". But aren't we all nuts?

[إبراهيم عادل · Rating 4 out of 5]

عامٌ مضى على توفر النسخة الالكترونية لهذه الرواية، التي كنَّا قد التهمنا أختها قبلها بشهور (قواعد العشق..) وانتظرت أن أبرأ من الإعجاب ب"إليف شافاق"، وأن أبتعد طواعية عن عالمها الذي غدا أثيرًا، حتى أتمكن من الحكم على روايتها الأخرى بالقدر المطلوب من الحياد والدقة،
ولكني ما إن بدأت السطور الأولى ل"لقيطة أسطنبول" حتى وجدتني متورطًا مرة أخرى مع الشخصيات، منغمسًا في تفاصيل الأحداث، غير قادرٍ على الإفلات من هذه الرواية الشيقة، حتى نهايتها ...
تغيَّر العالم كثيرًا هذه المرة، فأصبحنا إزاء قصة واقعية تحمل بصمات التاريخ أيضًا وعمق المأساة، المأساة التي لم تقتصر على بطل الرواية "اللقيطة" بل تعدت حكايتها لتشمل ذلك العالم الذي سكت على حادثة إبادة عرقية كبيرة وهو ما حدث من الأتراك ـ الذين تنتمي إليهم الروائية ـ "للأرمن" ...
وبالرغم من تشعب الحكايات وتعدد الشخصيات في الرواية، إلا أن "إليف" على عادتها، وباقتدار استطاعت أن تلم بشخصيات ذلك العالم كله، وأن تضفَّر قصصهم وحكاياتهم في نسيج صنعت منه "طبق العاشوراء" العجيب الذي عنونت بمكوناته فصول روايتها ...
بين تركيا وأمريكا تجوب بنا شخصيات الرواية وبطلاتها آسيا وآرمانوش بين واحدة تتنكر لماضيها فإذا به بحضر أمامها بكل قوة .. وقسوة، وأخرى تبحث عن ماضيها بدأب ..فإذا به يتسرب من بين يديها مهما حاولت الاقتراب منه!!
ورغم احتواء الرواية على "أسرار" و"مفارقات" ومفاجآت كان يمكن أن "تبنى عليها الرواية" تمامًا وتتحوَّل إلى رواية بوليسية صرف، إلا أن الكاتبة كانت تمهد لمفاجآتها بكل بساطة حتى تغدو متوقعة واعتيادية .. يصل إليها القارئ حتى قبل التصريح بها!
العديد من المشاهد والشخصيات والمواقف التي رصدتها الكاتبة بدقة جعلت القارئ يتعاطف معها بشدة، في كل فصل بل أكاد أقول وكل فقرة، لاسيما الكشف الذكي عن المأساة الأرمنية ووصفها بدقة وجعلها ـ للمفاجأة ـ جزءًا من بنية الرواية وأحداثها في ذلك الماضي الذي يعود!
يبقى حاضرًا في ذهني مشهد دخول الخالة "بانو" على أخيها بطبق "العاشوراء" في آخر يوم له في حياته .. كمشهد فارق ومؤثر في الرواية،
شكرًا إليف شفاق .. للمرة الثانية على التوالي

[Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

ببساطه : روايه ممتعه .
رغم أنى شعرت أنها أنثويه جدا . إليف كاتبه تجيد وصف المشاعر الانسانيه المختلفه وخاصة الايجابيه منها
الصدمة فى الروايه رائعه ومبهره
دائما اؤمن بأن القراءة لكتاب من ثقافه مختلفه لا يرجع لمتعة القراءه فقط
بل لمعرفة ثقافة المجتمعات المختلفه وطريقة معيشتهم
تطرقت شافاق فى روايتها الى مأساة الارمن (الفصل الذى تحدثت فيه عن المأساه يدرس)

استطاعت ببراعه أن تشعرك بوجودها وقت المجزره وتشعر بمعاناتهم
استطاعت اليف ان تجعلك تسافر الى استانبول وتأكل فيها وتتجول بها
وعندما تصف مشاعر الارمن تضعك معهم
روايه بها 10 شخصيات نسائيه رئيسيه بمشاعر مختلفه وطريقة معيشه تختلف عن الاخرى ولكنهم فى النهايه اندمجوا لينتجوا هذا العمل الراقى

[Anca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was something! I have to admit I missed the feeling of oneness in a book.
Right after I finnished it (& took a deep breath), I turned on my computer determined to read more about the author, the story, ideas, opinions. I like to do that when I don't want a book to end.
Unfortunately, I got to an old conclussion of mine again: critique and dissection of the book has no charm. I clicked on some links and there I had! opinions about how characters evolve and how the novel is built, even criticism for too many characters (?!) and so less about the great feeling of the book. For me, this was a bit of fresh air after a lot of mediocre novels of this type. If I started reading a few pages at my breakfast, I would regret putting it down and heading to my day intrigued on how familiar I am with the characters and how eager for more I am. Not just for the idea of reading, but for what the book itself brought to me.
Enough with that. I'm gonna put down a few of my obs, they are a lot more and not so well structured. But if you want to read a clear and good review about this book, with analysis between the characters and all that, you won't find it here, search somewhere else, my review is a long hotchpoten of personal and subjective impressions over the book.
Anyway, you'd better read a few interviews of Elif Shafak (liked this one:http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rgu... ) - lot less boring and blurred than interviews about a book with its author usually are.


First thing that impressed me was the name of the chapters whose significance we only get later on the book [spoiler: the ingredients for a turkish dessert: ashure]. Although I did not understand what was the author following in the beginning, I was thrilled by her consistency in placing little details to point to the chapter's name. That was smth special I haven't met in any other book - so it added to the book's flavour.

Then the style: though I read it in Romanian, so I can't tell how good it is in English, nothing sounded false to me, the prose flew on and hooked me in and I finnally got rid of that obsession of mine to look at words and sentences and nod: hmm, is it the translation or why does this sound so awkward and fake? [i bet it's the author!;):]. So I had that childish joy of reading a book again.

The characters were very very interesting: the Aunties were intriguing each with its particularity and still with that tolerance that made them able to live together. The girls- Asya, the nihilist impressed me with her slowness and blackness, mostly for her freedom of adopting them and stand by them. I resonated with her refuse to accept the past as part of her, her wish to leave a big blank spot behind and stay in that moment with nothing to be charged for. I admired her force of thinking, honestly; I don't think it's improbable for a 19 years old to think deep. At the opposite: Armanoush, living with her ancestor's memories and history tied up to her life, decided to find her roots by taking a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, the city her forebears' old enemies, the Turks lived in. She believed that returning there would help her find herself in between her mother's hate for Armeanian culture and her father's Armenian origins.
Finally, she finds a balance between the two-she banished the typical Armenian hate for Turks while being faithful to her origin, trying to bring illumination in her stepfather's family regarding the Armenian genocide, long ignored by the Turk Repubilc. A quote that IMO describes the realistic state of things:“Just like the Turks have been in the habit of denying their wrongdoing, the Armenians have been in the habit of savoring the cocoon of victimhood” (p. 263) Baron Baghdasarian.

The cultural exchange between the girls was interesting to observe: each had a different stand to life but shared with the other one without notching the other one's. [asya/j.cash-armanoush/books:]

The ending was unexpected, the final third brings the full view over the two families and teh connection between their histories. Despite that, there wasn't any noticeable rush -it was just how things evolved(maybe a liiitle improbable). The multiple leaps in time and space where effective for the atmosphere. The paragraphs from the child's book and the pieces of the families' history intercalated with Mostapha's arrival in Istanbul and, in the end, his death brouhgt up the rootless tree that man was.

A symbol I noticed: The tattoo Aram wanted to have and got refused by Auntie Zeliha: an upside down tree with its roots in the air it's a perfect definition of instability of Asya, the bastard with the no-name father and the stability seeked by Armanoush.

Also, I liked that Shafak lined up the lifestyle of the bohemian intellectuals of Turkey and how the history is a big void even to them. Cafe Kundera had a very very worm atmosphere-the at. of a place where things are tendious and repetitive, where people go and lose themselves in one of the photos with a road hanged on the wall in front of them.

The city of Istanbul with its flavours and smells and overall, the importance of the food and spices in this book was such a delight bringer..

In the end, all characters were so properly left in the history that I don't want to know what happens next though I wouldn't have minded to stick with them a little more.

Of course, there are a lot more I left out, but I'll place them in my personal notes, i don't think anyone resists to read my chaotic review to the end.

[Saddam · Rating 1 out of 5]

روايةٌ سيئةٌ و مملة اضطررت لاكمالها لاني لا احب ترك كتاب في المنتصف .

عندي اعتراض على كل الأفكار الموجودة فيها بدءا من محاولة الكاتبة التقليل من شان و انتقاد الدين الإسلامي بطريقة غير مباشرة فهي تريد ان تبين ان تركيا بتحولها من دولة إسلامية الى علمانية قد أصبحت دولة مدنية ديمقراطية حرة...


-----


و الموضوع الثاني هو قضية المجازر الأرمنية فالكاتبة حاولت ان تلخصها في فكرة واحدة و هي ان " الدولة العثمانية الإسلامية قتلت مليون ونصف المليون من الارمن المسيحيين...فقط لانهم مسيحيون. لكن كما قال دان براون المنتصر هو من يكتب التاريخ فالغرب هم من اتتصرو على الدولة العثمانية و كتبوا التاريخ لكن ادا نضرنا من الجانب الآخر فالقصة مختلفة
فالأرمن هم من تعاونوا مع القوات الروسية بغية إنشاء دولة أرمينية مستقلة في منطقة الأناضول، وحاربوا ضد الدولة العثمانية إبان الحرب العالمية الأولى. وعندما احتل الجيش الروسي شرقي الأناضول، انشق بعض الأرمن الذين كانوا يخدمون في صفوف القوات العثمانية وانضموا إليه ، بينما عمدت العصابات الأرمينية إلى ارتكاب مجازر ضد المدنيين في المناطق التي احتلتها.
حيث ثم إحصاء أكثر من نصف مليون ضحية من المسلمين المدنيين وليس العسكريون ولم يتمكن من إحصاء جميع القتلى، إذ إنه حدث الكثير من المذابح وأبيدت قرى بكاملها ولم ينج منها أحد ليروي الحادثة

أحد قادة العصابات الأرمنية المسلحة ويدعى "أرشاك" كان ينسق أنشطته مع قائد أرمني آخر شهير يدعى "أنترانيك"، وكانا يمارسان ذبح الأطفال خاصة. ومن الجرائم المنسوبة ذبح أطفال كانوا يأوون إلى ملجأ أيتام، كما ذبحوا كل الأسرى الأتراك الذين وقعوا تحت أيديهم. وعندما أُجبرت عصابات الأرمن على التراجع، قاموا باغتصاب السيدات والفتيات المسلمات، واغتالوا أيضا في طريق عودتهم 50 طفلا تركيا.

لو قتل مليون ونصف المليون من الارمن ينبغي أن يبقى قرابة مائتي ألف أرمني على قيد الحياة. والحقيقة غير ذلك؛ لأن عدد الأرمن سنة 1919 (بعد الحرب) مليون وأربعمائة ألف نسمة بإجماع الإحصاءات.
كيف يقتل مليون ونصف المليون من مليون وسبعمائة ويبقى مليون وأربعمائة ألف أرمني؟ أليس هذا تناقضا؟

[پیمان عَلُو · Rating 5 out of 5]

‏ در این شهر سعی بر تکه تکه کردن تاریخ است.سعی بر انداختن مسؤلیت بر گردن این و آن.و در مرحله آخر به گردن پدرانی که دیگر نیستند و پسران و دخترانی که که موضوع ربطی به آنها ندارد.
اصرار دارند بگویند گذشته آنطور نبوده که ارمنی‌ها ادعا می‌کنند و ثانیا اگر هم اشتباهاتی بوده ،در گذشته‌ای رخ داده که آنها سال‌ها پیش بر آن نقطه پایان نهادند.
ترک‌ها نمی‌خواهند گذشته را به رسمیت بشناسند.
با مطرح کردن مسائلی چون شرایط جنگی،خشونت جوانان ارمنی،تمامیت ملی...که واقعا هرجایی می‌شود از آنها استفاده کرد،حاضر به پذیرش مسؤلیت خود در ��ملی جنایت‌کارانه نیستند و به این ترتیب به‌جای به جلو رفتن،مرتب ناچار به توجیه و حتی در بعضی موارد تکرار گذشته می‌شوند.
یک مشت ترک از آسیای مرکزی آمدند و یکباره همه جا را گرفتند! چه به سر میلیون‌ها ارمنی آمد که آنجا ساکن بودند؟! جذب شدند! به قتل رسیدند! دیپورت شدند! یتیم‌شان کردند! و بعد به فراموشی سپردند.
به راستی می‌خواهی راجع‌به چه چیزی با تورک‌های معمولی حرف بزنی؟ حتی تحصیل کرده‌هایشان هم یا ناسیونالیست هستند و یا همه چیز را انکار می‌کنند.فکر می‌کنی مردم معمولی علاقه‌ای به پذیرش واقعیت تاریخی دارند؟!
بله معلوم است که ما از اینکه شما را تکه پاره کردیم و بعد از خانه بیرون راندیم و سر آخر هم ،همه را انکار کردیم متاسفیم.
تنها یک راه دوستی با تورک‌ها وجود دارد ،درست به اندازه‌ی خودشان فراموشکار و نادان باشی.چون آنها گذشته را به رسمیت نمی‌شناسند،از ما «ارمنی‌ها» هم انتظار دارند که به گذشته پشت کنیم.



این تمام چیزیست که الیف شافاک تخم آن را داشت تا بگوید!
شافاک در این کتاب سعی کرده به تورک‌ها بفهماند که کشورشان ،آداب و رسومشان،فرهنگشان ارزش آن را دارد که از پا فشاری بر سر بسیاری از احکامی که دست و پایشان را بسته،دست بر دارند.
الیف شافاک را بخاطر همین حرف‌ها به دادگاه کشاندند...
کاش ما کورد‌ها شافاکی داشتیم.

[Nilguen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting off with a busy scene at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Elif Shafak takes us on a journey of various lives that come to a face-slapping intersection.

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This book kept me turning page after page to witness miracles of melting cultures and the evil deeds within a family.

Out of all characters I was struck by Auntie Banu, a head-scarfed fortune teller - her instincts were conveyed so realistically that I can still imagine her so vividly after so many years having read this novel.

Very well written embedding well researched facts about minorities in a melting pot in a city that bridges the West and the East 🌉.

Acknowledging that this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I still feel that open minds will not be frightened to expose themselves to daring topics Elif Shafak elaborates in her novel.

#co-existence #humanity #dignity #women #humanrace #istanbul #bosphorus #loverules #tea ❤️

[Karl-O · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I take my hat off for the commendable intentions and courage of Shafak for writing this book, the literary merit of this work, as far as I can judge, is close to nil. Dull characters, repetitious quasi-jokes, jagged storylines, essay-like prose (where you can clearly see through her ideology) fill the pages of this book and make reading it close to torture. And no redemption really with the ending. No, quite the contrary: It makes things really worse.

Things I didn't appreciate at all:
- Being bombarded with food names of Turkish and Armenian origin where I became literally stuffed to the point hating these otherwise delicious dishes.
- The occasional name-dropping like Nihilism, Existentialism, Kundera without any serious, or even non-serious discussion to hold them.
- The lame Magical Realism which is just used as a cheap device to drive forward the otherwise stagnant plot.
- The preposterous and fantastical coincidence in the heart of the book that insults any mildy-intelligent reader.
- Too much stress on the question of Alcohol in Turkey. Ok, now I really, really, really know that Turks drink alcohol with no religious qualms.
- The buried-alive feeling every time I read the words "dipsomaniac," "the non nationalist scenarist of ultra nationalist movies," and "the unusually untalented poet".

The one point I somewhat appreciated:
How Shafak shows that as the present is dictated by the past, those not at all happy in the present because of their past tend to focus rather too much on the latter, whereas those who are doing (and feeling) OK prefer to ignore it, especially when it is inconvenient.

[Jenny Qn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a magical story and beautiful writing! I loved this book. In her second novel written in English, Elif Shafak confronts her country’s violent past in a vivid and colorful tale set in both Turkey and the United States. At its center is the “bastard” of the title, Asya, a nineteen-year-old woman who loves Johnny Cash and the French Existentialists, and the four sisters of the Kazanci family who all live together in an extended household in Istanbul: Zehila, the zestful, headstrong youngest sister who runs a tattoo parlor and is Asya’s mother; Banu, who has newly discovered herself as a clairvoyant; Cevriye, a widowed high school teacher; and Feride, a hypochondriac obsessed with impending disaster. Their one estranged brother lives in Arizona with his wife and her Armenian daughter, Armanoush. When Armanoush secretly flies to Istanbul in search of her identity, she finds the Kazanci sisters and becomes fast friends with Asya. A secret is uncovered that links the two families and ties them to the 1915 Armenian deportations and massacres. Full of vigorous, unforgettable female characters, The Bastard of Istanbul is a bold, powerful tale that will confirm Shafak as a rising star of international fiction.

[ندى الحائك · Rating 4 out of 5]

مخيفة هذه الرواية ..
ليس الخوف المتعارف عليه كالخوف من الظلام ..بل مخيفة في تشابكها وفي الغموض الذي يكتنف كل شخصية ..الأسرار التي يحتفظ بها كل شخص .. مثل طبق العاشورة الذي كانت فصول الرواية معنونة بمكوناته ليأتي المكون الأخير الذي لايمت بصلة إلى طبق العاشورة والذي أضفى نكهة الخوف التي تعتريني الآن .. مميت لكن بصمت ..
الحياة مثل بيت قازانجي
مختلفة لكن اختلافها لايعني بالضرورة أن يسبب الخلاف بل اختلافها يعني الترابط ..
للأسف لم يعد العالم يؤمن بمبدأ الاختلاف لايعني خلاف ..بل اختلافك يعني أن تكون عدوا

[Marc Lamot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I read by the bestselling Turkish writer Elif Shafak; the previous two, (The Flea Palace and even more The Forty Rules of Love) disappointed me. After the opening chapter of this book, 'The Bastard of Istanbul', I thought I had finally caught a good piece of writing: the way Shafak sets down the 19 year old, quirky Zeliha is very strong and the sketch of her Turkish family environment just hilarious. But after that the book jumps a few times forward in time, and above all there starts an endless stream of characters and meandering stories, making you dizzy. The ironic tone almost always prevails, but suddenly a heavy discussion on the Armenian genocide-issue emerges, we get a lesson on the danger of tattoes and are offered a few recipes of Turkish and Armenian dishes. Then a magic, evil Djinn appears on stage to explain some dramatic twists, and sometimes you think you've landed in a kind of Bollywood soap scene. It is that change in tone that bothers me a lot.

Mind you, Shafak is very strong in the action scenes and even the discussion on how differently Armenians and Turks deal with their past (the first cultivating it, others denying or ignoring it) is quite interesting (on this focus, see my review in my Sense-of-History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). But the different tones of the scenes often curse with each other. The end of the story (which I can not reveal here without spoiling the story) is problematic, because only now it appears that behind the strong opening scene lies a very traumatic experience, that just appears out of the blue, without building up to it. I rate this book slightly higher than the previous ones by Shafak, but I'm sure I'm not going become a lover of her work.

[Moaz Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

طبق عاشورة جميل .. أفسدته كثرة زينته وتفاصيله

هذا هو الحال مع هذه الرواية

رواية رائعة جدًا .. لأول مرة أقرأ عن الصراع التركي الأرمني

أسلوب أليف مشوق .. صياغتها للفكرة جاءت بطريقة رائعة جدًا .. وإنتقالها بالزمن إلي 1915 كان غريبًا وممتعًا ..

لكن كثرة التفاصيل قد تصيب القارئ بالملل في بعض الأحيان

في تركيا كل شيء يحدثك أنك في وطن جمع بين الأصالة والحداثة .. نهل من منابع الأمة الإسلامية .. وحاكى تطور وتقدم الحضارة الغربية .. فكانت البلاد مركز ثقل جمع بين سياسة لم تتخلَ عن قيم دينها .. واقتصاد يزاحم الغرب .. بل ويتفوق عليه أحيانًا

إستانبول أو إسطنبول .. المدينة المجنونة .. التي تختلط فيها روائح المسك بروائح الخمور .. ما رسمته في مخيلتي عن إسطنبول وما تابعته في المسلسلات التركية والبرامج السياحية أنها مدينة رائعة وخيالية .. لأول مرة أعرف أن أهلها يحملون هذا القدر من البؤس

سكان تركيا أنفسهم إنقسموا حول مذابحهم ضد الأرمن .. منهم من يعترض ومنهم من يبرر

النهاية صادمة جدًا .. لكنها تضيف المزيد من الروعة على هذه الرواية

بانو .. شكرية .. فريدة .. زليخة .. الجدة كلثوم .. ما - الهيفاء .. آسيا .. آرمانوش .. روز .. شوشان .. بالتأكيد ستشعر بالدهشة والحب والشفقة عند قرائتك لقصة كل شخصية من هذه الشخصيات

الغلاف وعلى الرغم من هدوءه إلا أنه رائع وألوانه جذابة

الربط بين ما حدث عام 1915 للأرمن ونتائجه على آسيا و آرمانوش في 2005 كان رائعًا ومحيرًا

" لو لم تكن شوشان في 1915 يتيمة ، فهل كانت آسيا ستصبح لقيطة ؟ "

" فليس للمظلومين سوى الماضي "

.. صورة لفتاة أعتقد أنها تشبه آسيا

[Saadia B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of suspense, wittiness and cleverly written. The Bastard of Istanbul is a story of two girls Asya and Armanoush (Amy) who are connected with one another in terms of their family linkage yet are very distinctive as characters.

Asya is born out of wedlock to Zeliha (a tattoo artist) hence called as the bastard, whereas Amy was born in America to an Armenian father and an American mother, Rose. However their marriage didn’t last much and they separated when Amy was a small kid.

Amy curious to know more about her roots decides to go to Istanbul and also to find out more about the Turks, who forced Armenians, including her grandmother’s family to flee during the 1915 deportation and massacre. Her stepfather Mustafa was a Turk and had his family (sisters, mother and grandmother) in Istanbul. Amy goes and lives with them without informing her mother and father.

When her paternal grandmother dies, her secret comes out as her father calls her mother to give the news. Then they call Amy and decide to fly to Istanbul to get her. Mustafa who for the last 20 years didn't visited his family is dreading the decision but gives in because of his wife.

Zeliha never told anyone about Asya’s father not even to her family. But her older sister Banu finds out and when Mustafa comes back she poisons him because he was the one who raped his sister Zeliha and made her pregnant with Asya. On Mustafa’s funeral, Zeliha reveals the secret to Asya that he was her father. Banu didn’t regret her decision to poison Mustafa because of his deed and that he deserved such an end.

Though the title of the book is catchy and attention grabbing, the story is more about everyone else than Asya, the bastard.

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[Neha Shehrawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt: “If only she could tell her that the beauties would only attract the worst guys. If only she could make her understand how lucky she was not to be born too beautiful; that in fact both men and women would be more benevolent to her, and that her life would be better off, yes, much better off without the exquisiteness she now so craved.”

Such a decent way to explain that beauty can also be a venom that knowingly or unknowingly every girl wants to take. The elegance and simplicity with which she(Elif Shafak) conveyed the exceptional depth of the predicament are so pure and flawless.

Likewise, another extract where she penned “ Unlike some others in the family, Petite-Ma had always been capable of loving without suffocating. She would never nag or nitpick or sting. Her protectiveness was not possessive. “

Isn’t she impeccable? How casually and smoothly, she depicted something that is desired from many or almost every relationship that you have in your life i.e. Protectiveness without the suffocation that appears with the possessiveness. Her narration is so polished that sometimes when you flow with the story, it tickles you later when you move forward that a few seconds back you read something very general with a twinge of something very incredible and extraordinary.

And just like that, she wrote “ Perhaps that is why lunatics have a harder time dating, she thinks- not because they are off the wall but because it is hard to find someone who is willing to date so many people in one person. “

Elif Shafak can actually make you think of the unthinkable and at the same time, also make you realize how easily understandable it was yet I never thought of this before.

All in all, I treasure Elif Shafak’s work. I will sincerely recommend everyone to read this piece of work of her’s. All the characters are amazingly unique and will make you fall with their personalities and in the meantime, the story will blend with your day-to-day routine until you finish it.

[Hugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one that is difficult to assess and review. There are elements of this family story set in Istanbul and America that I liked a lot - the characters are strong, quirky and memorable, the historical parts about the role of the Armenian community in the development of Istanbul and the Turkish regime's denial of their role in the Armenian genocide are brave and important.

On the other hand some chapters felt rushed and too often resorted to cliche, for example the phrase "swearing like a trooper" appears on page 1. This may be partly because English is not Shafak's first language - writing in English gave her the freedom to be more daring politically and overall I think it works.

[Jerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this one was great, but the story feel flat for me. It was both too much and too little. There was a lot of extraneous material as it seemed like the author was in love with this Turkish family and just wanted to tell us all about them. There could have been more focus on the relationship of the characters and the Armenian genocide. I felt it wasn’t sufficiently woven into the story, except for some coincidental plot points.

[boxer_dogs_dance · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Island of missing trees so I went looking for more by Shafak.

This book has very dark themes. I enjoyed the first two thirds and didn't care for the ending.

[Aliaa Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

بعد حيرتى بين هل ابدأ برواية " قواعد العشق الاربعون " ام رواية " لقيطة استانبول " لنفس الكاتبة ، قررت قراءة الاخيرة عندما لاحظت ان تعليقات الكثيرين على تلك الرواية جاءت وبها نسبة من الاحباط من ان مستواها اقل من رواية القواعد فقررت البدء بالضعيف ثم الاقوى
الرواية ليست سيئة للدرجة - ربما لو قرأتها بعد قواعد العشق لتغير رأيى - بل جاءت بنكهة العاشوراء وهو ما جعلنى انجذب إليها بشكل اكبر
اسلوب الياف جميل وغريب ، فكل فصل يحمل اسم من اسماء مكونات طبق العاشوراء فتارة نجد فصل باسم القرفة واخر باسم حمص واخر باسم سكر واخر فانيلا وهكذا ، وكل فصل يحمل شيئا من اسمه وهو ما جعل الاسلوب مختلف عن باقى الروايات الاعتيادية .
اعجبنى الترابط بين الشخصيات وقدرة المؤلفة ع نسج الخيوط بينهم دون اعطاء فرصة للقارئ بالارتباك ، فالتماسك واضح والبنية الدرامية قوية
بعض الشخصيات كان وجودها اقوى من الاخرى مثل شخصية زليخة وآسيا وآرمانوش والبعض الاخر جاء ضعيفا مثل شخصيتى روز ومصطفى ( الشخصية الاخيرة كانت ف حاجة إلى مزيد من العمل عليها بشكل اكبر )
الصفحات الاخيرة كانت بمثابة مفاجأة ليّ وهو ما جعل درجة تقييمى للرواية يرتفع .
الرواية عامرة بالاقتباسات الجميلة ، منها :

“إذا لم تتمكني من إيجاد سبب كي تحبي الحياة التي تعيشينها، فلا تتظاهري بأنك تحبين الحياة التي تعيشينها”

“إن الروح بحاجة لأن ترتعش لكي تستيقظ”

“إن الأغلبية الساحقة من الناس لا يفكرون مطلقاً، و الذين يفكرون لا يصبحون الأغلبية الساحقة أبداً، فاختاري في أي فئة تريدين أن تكوني”

انه لا يجب ان نلعن شئ يسقط من السماء لانه لا يسقط الا بأمر العلي القدير

الخيال سحرٌ آسرٌ خطير للذين يرغمون على أن يكونوا واقعيين في الحياة

إذا وجدتِ صديقة عزيزة احرصي على ألا تتعودي عليها ‏
ولا تنسي أن كل واحدة منا وحيدة في الوجود‏
وأن العزلة الأبدية ستتجاوز أي صداقة عرضية إن آجلاً أو عاجلاً

[Georgiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

M-a prins în mrejele sale acest roman, m-au fermecat pur și simplu atmosfera, culorile și mirosurile redate și transmise atât de frumos și profund de către Elif Shafak.
Fiecare femeie din acest roman alege să își înfrunte demonii cu propriile arme, să învețe să supraviețuiască, să evadeze din propriile lor cuști.
Mi-ar fi plăcut tare mult să mai petrec timp la cafeneaua Kundera alături de Asya și Armanoush sau în bucătăria mătușii Banu, să citesc mai mult despre istoriile bunicilor Petite-Ma și Shushan, să explorez străzile cartierelor din Istanbul alături de mătușa Zeliha.
Fetele sunt atât de diferite, dar vorbesc cu atât de multă pasiune despre ceea ce iubesc, amândouă se tem de întuneric, dar fiecare caută lumină prin propriul său mod.
Mi-au plăcut discuțiile pe teme istorice, politice, culturale și sociale din roman. Am rămas de multe ori privind în gol sau căutând informații despre un anumit eveniment amintit sau fel de mâncare descris, asta face un roman bun cred eu. E destul de trist că nu se vorbește mai mult despre genocidul armenilor săvârșit secolul trecut; ignoranța poate ucide autenticitatea.
E atât de multă durere redată în acest român, dar și speranță. Nu trebuie să fii niciodată o victimă, chiar dacă îți dai uneori voie să plângi.
A da, Istanbulul e pictat atât de magic, iar fiind unul dintre orașele mele preferate, mi-i s-a făcut tare dor.
Abia aștept să mai citesc și alte cărți scrise de către această autoare. Mie mi-a plăcut mult acest roman, e unul dintre favoritele mele din acest an și cu siguranță a ajuns în lista mea de my all time favorites.
Romanul merită o șansă cu adevărat
5 ✨+ multă iubire și apreciere

Las aici “câteva” citate care mi-au plăcut pentru a mă putea reîntoarce la ele:
“Acela era singurul lucru prin care ploaia se asemăna cu tristeţea: te dădeai peste cap să scapi neatins, uscat şi liniştit, dar, dacă dădeai greş, ajungeai într-un punct în care începeai să vezi problema mai puţin în termeni de picături şi mai mult ca o revărsare neîncetată şi astfel hotărai că poţi foarte bine să te uzi din cap până-n picioare.”

“Nutrind încă din copilărie un dispreţ profund pentru femeile plângăcioase, Zeliha îşi promisese să nu devină niciodată una din calamităţile acelea ambulante care împrăştiau lacrimi şi remarci răutăcioase oriunde se duceau şi din care erau deja mult prea multe în jurul ei. Îşi interzisese să plângă.”

“Oamenii de afară se lipeau unul de celălalt pentru a-şi ascunde singurătatea, pretinzând că erau mult mai apropiaţi decât în realitate, pe când acolo se întâmpla exact invers, toţi pretindeau că erau mult mai singuri decât erau într-adevăr.”

“Vezi tu, spre deosebire de filme, la sfârşitul cărţilor nu apare nici un semnal luminos de genul SFÂRŞIT. După ce am terminat o carte, nu am senzaţia că am ajuns la sfârşit. Aşa că încep una nouă.
Armanoush clipi, fără să-şi dea seama cât de frumoasă părea în lumina palidă a soarelui la asfinţit.”

“Imaginaţia era o magie fascinantă şi periculoasă pentru cei care erau obligaţi să fie realişti în viaţă, iar cuvintele puteau fi otrăvitoare pentru cei sortiţi să fie reduşi întotdeauna la tăcere. Dacă, în calitate de copil al supravieţuitorilor, voiai încă să citeşti şi să meditezi, trebuia să faci asta atât de discret, de temător, de interiorizat, încât să nu te transformi niciodată într-un cititor împătimit. Dacă nu te puteai abţine să ai aspiraţii mai înalte în viaţă, trebuia cel puţin să nutreşti dorinţe simple, reduse ca pasiune şi ambiţie, de parcă ai fi fost secătuit de energie şi nu-ţi mai rămăsese destulă forţă decât ca să fii obişnuit.”

“Majoritatea oamenilor nu gândesc niciodată, iar cei care gândesc nu devin niciodată o majoritate. Hotărăşte-te de care parte vrei să fii.(…)Dacă nu te poţi hotărî, atunci trăieşte, pur şi simplu; fii o ciupercă sau o plantă.”

“Dacă între societate şi eu se cască o prăpastie largă, iar deasupra ei nu e decât un pod şubred, poţi foarte bine să dai foc podului şi să rămâi pe marginea pe care se află eul, teafăr şi nevătămat, în cazul în care prăpastia nu e lucrul pe care îl cauţi.”

“Trecutul nu e decât un lanţ de care trebuie să scăpăm. O povară atât de chinuitoare. Dacă nu aş avea trecut – ştii, dacă aş putea fi un nimeni, dacă aş putea începe de la zero şi aş putea rămâne pentru totdeauna în punctul ăla. Uşoară ca o pană. Fără familie, fără amintiri şi tot rahatul ăsta...”

“Armenii şi turcii trăiau în cadre temporale diferite. Pentru armeni, timpul era un ciclu în care trecutul se întrupa în prezent şi prezentul dădea naştere viitorului. Pentru turci, timpul era o linie întreruptă de multe ori, în care trecutul se termina într-un punct clar şi prezentul pornea iarăşi de la zero, iar între ele nu era nimic în afară de o mare ruptură.”

“Asta e lumea în care trăim. Istorie, politică, religie, societate, competiţie, marketing, economie de piaţă liberă, luptă pentru putere, sărind unii la gâtul altora pentru o altă fărâmă de triumf... cu siguranţă nu avea nevoie de toate astea şi de tot...”

“Nu înţelegi că trecutul e un cerc vicios? E o buclă. Ne aspiră înăuntru şi ne face să alergăm ca nişte hamsteri pe o roată. Atunci începem să ne repetăm, iar şi iar.”

“Totuşi, ei nu-şi dădeau şi nu-şi puteau da seama de asta, fiind prea învăluiţi în atmosfera aceea, făcând în prea mare măsură parte din ea, întocmai ca peştii cărora le e cu neputinţă să cuprindă imensitatea oceanului în care înoată prin lentilele înceţoşate ale apelor ce-i înconjoară.”

“Câte cărţi pe subiectul ăsta ai citit? Câte puncte de vedere controversate ai comparat şi ai opus unul altuia? Ce cercetări, ce literatură?... Pun pariu că n-ai citit nimic! Însă eşti atât de convins. Nu înghiţim întotdeauna ce ni se dă? Pilule de informare, pilule de dezinformare. În fiecare zi înghiţim câte un pumn întreg.”

“Dacă ai fi crezut în ce făceai, dacă ai fi crezut câtuşi de puţin în filmele tale, ţi-aş fi pus încă la îndoială punctul de vedere, dar cel puţin nu sinceritatea. Scrii scenariile alea pentru mase. Scrii, vinzi şi câştigi o grămadă de bani. Şi după aia vii aici, te ascunzi în cafeneaua asta şi îţi baţi joc de filmele alea împreună cu noi. Asta e ipocrizie!”

“Era într-adevăr bine pentru oameni să descopere mai multe despre trecutul lor? Şi apoi mai multe, şi mai multe...? Sau era pur şi simplu mai bine să ştie cât mai puţin cu putinţă despre trecut şi chiar să uite şi puţinul pe care şi-l aminteau?”

“Istanbulul e un potpuriu de zece milioane de vieţi. O carte deschisă, cu zece milioane de poveşti învălmăşite. Istanbulul se trezeşte din somnul său agitat, gata pentru haosul orei de vârf. Din momentul ăsta sunt prea multe rugăciuni de împlinit, prea multe blasfemii de notat şi prea mulţi păcătoşi, dar şi prea mulţi nevinovaţi la care trebuie să veghezi.
În Istanbul e deja dimineaţă.”

“Avea o privire din care răzbătea teama de fericire pe care numai cei care s-au îndrăgostit pe neaşteptate şi pe nesimţite o puteau avea.”

“Există lucruri atât de înfiorătoare pe lumea asta despre care oamenii buni la suflet, Allah să-i binecuvânteze, nu au nici cea mai vagă idee. Şi e absolut în regulă, îţi spun eu; e bine că nu ştiu nimic despre lucrurile astea, pentru că asta dovedeşte cât sunt de buni la suflet. Altfel n-ar mai fi buni, nu-i aşa? Însă, dacă dai peste o mină de răutate, nu o să ceri ajutorul nici unuia dintre oamenii ăştia.”

“Dacă era rănită sau tristă, trupul ei n-ar trebui să ştie lucrul ăsta? Ea n-ar trebui să ştie?”

“La fel făceau toate femeile, într-un lanţ nesfârşit. Toate erau legate între ele într-un şir de reacţii şi ritmuri, fiecare poveste împletindu-se cu cele ale altora, chiar dacă proprietarii lor recunoşteau sau nu lucrul ăsta.“

“La început a fost absenţa cuvântului, înainte de existenţă.”

[Farzana Raisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

একটা ব্যাপার ভাবতেই অবাক লাগে, বিশাল পৃথিবীতে কখনও ভৌগলিক সীমারেখা হয়তো পালটে যায়, পালটে যায় দেশ কিংবা স্থান কাল বা পাত্রের নাম অথবা প্রায়শ বদলে যায় ইউনিফরম কিন্তু সাম্প্রদায়িকতা, সংখ্যালঘুর উপর নির্যাতন এই বিশ্রী ব্যাপারগুলো থেকে যায় অবিকল। সেখানে বাঙ্গালী, আর্মেনীয় কিংবা হালের সিরীয় কিংবা ফিলিস্তিনী-সবাই এক। আসলে যা বলতে চাইছিলাম, এলিফ শাফাকের লেখা 'দ্য বাস্টার্ড অফ ইস্তানবুল' পড়বার আগ পর্যন্ত আর্মেনীয় গণহত্যা সম্পর্কে জানা ছিলো না কিছুই। বইটার অন্যতম প্রধান অংশ ১৯১৫ সালে ঘটে যাওয়া এই গণহত্যার বিষয়টি।(বইটায় ইতিহাস অতো ডিটেইলসে নেই কিন্তু পড়তে যেয়ে আরও কিছু বিষয় জানতে ইচ্ছা হচ্ছিল তাই নেট ঘেঁটে গণহত্যা সম্পর্কে আরও কিছু জেনে নিয়েছি।) উপন্যাসের চরিত্র কবি হোভানেস স্তাম্বুলিয়ানের অংশটুকু যখন পড়ছিলাম বারবার আমার দেশের বুদ্ধিজীবী হত্যার কথা মনে পড়ে যাচ্ছিল। ইশ! আমরা মানুষেরা কী নিষ্ঠুরই না হতে পারি! আর্মেনীয় গণহত্যা, তুর্কী-আর্মেনীয় বিরোধ ও স্বাধীন তুরস্কের বেশ কিছু রাজনৈতিক বিষয় উঠে এসেছে এই বইটিতে।

দ্য বাস্টার্ড অফ ইস্তানবুল বইটার মূল উপজীব্য দুইটি তরুণী। আপাতদৃষ্টিতে ভিনদেশী, ভিন্ন ভাষাভাষী, ভিন্ন কালচারে মানুষ হওয়া দুটি তরুনীর গল্প। তুরস্কের কাযাঞ্চি পরিবার বেশ সম্ভ্রান্ত একটা পরিবার। রহস্যজনকভাবে কম হায়াৎ নিয়ে আসে এই পরিবারের পুরুষেরা। এই পরিবারের ছেলে মোস্তফা... মৃত্যুকে ফাঁকি দিতেই হোক বা অন্য কারণেই হোক আমেরিকায় পারি জমায় সে। তুরস্কে পড়ে থাকে নানী, মা কুলসুম, বোন- বানু, ফরিদা ও জেলিহা। পরবর্তীতে অবশ্য আরেকজন সদস্যার আগমন ঘটে কাযাঞ্চি পরিবারে, আসিয়া কাযাঞ্চি, পরিবারের নতুন প্রজন্ম। ওদিকে জাতিগতভাবে আর্মেনীয় হলেও আমেরিকান-আর্মেনিয়ান হিসেবে বেড়ে উঠে বইয়ের আরেক প্রধান চরিত্র আরমানুশ চাখমাখচিয়ান। নিজের শিকড় খুঁজতে যেয়ে হাজির হয় ইস্তানবুলে। কাযাঞ্চি পরিবারের আতিথ্য গ্রহণ করে একটু একটু করে চিনতে থাকে আধুনিক তুরস্ককে, মায়াবী শহর ইস্তানবুলকে। ঐতিহাসিক কিংবা রাজনৈতিক কারণ নিয়ে আর্মেনীয়-তুর্কী যতোই বিরোধ থাক, আরমানুশ চায় সে বিরোধের উৎস খুঁজতে। সেই ছোট থাকতে আর্মেনীয় পরিবারের বাচ্চারা নিজেদের যেই দু:খভরা নৃশংস অতীতের কথা শুনতে শুনতে বড় হয়-সে অতীতের মূল খুঁজতে, জানতে চায় সেটা নিয়ে আধুনিক তুর্কীদের মনোভাবটাই বা কি? আসিয়া কাযাঞ্চির সাথে পরিচয়ের পর থেকে পরিবর্তন হতে থাকে তার দৃষ্টিভঙ্গির। আসিয়ার সাথে ঘুরে বেড়ায় ইস্তানবুলের অলিতে গলিতে, ক্যাফে-তে। অদ্ভুত চরিত্রের মেয়ে আসিয়া... নিজের জন্মদাত্রীকে পর্যন্ত খালা বলে ডাকে। কাযাঞ্চি পরিবারের অন্যান্য সদস্যরা সাদামাটা নয় মোটেও। জ্যোতিষী বানুখালা, পোষা জ্বীন দুষ্টু ছেলের মাধ্যমে জেনেছে কিছু গুঢ় অতীত। জেনেছে অনেক সত্যও.. তবে, সব সত্যের প্রকাশ আদৌ কী ভালো হয় সবসময়? আধ পাগল ফরিদা খালা, ছেলের প্রতীক্ষায় থাকা মা কুলসুম, উদ্ধত, দুর্বিনীত, স্বাধীনচেতা জেলিহা কাযাঞ্চি বুকের মাঝে পুষে রেখেছে অজানা এক কষ্ট। অনেক ভাবনার খোরাকের পাশাপাশি ব্যতিক্রমী সব চরিত্র দিয়ে ঠাসা এলিফ শাফাকের উপন্যাস 'দ্য বাস্টার্ড অফ ইস্তানবুল' বইটি। এত্তো সুন্দর বইটার অনুবাদ করেছেন আহনাফ তাহমিদ। খুব ভালো অনুবাদ করেছেন তিনি। শাফাকের অন্যান্য বইয়ের মতো সাবলীল কিন্তু ভাবগাম্ভীর্যপূর্ণ একটা ভাব এই বইটাতেও ছিল। আর আমার মতে, অনুবাদক এখানেই সফল। সেই ফ্লেভারটা রাখতে পেরেছেন। ইয়ে... তবে আমার ক্যান যেনো মনে হয়েছে বইটার প্রথমার্ধ একটু স্লো, একটু একটু করে ঘটনার সুতো ছেড়েছেন লেখিকা।(এই প্রথমার্ধেক পড়তে যেয়েই যা দেরী.. একটু পড়ি, রেখে দেই, অন্যান্য বই পড়ি, আবার একটু পড়ি, রাখি.. এরকম করে ফার্স্ট হাফ কেটে যাবার পর আই মিন আরমানুশ যখন তুরস্কে আসার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়, তখন থেকেই মনে হয়েছে বইয়ে গতি এসেছে। আর আমিও এএএএক টানে পড়ে ফেলেছি) অসম্ভব সুন্দর একটা বই। (বিশেষণ প্রয়োগে আমি খুব কাঁচা, বিশেষণ বিশেষ একটা স্টকে নাই আমার) ক্যাফে কুন্দেরায় আলাপ করা আসিয়া আর তার বন্ধুদের কথা কিংবা ক্যাফে কন্সটানটিনোপলে আলাপ করতে থাকা ব্যারন বাগদাসারিয়ান, খাবুর্মা বিদ্রোহী, লেডি পিককের সাথে মাদাম নির্বাসিত আত্মার কথাগুলো অবশ্যই ভাবাবে, ভাবতে বাধ্য করবে আসিয়া ও আরমানুশের চিন্তা-ভাবনাগুলো। এবং সেই সাথে অবশ্যই দু:খিত হতে হবে গণহত্যার স্বীকার হওয়া সেই দু:খী মানুষগুলোর কথা ভেবে... কিংবা কে জানে আমাদের পুর্বপুরুষেরাও এরকম একটা গণহত্যার স্বীকার বলে আর প্রায় একই রকম (অথবা কাছাকাছি) শোষণ ও বঞ্চনা কিংবা যুদ্ধের মুখোমুখি হওয়ায় আরমানুশ ও তার পরিবারের দু:খটা বোধ হয় একটু বেশি করেই ছুঁয়ে গেছে। নাকি সেটা শাফাকের যাদুকরী লেখনীর গুণে? কে জানে!


সবচেয়ে আজব ব্যাপার কী জানেন? এই জীবন। একটা মনুষ্য জীবন। আর সবচেয়ে সত্য কথাটা হলো, জীবনের গোটা ব্যাপারটাই একটা কাকতাল মাত্র! আর সেজন্যই বলতে হয়, 'কী হলে কী ভালো হতো, ভেবো না..'


হ্যাপি রিডিং!