Asia Minor: From the Seljuks to the Ottomans - Henri Stierlin

Advantages: Evocative, unusual sleuth, well-researched
Disadvantages: Modern dialogue, characters under-developed

...is an expert on things Ottoman ought to persuade the reader that things are correct. I have, however, read reviews that listed a catalogue of errors, though most of them said that this did not spoil their enjoyment of the book. Since I would not have spotted any of those errors I will not dwell upon them here but should point out that the author does apologise for any historical slips that may be put down to the demands of the novelist's craft. Anyone who has visited Istanbul will find in "The Janissary Tree" a city hardly changed from the vast metropolis it is today. Goodwin really brings it to life in a way that surprised me; several years ago I read his book "On Foot to the Golden Horn", an account of a journey on foot from Poland to Istanbul he made with his then girlfriend (now wife) Kate and while I enjoyed it, it did not hint at any future... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Original, Intelligent, Beautifully Written, Compelling Storyline
Disadvantages: Maybe a little too high-brow in places?

...novel. There is may be one minor flaw to this otherwise outstanding novel, and that is that only one level of love is portrayed through all the many and various characters. Everybody loves with a consuming passion: Henry and Clare, their friends and family, each one driven or destroyed by their love. There is no middle ground, no one recovering and growing and moving on from their lost love. In my experience, this is not an entirely realistic portrayal. Overall though, this is a book to grab and throw yourself into headlong, a story to thoroughly immerse yourself in. The love between Henry and Clare with make you glow with pleasure, and you cannot help but experience alternate amusement, worry, fear and relief for the characters. It is a book that you will want to devour and will occupy your waking thoughts the whole time you are reading... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: better than the book before
Disadvantages: a bit too long

...are Christians. Maybe the Armenian isn´t one at all, but a Turk pretending to be one? I found the idea very interesting that if you have to do with members of a minority you don´t look very closely, some peculiarities typical for an ethnic group are enough and you know ´it´s one of them´. During one of his nights away from home Ikmen looks through tons of files of persons gone missing about twenty years ago and by and by things start moving. As you´ve gathered by now I´m quite enthusiastic about Barbara Nadel´s second performance, she succeeds in intertwining her plot with genuine Turkish affairs and this makes for a thrilling read. She likes her stuff tough, we read about fratricide, male prostitution, kiddy fiddlers, rape, incest, you name it. Four and a half stars, why not five? The book is too long, my permanent complaint. All minor characters... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful