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The Architect's Apprentice

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The Architect's Apprentice

By: Elif Shafak
Narrated by: Grant Cartwright
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Summary

There were six of us: the master, the apprentices and the white elephant. We built everything together...

Sixteenth century Istanbul: a stowaway arrives in the city bearing an extraordinary gift for the Sultan. The boy is utterly alone in a foreign land, with no worldly possessions to his name except Chota, a rare and valuable white elephant destined for the palace menagerie.

So begins an epic adventure that will see young Jahan rise from lowly origins to the highest ranks of the Sultan's court. Along the way he will meet deceitful courtiers and false friends, gypsies, animal tamers, and the beautiful, mischievous Princess Mihrimah. He will journey on Chota's back to the furthest corners of the Sultan's kingdom and back again. And one day he will catch the eye of the royal architect, Sinan, a chance encounter destined to change Jahan's fortunes forever.

©2014 Elif Shafak (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Historical Fiction Fiction Royalty Heartfelt Elephant
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Critic reviews

"This is Shafak's most ambitious novel yet, and it is her best ..." ( The Independent)
"This edifying, emotionally forceful novel shows how hate and envy destroy, and how love might build the world anew ..." ( The Guardian)
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This is the second book by Elif Safak that I have read. I was not disappointed. Set in the 16th century it is based around the life of a boy who becomes apprentice to the most famous of all Ottoman Architects, Sinan. But nothing is what it appears. A wonderful story filled with vivid characters by a mistress of story telling. If you enjoy historical fiction you will like this.

A trip to sixteenth century Ottoman Istanbul!

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I am a big fan of Elif Shafak and this book did not disappoint. She succeeds in transporting the reader to her world, and I fell in love with the elephant as the book progressed.
My enjoyment of the book was slightly reduced by the narration. I was impressed by Grant Cartwright's English accent, and had taken him to be English, until his repeated strange (well, non-UK) pronunciation of various words. The one that grated the most was 'rowt' instead of 'root' for route, followed closely by his stress 'IsTANbul' both of which recurred frequently. Interestingly his native accent was revealed when he read the author's end notes.

Wonderful book marred by flawed narration

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A instructed book for lovers of Istanbul and the Middle east. This is not edge of your seat stuff but based on real events in history with amazing characterisation and context. Lots of linked short anecdotes so easy to put up and down.

You really root for Jahan, but some appreciation for Turkish culture and history or those who have visited Istabul will help you fall for Elif Shafak's style.

Middle Eastern Mysticism

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At times I felt this novel rambled on and I lost interest, but the scale of the story and the sense of following one young man and his fellow apprentices through life and loves, the fortunes of their master chief architect and that of their rulers was both interesting and evocative.

Overlong but evocative!

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Another beautiful novel by Elif Shafak. I literally could not stop listening to this, the descriptions of the characters and places so vivid I even dreamed the story again at night.
Also it was narrated brilliantly with Grant Cartbright really bringing the story to life.

Captivating,

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