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matthew_p's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable. The culinary tidbits feel crammed in but are interesting. Still no strong sense of place or time, although time is a little clearer than place, I'm thinking.
besha's review against another edition
2.0
The more I think about this book, the less the plot makes sense. Lovely details of everyday life in Istanbul under the Sultan, but I'm still not entirely sure what happened.
kimmerp's review against another edition
I actually think this author is really good and weaves a very tight historical tale, but it is too much for me - too much intense historical information in too formal a diction. Maybe I am in a phase where I am just tired and I need easier to read books. I could see coming back to this book in the future as I did really like the first book, but am putting it down for now.
stefhyena's review
1.0
I wanted to enjoy this book because of the lush settings. I think a lot of people will like them and the convoluted plot. I thought, incidentally that the twists in the plot were just enough to make a good detective story if it weren't for some of the other things. I sort of liked Yashim as a character, I liked the idea of a eunich as the main character and at times he was down to earth- focused on food and caring for others and almost relatable.
But until half-way through the book women did not appear at all, not as people anyway. They were talked about and filled in the background similar to the dogs and the spices and things like that. They were servants and wives who had to obey and I guess in some sense the author uses the setting to get away with the countless micro-aggressions and casual misogynies in this part of the book and would say that was authentic to the context. But to me it is a matter of focus.
And then later in the book women did appear, but Madame Lefevre was somewhat of a sterotype- she was a little too beautiful, a little too devoted, a little too tragic to satisfy. There were also after that some other women who more or less showed some social agency (but generally lived, decided and acted in reference to and in the shadow of some male or another).
Another problematic for me was whiteness in the book. Istanbul is presented as exotic, contested, a melting-pot, but there is a benign sort of racism in the way the detail pan out. Little things like when Madame Lefevre goes to the mosque, a white woman invading that space and then her rescuer is the white doctor. The white people (men and the idealised Madame Lefevre) in the book speak most, act most and determine other people's lives most.
Once again maybe the racism was in some ways the truth, maybe at times this is how it was - a colonialist attitude. Presenting it as unproblematic though continues it. I didn't enjoy the orientalism and male-centrism of the book. I found there were so many characters I had a lot of trouble keeping all the different characters and bits of story in line and at times the writing was so rich in description that the plot moved very slowly- yet it was convoluted and the conversations at times hard to follow.
I personally didn't like this book, although I have many books that were a lot worse. I suspect many people will like it a lot more than I did.
But until half-way through the book women did not appear at all, not as people anyway. They were talked about and filled in the background similar to the dogs and the spices and things like that. They were servants and wives who had to obey and I guess in some sense the author uses the setting to get away with the countless micro-aggressions and casual misogynies in this part of the book and would say that was authentic to the context. But to me it is a matter of focus.
And then later in the book women did appear, but Madame Lefevre was somewhat of a sterotype- she was a little too beautiful, a little too devoted, a little too tragic to satisfy. There were also after that some other women who more or less showed some social agency (but generally lived, decided and acted in reference to and in the shadow of some male or another).
Another problematic for me was whiteness in the book. Istanbul is presented as exotic, contested, a melting-pot, but there is a benign sort of racism in the way the detail pan out. Little things like when Madame Lefevre goes to the mosque, a white woman invading that space and then her rescuer is the white doctor. The white people (men and the idealised Madame Lefevre) in the book speak most, act most and determine other people's lives most.
Once again maybe the racism was in some ways the truth, maybe at times this is how it was - a colonialist attitude. Presenting it as unproblematic though continues it. I didn't enjoy the orientalism and male-centrism of the book. I found there were so many characters I had a lot of trouble keeping all the different characters and bits of story in line and at times the writing was so rich in description that the plot moved very slowly- yet it was convoluted and the conversations at times hard to follow.
I personally didn't like this book, although I have many books that were a lot worse. I suspect many people will like it a lot more than I did.
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
The strength of the book resides in the depth of the characters. Their friendships, the atmosphere of Istanbul, Constantinople or Byzantium the city has had many names but is still a mystery. It's the people Yashim interacts with that make the book, the intricate mystery is somewhat muddled and well, not that interesting at the end of the day. But the web of intrigue, the relationships between the Greeks, the Muslims, the Franks, the Jews are what kept me reading.
Oh and Yashim cooking. That alone is worth reading. And his love of French books and his friendship with the Polish ambassador. All and all a wonderful read.
Oh and Yashim cooking. That alone is worth reading. And his love of French books and his friendship with the Polish ambassador. All and all a wonderful read.
dkeane2007's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this mystery, but not nearly as much as the Janissary Tree. I loved the descriptions of Ottoman Istanbul and the variety of people and ways of life that coexisted in one place for so long. Such a rich history.
barbarahowe's review
3.0
4 stars: wonderfully evocative descriptions of 19th-century Istanbul
3 stars: a complicated, non-obvious mystery
2 stars: an unsatisfying ending that left too many of my questions unanswered
3 stars: a complicated, non-obvious mystery
2 stars: an unsatisfying ending that left too many of my questions unanswered
canadianbookworm's review
4.0
As the subtitle indicates, investigator Yashim returns. For those of you who haven't read the first book in this series, The Janissary Tree, I highly recommend it. (It's not just me, it won an Edgar!) Yashim is a eunuch, previously part of the sultan's household who was granted his freedom many years ago. He still has a good relationship with the Valide Sultan (mother of the sultan) and visits her. The sultan has moved out of Topkapi Palace to his new palace, Besiktas, but many things still center on Topkapi and the Sultanhamnet area.
Yashim's vegetable seller friend has been attacked and badly injured. Shortly thereafter, the bookseller that he often goes to is killed. When a Frenchman who has befriended Yashim is found dead, Yashim investigates what is going on as a defence of having the blame resting on him. He consults with his friend, the Polish ambassador, Palewski and finds that his household is also involved in what is happening.
This is a great story, every bit as good as the first book, and again has a bit of a romance present. Yashim's friends are varied and interesting and many make their appearance again here.
Yashim's vegetable seller friend has been attacked and badly injured. Shortly thereafter, the bookseller that he often goes to is killed. When a Frenchman who has befriended Yashim is found dead, Yashim investigates what is going on as a defence of having the blame resting on him. He consults with his friend, the Polish ambassador, Palewski and finds that his household is also involved in what is happening.
This is a great story, every bit as good as the first book, and again has a bit of a romance present. Yashim's friends are varied and interesting and many make their appearance again here.
cindyc3689's review
3.0
masih mengikuti sepak terjang Yashim, si detektif kasim, di istana dan di jalanan kota istambul, serta dalam aquaduct tersembunyi yang ternyata menyimpan banyak rahasia kuno. yang menarik juga adalah mencermati keanekaragaman bangsa dan budaya di turki abad 19 dan bagaimana budaya eropa merembes masuk ke dalam istana sultan mahmut II serta kehidupan rakyat umumnya.
misterinya sendiri lumayan berbelit (dengan beberapa subplot tambahan yang semakin membuat bingung) dan dengan twist tak terduga di akhir kisahnya. puas menduga-duga sepanjang kisah... ditambah lagi dengan penggunaan bahasa bersayap dan penuh isyarat tak langsung yang semakin membuat puyeng saat membacanya :D
misterinya sendiri lumayan berbelit (dengan beberapa subplot tambahan yang semakin membuat bingung) dan dengan twist tak terduga di akhir kisahnya. puas menduga-duga sepanjang kisah... ditambah lagi dengan penggunaan bahasa bersayap dan penuh isyarat tak langsung yang semakin membuat puyeng saat membacanya :D
toggle_fow's review
3.0
This is very much an intriguing read for its vibrant descriptions and details about Istanbul and the Ottoman time period. You'll enjoy this book if you're ready to kick back and luxuriate in historical Istanbul, but if you're only here for the murder mystery maybe give this one a pass. The pace is slow-moving and methodical, and the shape of the intrigue really only starts to become visible about halfway through the book.