The Architect's Apprentice

This is the story of Jahan, beginning when he is barely twelve and stretching beyond a hundred years of life. Set primarily in Istanbul and later in India, during the time when the Taj Mahal was being conceptualized and built, the novel revolves around architects and architecture. Alongside this, history is seamlessly woven in through real historical figures such as Mimar Sinan, around whom Jahan’s life revolves. How Jahan reaches Istanbul, meets Chota - his so-called milk-brother elephant - falls in love with Mihrimah, becomes Sinan’s apprentice, and finally journeys to India is nothing short of mesmerizing. A true roller-coaster ride, Jahan’s life is marked by plagues, the loss of loved ones, betrayal by close friends, nights in dark dungeons, and unexpected acts of protection and kindness. One of Jahan’s reflections on these unexpected blessings stayed with me: “How bizarre it was. While he had been running after things that were never going to happen and resenting life for the gifts it had denied him, there had been people supporting him without drawing attention to themselves. They had given and expected nothing in return.” The Ottoman Empire is vividly brought to life through descriptions of architectural marvels such as the Süleymaniye Mosque, Selimiye Mosque, the restoration of Hagia Sophia, and many other mosques, bridges, and aqueducts. The building and eventual destruction of the observatory built for Sultan Murad III’s astronomer, Takiyuddin, is especially heart-wrenching - particularly the loss of priceless books and manuscripts. It makes one wonder how much knowledge humanity has lost over centuries. The novel is divided into three sections: Before Master, Master, and After Master. Jahan’s description of Sinan is particularly beautiful: “It was after this incident that Jahan understood his master’s secret resided not in his toughness, for he was not tough, nor in his indestructibility, for he was not indestructible, but in his ability to adapt to change and calamity, and to rebuild himself, again and again out of the ruins. While Jahan was made of wood, and Davud of metal, and Nikola of stone, and Yusuf of glass, Sinan was made of flowing water. When anything blocked his course, he would flow under, around, above it, however he could; he found his way through the cracks, and kept flowing forward.” Through another reflection by Jahan, Shafak captures the fleeting nature of human existence: “.. in truth, this world, too, was a spectacle. One way or another, everyone was parading. They performed their tricks, each of them, some staying longer, others shorter, but in the end they all left through the back door, similarly unfulfilled, similarly in need of applause.” As always, Elif Shafak ends the novel on a hopeful note, reminding us that even amid immense suffering, there is always a silver lining - we simply need the eyes to see it. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of literature. A must-read. Hats off to Elif Shafak.

Love this author's books, this one was my first of Elif Shafak's book. I really like the story plot although towards the end it is kinda dragging. If u like architecture, n the whole turkish vibe in stories of olden times, u'll definitely love it.

Good quality and good packaging

Very well written book nicely connecting the dots of Ottoman and Turkish history. She has a nice writing style that somehow makes the story livelier and I enjoyed reading it over a couple of weeks

Enjoyed the novel. History of Turkey. Love between the boy and the elephant. Got interested and will certainly visit great mosques of Turkey.

Excellent one

I like all the novels I have read by Elif Shafak. I like her narrative techniques, lyrical language and diversity of characters and viewpoints.