The Oracle of Stamboul
Michael David Lukas
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
Set in the heart of the exotic Ottoman Empire during the first years of its chaotic decline, Michael David Lukas' elegantly crafted, utterly enchanting debut novel follows a gifted young girl who dares to charm a sultan--and change the course of history, for the empire and the world. An enthralling literary adventure, perfect for readers entranced by the mixture of historical fiction and magical realism in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red, or Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, Lukas' evocative tale of prophesy, intrigue, and courage unfolds with the subtlety of a Turkish mosaic and the powerful majesty of an epic for the ages. Product Details
Price
$18.99
$17.66
Publisher
Harper Perennial
Publish Date
August 30, 2011
Pages
320
Dimensions
5.4 X 7.9 X 0.7 inches | 0.52 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9780062012104
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About the Author
MICHAEL DAVID LUKAS has been a Fulbright scholar in Turkey, a late-shift proofreader in Tel Aviv and a Rotary scholar in Tunisia. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Maryland, and his writing has been published in the Virginia Quarterly Review, Slate, National Geographic Traveler and the Georgia Review. Lukas lives in Oakland, California, less than a mile from where he was born. When he isn't writing, he teaches creative writing to third- and fourth-graders. Visit him online at www.michaeldavidlukas.com.
Reviews
"Lukas . . . brings a raconteur's sense of storytelling, a traveler's eye for color and a scholar's sense of history to his first novel. . . . Lukas has given us a Turkish delight."--San Francisco Chronicle
"An enchanting, gorgeous read . . . Lukas captures the scents and sounds, the vivid beauty, the subtle intrigue and simultaneous naivety, of the Ottoman Empire unaware of its imminent demise."--Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men are Gone
"This first novel by a promising young writer is both vivid historical fiction and a haunting fable."--Library Journal
"A stunning debut . . . Lukas has managed to create an instant classic that feels as if it should be retroactively slipped into the great libraries of the old world."--Reif Larsen, author of The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
"A lyrical debut...A passionate novel that beautifully conveys the flavor of Turkish culture...focusing on the effect a young prodigy has on the political leaders of the time."--Kirkus Reviews
"A beautifully written debut novel. . . . Political intrigue, historical upheaval and Eastern mysticism come together in surprising ways as Lukas brings the book to a poignant conclusion tinged with magical realism."--Mercury News
"A gem of a first novel...an appealing blend of magical and historical realism...This is a polished literary work that will appeal to a wide readership."--Cleveland Plain Dealer
"In his enchanting debut novel, Michael David Lukas captures the mystical world of the Ottoman Empire."---Book Beast
"[An] impressive debut novel."--San Francisco magazine
"An enchanting literary debut...A charming tale of passion and intrigue...that could be read in one sitting, spine-tingling descriptions will transport readers to another place and time."--Today's Zaman
"THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is one of those debuts that defies the norm."--Bookreporter.com
"Michael David Lukas charms in his debut."--Vanity Fair
"A magical debut."--Good Housekeeping
"Beguiling. . . . Lukas veers from the tried-and-true, making The Oracle of Stamboul a novel that offers delightful surprises."--Jane Ciabattari, Los Angeles Times
"The Oracle of Stamboul is a delight, a gem of a first novel."--Read All Day
"The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas' promising debut."--Booklist (starred review)
"...this riveting debut novel not only captures the atmosphere of the exotic European crossroads but also introduces a young girl who is utterly captivating."--Bookloons.com
"An enchanting, gorgeous read . . . Lukas captures the scents and sounds, the vivid beauty, the subtle intrigue and simultaneous naivety, of the Ottoman Empire unaware of its imminent demise."--Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men are Gone
"This first novel by a promising young writer is both vivid historical fiction and a haunting fable."--Library Journal
"A stunning debut . . . Lukas has managed to create an instant classic that feels as if it should be retroactively slipped into the great libraries of the old world."--Reif Larsen, author of The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
"A lyrical debut...A passionate novel that beautifully conveys the flavor of Turkish culture...focusing on the effect a young prodigy has on the political leaders of the time."--Kirkus Reviews
"A beautifully written debut novel. . . . Political intrigue, historical upheaval and Eastern mysticism come together in surprising ways as Lukas brings the book to a poignant conclusion tinged with magical realism."--Mercury News
"A gem of a first novel...an appealing blend of magical and historical realism...This is a polished literary work that will appeal to a wide readership."--Cleveland Plain Dealer
"In his enchanting debut novel, Michael David Lukas captures the mystical world of the Ottoman Empire."---Book Beast
"[An] impressive debut novel."--San Francisco magazine
"An enchanting literary debut...A charming tale of passion and intrigue...that could be read in one sitting, spine-tingling descriptions will transport readers to another place and time."--Today's Zaman
"THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is one of those debuts that defies the norm."--Bookreporter.com
"Michael David Lukas charms in his debut."--Vanity Fair
"A magical debut."--Good Housekeeping
"Beguiling. . . . Lukas veers from the tried-and-true, making The Oracle of Stamboul a novel that offers delightful surprises."--Jane Ciabattari, Los Angeles Times
"The Oracle of Stamboul is a delight, a gem of a first novel."--Read All Day
"The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas' promising debut."--Booklist (starred review)
"...this riveting debut novel not only captures the atmosphere of the exotic European crossroads but also introduces a young girl who is utterly captivating."--Bookloons.com
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