The Architect's Apprentice

by Elif Shafak

Overview

From the acclaimed author of The Bastard of Istanbul, a colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire

In her latest novel, Turkey’s preeminent female writer spins an epic tale spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire. In 1540, twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan’s menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and
befriends (and falls for) the sultan’s beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire’s chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota’s help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they
build Sinan’s triumphant masterpieces—the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques—dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among
Sinan’s four apprentices.

A memorable story of artistic freedom, creativity, and the clash between science and fundamentalism, Shafak’s intricate novel brims with vibrant characters, intriguing adventure, and the lavish backdrop of the Ottoman court, where love and loyalty are no match for raw power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698182622
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/31/2015
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	56,905
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

ELIF SHAFAK is the most widely read female writer in Turkey and an increasingly active political commentator and columnist. Her books have been translated into more than forty languages. She lives in London and Istanbul with her family.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise from England for The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak
 
“Architecture is a powerful motif in Elif Shafak’s intricate, multilayered new novel, which excels both in its resplendent details and grand design. . .This edifying, emotionally forceful novel shows how hate and envy destroy, and how love might build the world anew.”—The Observer
 
“Shafak’s novel is a vigorous evocation of the Ottoman empire at the height of its power. . .a fascinating work in which building a fulfilling life can be as difficult as creating one of Sinan’s masterpieces.”—The Sunday Times
 
“At once epic and comic, fantastical and realistic. . .like all good stories, it conveys deeper meanings about human experience. . .The Architect’s Apprentice explores issues of power and bigotry, creativity and freedom, but is overarching theme is love. . .a carefully crafted work of imagination that both reveals and conceals its skill.  It will confirm Shafak’s reputation as a writer of impressive range, who quietly resists categorization and is not afraid to ask the big questions.”—Financial Times
 
“This is Shafak’s most ambitious novel yet, and it is her best – told with a generous humanity that will surely realign attitudes both to the imaginative possibilities of fiction and to the constructed reality of the world around us.”—The Independent
 
“Shafak paints a gorgeous picture of a city teeming with secrets, intrigue, and romance.”—The Daily Times

Reading Group Guide

 
In her many works of fiction the Turkish author Elif Shafak has always been interested in exploring the notion of the “other,” and how outcasts and outsiders often end up encountering,  befriending, and deeply understanding other outcasts and outsiders.  For her, such characters, who for some reason or another feel excluded or pushed to the margins, speak the same language even if they come from different backgrounds.  Sometimes even an animal can become one’s best friend and companion of the road, as in her new novel, which tells in part of the unexpected bond between two outcasts in sixteenth-century Istanbul—a twelve-year-old boy and a white elephant from India.

Jahan, the main character of  The Architect’s Apprentice, has taught himself how to deceive in order to survive.  Though he has never seen Hindustan and knows little about caring for animals, Jahan passes himself off as an Indian mahout so that he can travel to Istanbul in the company of Chota, the small white elephant with which he has formed an almost fraternal bond. Once established in the menagerie of the Turkish sultan Suleiman, Jahan pilfers royal baubles and spins fantastic tales for the amusement of the sultan’s daughter, the kind and alluring Princess Mihrimah. Caught up in a world of illusion and intrigue, Jahan sometimes feels that all of life is a mere spectacle, in which, one way or another, everyone is performing tricks and vainly parading.

Yet within this vast network of lies, Jahan remains paradoxically passionate in his pursuit of truth, seeking always firm, objective knowledge and the redemptive grace of true love. In his quest, Jahan falls under the protection of Mimar Sinan, the sultan’s chief architect, who is generally acknowledged to be the greatest architect ever in the Islamic world (interestingly, he was  born a Christian, most probably Armenian or Greek, and remained so until the age of twenty-one).  Sinan takes Jahan under his wing, not only because he sees in him an apt pupil and possible successor, but also because he hopes to rescue him from the character flaws that  threaten to bring him down. Patiently, over a period of long years, Sinan instructs Jahan and his three fellow apprentices in the value of artistry and work, not only as ends in themselves, but also as the means of transcending cultural differences and discovering the true value of oneself. At the same time, Jahan finds solace and meaning in caring for Chota, who seems to possess a silent, preternatural wisdom of his own.

But peace and harmony are fleeting in Jahan’s world. Religious fundamentalists argue that Sinan’s science and ambitions are offensive to Allah. Earthquakes, plagues, and war also threaten to disturb and destroy Sinan and his apprentices from outside. From within, the band of builders is slowly driven apart by hidden resentments and potentially explosive secrets. Perhaps worst of all, a succession of sultans, corrupted by absolute power and gargantuan vanity, continually interfere with the architects’ dedication to artistry and technical excellence. Jahan and his compatriots struggle to work and survive in an atmosphere of overwhelming arbitrariness and cruelty, in which no outcomes are assured and almost no friendship seems sacred.

Jahan’s fortunes lead him into battle and into the sultan’s most dreaded dungeon, lifting him up to exhilaration and thrusting him down into the depths of despair. Nevertheless, sustained by Sinan’s wisdom, his idealized love of Princess Mihrimah, and the mysterious companionship of Chota, Jahan moves inexorably toward a shining destiny that is his alone.

Compellingly written, illuminated by a sincere vision of justice, equality, and self-transcendence, The Architect’s Apprentice is far more than a story of love, striving, and adventure. It is one of those very rare novels with the power to enlighten and transform its readers for the better.

Editorial Reviews

03/02/2015
Shafak's (The Bastard of Istanbul) rambling historical epic weaves its way through the rule of three sultans in 16th-century Istanbul. Twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in the city alone except for an important gift for the Sultan that he has been entrusted with by the Shah of India—a baby white elephant named Chota. Jahan is quickly taken in by the palace seraglio to be Chota's trainer and caretaker, and so begins his new life in the center of the flourishing Ottoman Empire. After a year in the palace, he and Chota are ordered to assist the army in an upcoming war.On this tour that he meets Sinan, Chief Royal Architect, who is impressed by the boy's intelligence and curiosity and arranges for him to receive a palace education. Eventually, Jahan is given a coveted position as Sinan's apprentice. With three others, he studies architecture and works at construction sites, helping their master build some of the most celebrated buildings in the history of the empire. Jahan works with his beloved master for many years and witnesses disastrous plagues, the intricate dance between religious and political power, and the anxiety of changing regimes. All the while, he nurtures a secret love for Princess Mihrimah, the beautiful and headstrong daughter of Sultan Suleiman. Shafak's ambitious and colorful novel loses momentum at times, but he skillfully uses the fictional elephant trainer to paint a vivid portrait of the great architect, Sinan, and the lives of both royals and commoners. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise from England for The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak
 
“Architecture is a powerful motif in Elif Shafak’s intricate, multilayered new novel, which excels both in its resplendent details and grand design. . .This edifying, emotionally forceful novel shows how hate and envy destroy, and how love might build the world anew.”—The Observer
 
“Shafak’s novel is a vigorous evocation of the Ottoman empire at the height of its power. . .a fascinating work in which building a fulfilling life can be as difficult as creating one of Sinan’s masterpieces.”—The Sunday Times
 
“At once epic and comic, fantastical and realistic. . .like all good stories, it conveys deeper meanings about human experience. . .The Architect’s Apprentice explores issues of power and bigotry, creativity and freedom, but is overarching theme is love. . .a carefully crafted work of imagination that both reveals and conceals its skill.  It will confirm Shafak’s reputation as a writer of impressive range, who quietly resists categorization and is not afraid to ask the big questions.”—Financial Times
 
“This is Shafak’s most ambitious novel yet, and it is her best – told with a generous humanity that will surely realign attitudes both to the imaginative possibilities of fiction and to the constructed reality of the world around us.”—The Independent
 
“Shafak paints a gorgeous picture of a city teeming with secrets, intrigue, and romance.”—The Daily Times

From the Publisher

10/15/2014
In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan serves as an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, swoons at the sight of the sultan's beautiful daughter, and eventually joins forces with the empire's chief architect, which stirs poisonous jealousy. Shafak (Honor) is Turkey's leading female novelist.

Library Journal

2015-01-08
Following the life of an invented apprentice to the actual Ottoman Empire architect Sinan, Turkish novelist Shafak offers a liberal interpretation of Islam that's bound to create controversy, as her previous books have (Honor, 2013, etc.).In 1540, Jahan, a 12-year-old runaway from Anatolia, arrives in Istanbul by ship with a baby white elephant he names Chota—"little"—a gift to Sultan Suleiman from Hindustan. The ship's amoral British captain has forced Jahan, who knows nothing about elephants, to pretend to be Chota's Indian trainer so he can steal valuables from the sultan's palace. Lonely Jahan loves Chota and quickly learns to take excellent care of him. Drawn to the elephant's charms, the sultan's young daughter, Mihrimah, begins visiting Chota's barn. Soon, she and Jahan strike up a friendship that evolves into a chaste love that lasts through her marriage until her death. Far more complex and intriguing is Jahan's relationship to the architect, Sinan, whose philosophy lies at the heart of the novel: "I work to honour the divine gift. Every artisan and artist enters into a covenant with the divine." Sinan recognizes Jahan's untapped abilities when he and Chota help build a bridge during one of Suleiman's wars. Sinan arranges for Jahan's education and makes him one of his four apprentices. As both apprentice to the sultan's chief architect and trainer of the sultan's prize elephant, Jahan observes the glory of the Ottoman Empire, the pageantry and brutality, over a span of almost 100 years. He experiences the plague, many wars, and the rise and fall of several sultans. Shafak acknowledges the harem system and slavery, but Jahan's Istanbul is a cosmopolitan city made up of many nationalities and religions, all more or less getting along. With manufactured intrigues and lukewarm romance, plot is not Shafak's strong point. What she offers is panoramic historical fiction rich with facts, atmosphere and occasional whimsy.

Kirkus Reviews