The Architect's Apprentice

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By Elif Shafak

Publisher Description

A colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire, from the acclaimed author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick)

Chosen for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s “Reading Room” Book Club

In this 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.

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Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags

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396 Reviews

3.5

Mackenzie Hofmann

Created 7 days ago

“This is Shafak at her best narrative writing. Her ability to weave magic into reality truly is something to take notes on. At first, I thought Mirhima to be a plot device, but it does take reaching the end to understand her place in Jahan’s story. While a little disjointed or rushed at times (the story does span approximately 100 years), I appreciate the effort and method for writing this tale. I think a person could read this book over and over and come away with more meanings and messages each time. I’m glad to have read a book which is a love letter to the people who create Istanbul, and by that I mean, of course, the buildings who inhabit such a spectacular city. A white elephant and his mahout were the perfect messengers for such a magical story.”

Change and grow Rushed Steady pacing Ancient Beautifully-written Moving Authoritative Well-paced Abuse Animal abuse Child abuse Domestic violence Explicit sexual content Murder Religious intolerance Sexual assault Substance abuse Violence War violence

Areeba

Created 11 days ago

“Similar to Oliver Twist but this was incredibly slow. I didn’t love or care for Jahan as much as I did for Oliver. Also, I still don’t fully understand the beginning. I don’t think it was necessary and it wasn’t referenced later which made it all the more confusing”

diya sinha

Created 12 days ago

“beautiful. everything about this book was beautiful. the architect’s apprentice is set in Istanbul in the 16th century which is led by jahan, a young boy from India who, escaping from his abusive stepfather and the sorrow of a dead mother, sets sail for Istanbul with an elephant named chota. jahan sets foot in istanbul as a mahout, later on being recognised by master sinan, the chief royal architect and thus becoming the architect’s apprentice. serving simultaneously as an animal tamer and an apprentice, he leads a life of contradiction and balance of love and loneliness, of loyalty and petty theft. never thought i’d fall in love with a book focusing on historic fiction- such a masterpiece. this book might not be for everyone as the story takes a very meandering pace, letting the reader soak in the settings and get to know the interesting characters jahan meets but, for those who choose to read it, it’s beauty will not disappoint.”

Beth ann

Created 17 days ago

“I have absolutely demolished several of Elif Shafak's books and loved them. But The Architect’s Apprentice—my friends...are they even making an effort with the language in this thing? It’s one thing for historical fiction to reflect the attitudes of the time, but this book feels like it’s actively reveling in them. Referring to prostitutes as whores, Jewish women as Jewesses, and then dropping some truly eye-rolling lines like: 'Even women liked it. Even ignorant street vermin liked it.' That last one's not an exact quote but you get the idea. This is supposed to be an immersive story about growth and connection with animals and humans and these side diggers have nothing to do with the plot. I literally had to go back and check the author’s bio just to make sure they were a woman. I got about 20% of the way through before I had to tap out. What should have been a rich, atmospheric story about a boy and his elephant felt like walking through a linguistic minefield. I just couldn’t enjoy it.”

Slow-paced Ancient Harsh Clunky Bigotry Misogyny

Aysa Salahi

Created 25 days ago

“Immersive and atmospheric writing, but not my favorite Elif Shafak novel. A bit slow for me. Still recommend for people who are new to Ottoman history and curious to learn more about it through a historical fiction lens.”

About Elif Shafak

ELIF SHAFAK is an award-winning British-Turkish author of a dozen novels, including There Are Rivers in the Sky, The Island of Missing Trees, shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award, and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World, shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Her work has been translated into fifty-six languages. She holds a PhD in political science and has taught at universities in Turkey, the U.S. and the UK. She lives in London and is an honorary fellow at Oxford University.