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Last Train to Istanbul
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Sanjiv Jhaveri
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
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Last Train to Istanbul
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Publisher's Summary
Born into privilege to one of the last Ottoman pashas, beautiful, spirited Selva is the brightest jewel in her father’s household - until she falls in love with Rafael Alfandari. Though Turkey has long been a safe haven for Jews, marriage between a high-ranking Muslim girl and a Jewish boy is strictly forbidden. Yet young love will not be denied, and Selva and Rafael defy their parents and marry, fleeing to Paris in hopes of a better life - only to find themselves trapped in the path of the invading Nazis.
But in the midst of darkness shines a beacon of hope: A handful of courageous Turkish diplomats, protected only by the tenuous neutrality of their homeland, hatch a daring plot to spirit the exiled lovers and hundreds of innocent Jews to safety. Together, they will traverse a war-torn continent, crossing enemy lines and risking everything in one last, desperate bid for freedom.
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What listeners say about Last Train to Istanbul
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-02-19
wonderful narration but the story drags very slow
the narration was wonderful but the story was like the journey of the last train, dragging on, halting for eternity and then pulling on again...
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Halit Pinar, MD
- 02-01-15
Problematic Narration
Would you try another book from Ayse Kulin and/or Sanjiv Jhaveri?
Ayse Kulin is a very talented writer but the narrator, Sanjiv Jhaveri was not the right choice for her book. When he tries to read the conversation with a "Turkish accent" he sounds awful. If the producers listen to a Turkish person reading or speaking English with an accent, they will immediately realize their error. This book really should be redone because the book itself is excellent.
Would you be willing to try another book from Ayse Kulin? Why or why not?
Yes. She is a very talented story teller.
What didn’t you like about Sanjiv Jhaveri’s performance?
As I discussed previously, he was the wrong choice for a book written by a Turkish author.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Last Train to Istanbul?
The entire project needs to be redone.
Any additional comments?
The producers should do their homework before they undertake a project. The field became very competitive and there are books with incredible narration.
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- K. Maver
- 19-01-18
Awful, awful, awful narrator
I could not deal with this narrator. He had the same speech patterns over and over. I wanted to listen to this to break up the monotony of a long road trip. After about three chapters, I had to turn it off. It was not “performed.” It was read with limited inflection. It might be a great book. I couldn’t get past the reading.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- M.L.L.
- 21-11-15
A disorganized mess.
2 1/2 stars. This book sounded so good. Unfortunately the result is an uncohesive compilation of POVs of more than 14 characters. Many of the vignettes are barely related to the storyline. Most of the characters aren't even likeable. I listened to this book on audiobook and most of the voices are annoying as well. The husbands are all verbally abusive to their wives. One man even rapes his wife. The psyciatrist is especially loathesome. He seduces his patient while psychoanalyzing her. Let me undress you as you tell me about your relationship with your 8 year old daughter. Creepy! Near the end there was suddenly an erotic semi-public scene between two random characters. It was unexpected and made me uncomfortable. I didn't even know these characters so I skipped ahead. Then I discovered it was actually a rape by a random german soldier. Next we had a minor character die in his sleep. Neither of these scenes or characters were really plot pertinate. Finally we come to the finale we have all beeen waiting for. The relief of safety and the long awaited reuniting of estranged families. Except it cuts off before you get reuniting of estranged families. Except it cuts off before you get closure. A book full of background details of minor characters fails to provide details of the resolution of the main plot and characters. It was unsatisfying.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anna Greene
- 21-05-15
3-Stars
Last Train To Istanbul is a beautiful work of historical fiction about two privileged Muslim Turkish sisters–Selva and Sabiha. Sabiha marries a prominent Turkish diplomat, and Selva falls in love and marries a Turkish Jew–Rafael Alfandari. Selva and Rafael are shunned by her family, and move to Paris shortly before the Nazi German invasion in World War II.
What I really appreciated about this novel was Ayse Kulin’s extensive research about that period of history, and I loved to learn about WWII from a Turkish perspective. It’s a beautiful story of hope and courage. Many times WWII books are difficult to read due to the horrible accounts of the Holocaust, but this book kept me very interested and the narration by Sanjiv Jhaveri was just perfect. His accent and all the accents portrayed were essential to the atmosphere of this book.
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and WWII novels.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 09-05-18
Bad narrator
I read the print version of this book and it’s a great story! I loved it! I can no longer read printed books because of my eyesight. I thought this would be a good listen, but the narrator sounds like a ten year old and just can’t listen to him! I can’t follow the story because I get distracted by the awful narration!
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marion Marshall
- 28-07-14
Great narrator...good story
What made the experience of listening to Last Train to Istanbul the most enjoyable?
The narrator's voice really transported you to a different place
What was one of the most memorable moments of Last Train to Istanbul?
Several moments on the train had me holding my breath.
What about Sanjiv Jhaveri’s performance did you like?
Consistent. The story is told from various points of view but without using silly voices the narrator conveys each story in a respectful and wonderful way.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Ms. Sparkles
- 24-07-16
I want my $1 back!
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A narrator who did not read the story as if it were being read to a 2 year old.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Sanjiv Jhaveri?
I love Gwendoline Christie for everything!
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
not that I could fine. I could not by any means read to through the book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- ASL4U
- 27-06-16
Different perspective - good story!
I enjoyed this book way more than i expected to. It took a couple tries to get into it - because i have no context for Turkey and their place in the war.. But i'm really glad i stuck with it. New context - and people that i'm sure will come back to me later. I also have unanswered questions - like was that the right man Marcel tripped? And did Constance recover? - over all a really good read.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Cathy W
- 17-06-16
Need my money back on this one
so confusing . so boring. what was the plot??? Please exchange this for another one please
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nikki
- 28-02-18
amazing view of world war 2 you never knew existed
Ayse took me on a journey I never would have expected. Thank you for broadening my horizons. I couldn't leave until the train arrived.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Pen
- 19-06-15
Disappointing, for me - it could have been so much better
What disappointed you about Last Train to Istanbul?
A slightly biased and perhaps idealised view of Turkey and life there, much as I love the country, the people and the food. The basis of the story was good, interesting (indeed, deeply fascinating in places), well researched, and it seemed well written, as far as one can tell from the American translation. However, it could have been so much stronger, and provided greater depth. I was interested because part of my family were/are from Turkey, with links also to France and Marseilles. The children were astonishingly well behaved, so little trouble to their parents - not requiring the usual amount of attention and care, even in illness!
Would you ever listen to anything by Ayse Kulin again?
No
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes
What character would you cut from Last Train to Istanbul?
There is no need for that; all characters were a necessary part of the story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jeanne
- 18-06-15
Interesting story
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes. Story is quite captivating and intriguing. Although some characters did not really have development, e.g. Sabiha. It feels like it was cut short.
Would you be willing to try another book from Ayse Kulin? Why or why not?
Yes. I already have another book from her, so will be reading/listening to that next.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
Sometimes the reading was a bit fast, and at the beginning it was a bit monotonous, but the pace and the style changed at the end.
If this book were a film would you go see it?
No. I don't think it would be done well in the cinema, unless they tie the loose ends.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Suzy
- 05-10-14
Disappointing and confusing
What would have made Last Train to Istanbul better?
It was difficult to distinguish between the characters and the story introduced characters part way through which added to the confusion.
What will your next listen be?
Not sure yet - something easy listening
What aspect of Sanjiv Jhaveri’s performance might you have changed?
They did too many accents and the Turkish ones were difficult to understand and the French characters all sounded the same which meant it was hard to follow. Less accents would have helped
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Well I haven't managed to finish it, but I would say it highlighted a hidden part of world war 2 in that I hadn't previously thought about the Turkish side of things.
Any additional comments?
I wish this had been better as the idea of an interweaving family story in World War Two from a Turkish perspective is fascinating. However it's difficult to keep track of characters and the story's pace is very slow. The many and varying accents don't help. I can't help but feel I would have enjoyed this better if it had more neutral narration. I have the kindle book so maybe I will finish this myself. I can't recommend the audio version.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 18-10-23
Extremely annoying narrator ruins the story
I don't really understand the choice of narrator, I mean, some of us happen to know that Turkish speakers confuse "w" and "v", but we don't need to be reminded of this throughout an entire 11-hour audiobook.
The producers clearly thought that Turkish and Indian accent sound the same in English - that could NOT be further from the truth. The narrator would have done much better sticking to "standard" English rather than give us a story read with an exaggerated Indian accent which has absolutely NOTHING in common with the way Turks speak.
And, who on earth says "Istanbul" with the stress on the "I"?!?!?! WHO? Because it's definitely NOT Turkish nor English! The Turks stress the second syllable - "tan" and English speakers certainly do not stress the "I". Given the fact that the name of the city is in the title of the book, it is unacceptable to get its pronunciation SO wrong. It would never occur to me to stress Istanbul on the "I" - it's simply so unnatural!!
Also, the narrator is far too cheerful for the subject matter discussed. It's war - not a Bollywood wedding.
The narrator has almost made me give up on the Audible version - I have reserved a printed copy of the book from the local library.
I would recommend looking for other versions of this book, read by a different narrator, if available.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cigdem Forbes
- 24-02-23
Excellent story
Fabulous writing. I really enjoyed the story. The history is very well expressed. I didn’t want it to end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 24-08-20
fantastic story, Clear and enthusiastic narration,
I have really been enjoying listening to this audiobook. Great narration and a fantastic storyline.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 21-09-19
last train
brilliant story about our ability to do some good, to make good decisions and stand against evil in whatever ways we can
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rosyposy
- 05-11-18
magnifique
absolutely brilliant totally breathtaking and perfect, well narrated and the writer uses such delicious prose
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-08-18
Interesting story, weird performance
overall it is an interesting book, captivating. the narrator was a bit weird with the different accents and high voice for women.
would still recommend
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amber C G Derrick
- 11-02-18
Awful Performance
I will gladly give the book a second chance, I ended up getting it as a free download on Kindle I think, but the Audible production is just awful. I couldn't finish it because the performance is just so poor. Jhaveri sounds like one of those tannoy announcements on the train station when they are saying all the stops the coming train will make. Of course, all of those station names have been individually recorded, and then just put together for the announcement. That's how this reader sounds! There is no flow to anything he says, each word sounds like a random, individual recording put together for a single announcement. Absolutely awful. If I were Kulin, I would be miffed at best!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo
- 12-06-15
Great Book
Loved this book, the accents were so perfect I could listen to the story without stopping.
Lovely story. I would recommend it to anyone.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- emma gyuris
- 11-04-23
Somewhat flat rendering
The last train to Istanbul is based on the historic fact of many Jews finding refuge via the stance that Turkey took during World War 2. The story is very much focused on individual lives somewhat flatly recounted. Some
Details are irrelevant (such
As Sabiha and her husband’s relationship and eventual making up, the role of the psychologist, David’s role seems to
Be there purely to make the point of the conditions in the concentration camps but there was no other connection between him and other passengers.
My main issue was however the mundane uninteresting language of the story, it felt flat . I realise it may have Ben the translation….
A fairly ordinary read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Disappointed
- 01-10-20
Interesting and captivating
The stories of the characters' lives are set against historic reference with skill. A captivating tale of humanity and diplomacy.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- fiona
- 30-07-16
step into history
an interesting story that has made me keen to learn about the history of turkey and the involvement in ww2
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 14-06-16
masterpiece
a truly moving story of human spirit and hope for the future I was truly moved by this story
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Nicole Tucker
- 13-02-16
An enjoyable love story during WWII
I enjoyed the storyline & the narrator was excellent. At one point I felt the story was predicable. But OT was still an enjoyable journey with the families from France to Turkey.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Shorty
- 02-12-15
Didn't get interesting until two thirds in
Any additional comments?
It seemed to drag on and was quite boring for most of it. I liked the story though but it seemed Selwa was a bit irritating.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- alison
- 09-11-15
Bit of a plod...
It takes a while to get going, and the writing style is a bit choppy in places, but that could be down to translation.
I never really connected with any of the characters, some because I didn't particularly like them and others because they seemed to be randomly introduced to the story and never developed into anything that was really relevant?
Certain elements seemed unnecessary - Sabiha, her daughter, and the psychoanalyst - what was the point? The rape on the train, why, the train journey was harrowing enough and the story never followed through on it anyway. I felt the train journey was a very significant part of the story, yet it was crammed in at the end of the book and left a lot of loose ends.
However, as a historical fiction book it was quite interesting and did give some insight into the plight of the Turkish people during the war.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 29-07-15
Unsympathetic characters
I found myself unable to care what happened to any of these characters. In particular the sisters. One is just outright obnoxious, more interested in pretty much everything other than protecting her son. The other is unable to love her own daughter because when she was growing up her younger sister was slightly taller and therefore her jealousy from childhood has left her emotionally stunted. The narration lacked emotion. The random rape in the train carriage, really, was that necessary???
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