The Oracle of Stamboul: A Novel [Hardcover]

Michael David Lukas (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 8, 2011

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.  

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. "They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch." But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.

Raised by her doting father, Yakob, a carpet merchant, and her stern, resentful stepmother, Ruxandra, Eleonora spends her early years daydreaming and doing housework—until the moment she teaches herself to read, and her father recognizes that she is an extraordinarily gifted child, a prodigy.

When Yakob sets off by boat for Stamboul on business, eight-year-old Eleonora, unable to bear the separation, stows away in one of his trunks. On the shores of the Bosporus, in the house of her father's business partner, Moncef Bey, a new life awaits. Books, backgammon, beautiful dresses and shoes, markets swarming with color and life—the imperial capital overflows with elegance, and mystery. For in the narrow streets of Stamboul—a city at the crossroads of the world—intrigue and gossip are currency, and people are not always what they seem. Eleonora's tutor, an American minister and educator, may be a spy. The kindly though elusive Moncef Bey has a past history of secret societies and political maneuvering. And what is to be made of the eccentric, charming Sultan Abdulhamid II himself, beleaguered by friend and foe alike as his unwieldy, multiethnic empire crumbles?

The Oracle of Stamboul is a marvelously evocative, magical historical novel that will transport readers to another time and place—romantic, exotic, yet remarkably similar to our own.

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Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Michael David Lukas

Q: Talk about your inspiration for the characters. Was Eleonora based on anyone?

Lukas: I started writing The Oracle of Stamboul in early 2004. At the time I was living in Tunisia, studying Arabic, applying to MFA programs, and generally trying to figure out what to do with my life. Eleonora came to me on a run through the undeveloped outskirts of Tunis. She was hazy in that first glimpse, a slight, precocious child playing backgammon with two older men. I didn’t know anything about her—where she lived or when, who these men were, why she was playing backgammon with them—but I knew as soon as she came to me that I had found the protagonist of my novel. At first, I thought of her as a mix between Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Roald Dahl’s Matilda. A few months later, rummaging through an antique store in Istanbul, I came across a picture of a young girl from the 1880s. When I saw this picture, everything clicked. Here was Eleonora, staring out across history with a laconic, penetrating gaze. Over the next six years, she took on a life and character of her own. Eleonora still has elements of Alice, Matilda, and the girl in the picture, but she has become her own person.

Q: Would you consider the novel to be a fairy tale?

Lukas:The Oracle of Stamboul is very much inspired by fairy tales. Before I began writing the third draft of the novel, I made a point of reading Maria Tartar’s annotated version of the Brothers’ Grimm. Reading these wonderful, dark, and intimately familiar stories again—as an adult and as a writer—helped me understand my novel in a new way. The Brothers’ Grimm taught me the power of a single magical object and the importance of simplicity, in both plot and character. Their stories also reminded me that I wanted The Oracle of Stamboul to be more than a fairy tale. I wanted the novel to have the wonder and familiarity of a story like “Hansel and Gretel” or “Rapunzel,” but I also wanted it to incorporate the magic of place and the sweep of history.

Q: How might readers of different ages experience the book?

Lukas: I hope The Oracle of Stamboul will appeal to a wide range of readers: people who love reading for its power to transport, to inform, and to inspire; adults who read literary novels; and those adults who read the occasional young adult novel; precocious teenagers; those who want to learn about the Ottoman Empire or Istanbul; and anyone who wants to connect with the preternaturally intelligent child inside them. One could read the novel for Eleonora’s story, for the sense of history, for the sense of place, or for the various historical questions I hope the book raises. And none of these readings is better than the others.

Q: Who are the writers and books that have influenced you the most? What books do you think are complementary in style or mien to The Oracle of Stamboul?

Lukas: Among many others, The Oracle of Stamboul is influenced by Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, Italo Calvino, and Gabriel García Márquez. During the year I started writing the book I had a lot of free time. In the period of a few months I read most of Vladimir Nabokov, John Steinbeck, James Baldwin, and Flannery O’Connor, all writers I look to still for inspiration. I was most taken, however, by those whose work falls into the subgenre I like to call historical fabulism—José Saramago, Günter Grass, and Salman Rushdie—storytellers of the old school who add a pinch of magic to the stew of history. I was particularly moved by Saramago’s novel The History of the Siege of Lisbon, in which a bored proofreader literally rewrites the history of Lisbon, and by Grass’s The Tin Drum, in which a clairvoyant young German boy named Oskar Matzerath disrupts the traditional narrative of World War II by beating on a tin drum. How wonderful, this idea that a single act, a single person, might change the course of history.

Q: You teach creative writing to third and fourth graders. What have you learned from working with them?

Lukas: This past semester my students participated in National Novel Writing Month. It was kind of a crazy idea, but it worked wonderfully. One student wrote a novel about a panda who is adopted by mice. Another student wrote about a ghostly tooth fairy who is his own worst enemy. And then there was the pair who collaborated on a novel about a moldy pickle and a moldy cucumber who are best friends and want more than anything to escape the refrigerator. When I started teaching the creative writing to third and fourth graders—through an afterschool program called Take My Word For It!—I was going through a bit of a quarter life crisis. My students’ wide-eyed enthusiasm and seemingly-infinite imaginations helped me to regain my sense of wonder and possibility in the world. And they taught me that no idea is too crazy.

From Publishers Weekly

A girl changes the course of the Ottoman empire in Lukas's middling debut. Eleonora Cohen--born in 1877 Romania, prophesied to alter history, and gifted with great intelligence--stows away at age eight to follow her father to Stamboul. Her first weeks there are a whirlwind of beautiful new dresses and cultural experiences, but the idyllic adventure takes a terrible twist after her father is killed in an accident and Eleonora is taken in by her father's wealthy and politically slippery friend. She proves to be a quick study, and once her tutor alerts the palace of Eleonora's immense intelligence, she finds herself in attendance at the sultan's court, commenting on a political standoff between the Ottoman empire, Russia, and Germany. As the sultan's interest in her grows, so, too, does her reputation and importance, though Eleonora is unsure if her new role is what she wants from life. The backdrop is nicely done, but Lukas can't quite get his characters to pop or the plot to click; indeed, the buildup of Eleonora's oracle-like powers culminates in a disappointing fizzle. It's well intentioned, but flatly executed. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (February 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062012096
• ISBN-13: 978-0062012098
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #861,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael David Lukas has been a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey, a night-shift proofreader in Tel Aviv, and a waiter at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Vermont. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Maryland, he is a recipient of scholarships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Summer Writers' Institute, Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and Elizabeth George Foundation. His writing has appeared in VQR, Slate, National Geographic Traveler, and Georgia Review. He lives in Oakland, California, less than a mile from where he was born. When he's not writing he teaches creative writing to third and fourth graders at Thornhill Elementary School.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Debut March 10, 2011

By Jeannie Mancini VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

In the year 1877, Eleonora Cohen was ushered into the magnificent and opulent world of the Ottoman Empire to the smell of witch hazel, the sound of thunderous hoof-beats from Russian invaders, the flapping of wings from flocks of mysterious birds, and to the bright flashes of lightening striking. The Tartar midwives holding her up to the sky said she was the long awaited Oracle from a prophecy dictated long ago a by a king upon his deathbed. He foretold there would be a baby girl born when a certain alignment of moon and stars occurred amidst a sea of horses, and a when a conference of black and yellow birds darkened the sky.

Raised by her father, as her mother died in childbirth, it is soon learned that at the age of 6, something was special about Eleonora. She read voraciously, could perform complicated math sums, read Latin and 6 other languages, provide discourse on the ancient philosophers, decipher codes and puzzles, and memorize long passages of difficult books. With a child savant to raise, her father was protective and unsure of what the future could bring to one so innocent and yet a dangerous Pandora's box. When Eleonora's father plans a business trip to Istanbul, then called Stamboul, Eleonora stows on board as a runaway as to not be left behind with her unsavory stepmother. Shocked but not surprised, Eleonora's father vows to take advantage of the situation and allows his daughter to learn and enjoy the culture of Turkey where she can embrace the life of a young scholar rather than have her mind hindered by the stifling domestic atmosphere she was used to.

Soon after their arrival, tragedy strikes again and Eleonora's father dies in a tragic boating accident that suspiciously is thought to be an incident of political sabotage. From the moment of his death, Eleonora chooses not to speak, but communicates through writing. She is well taken care of by her guardian, her father's longtime friend who is being watched carefully by the present Sultan for possible treason. Eleonora happily takes residence with him, living the life of a little princess in a lovely Turkish Palace. When word gets out to the Sultan that she is the Oracle, he invites Eleonora to the Topkapi palace in hopes of using her to advise him on current social, political and international issues of intrigue. Eleonora becomes caught up in a world of war games and military tactics as she plays the pawn to the Sultan's future chessboard strategies regarding his current conflict with Russia.

Although Lukas' writing is quite beautiful and poetic, I can't recommend this new debut too highly. I loved the idea of the Oracle of Stamboul, and I love the character of Eleonora. But, it seems the author had a great idea and simply didn't know how to weave a plot around it. By midpoint I was bored out of my mind, the story meanders at a snail's pace with no action, no drama, no romance, no mystery....no nothing. There is a hint of magic realism that was an ingenious little creation that went nowhere, the purpose of her being the long awaited Oracle remains to be revealed, and Eleonora herself simply has no personality to speak of. I kept thinking there had to be a worthy ending to all of this drivel to make it worth the time, and was terribly disappointed by the time the last page turned. I felt the ending was rather a cop-out revealing that the author just didn't know how to finish the story in a satisfactory manner. There really wasn't and ending any more than there was a purpose in my opinion. I'm sorry, although I see the author having future potential due to the fact his writing style can be lovely, I think he has a way to go yet before he becomes polished and noteworthy. The Oracle of Stamboul was so close to being a gem, but just needed more panache, a little focus, and a riveting plot to make it stand out.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Classic? Definitely February 11, 2011

By VeraP

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

At the end of the Ottoman Empire, a young girl, whose birth was predicted by the last Tartar King, holds the power to set history on the right path.

Born to a Jewish carper merchant, Eleanora Cohen is as brilliant as she is devoted to her father. She follows him to Stamboul where she catches the attention of the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdulhamid II. The Sultan is amazed at Eleanora's vast knowledge at such an early age, and invites her to visit the palace. Sultan accepts Eleanora's advice on political matters, and to her dismay, Sultan's attention is noticed by an American reporter. Before she knows it, Eleanora is propelled into infamy, one she is not so sure she's ready to handle.

Michael David Lukas' The Oracle of Stamboul is fascinating and enchanting, a beautiful glimpse into a world where prophesies are real, and massive empires vie for power while bowing down at the feet of a little girl. The Oracle of Stamboul has been described as an instant classic, and I can definitely see why. Highly recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Much Hoopoe-do about Something: SPOILER ALERT March 31, 2011

By Diana F. Von Behren TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

While Michael David Lukas's novel "The Oracle of Stamboul" may have its moments, ultimately its tale of a young girl with a savant-like intelligence that finds herself discussing current events with one of the last sultans of the Ottoman Empire leaves the reader in a curious quandary, wondering why all the hoopla for not that much ado.

Portents and signs are much used in literature to endow the atmosphere with the prickling of something spectacular that is to come. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Calpurnia, the wife of Caesar awakens on the Ides of March with much foreboding. Oddball incidents of a lioness giving birth in the streets, the dead rising from their graves, ghosts shrieking and a blazing comet seen during the night could only prophesize the death of a prince. As members of a well-versed audience, we know where all the mumbo-jumbo leads: the forum, many knives, much blood and an "Et tu, Brute?" The reality of the outcome more than outweighs the bizarre uniqueness of the augury.

When Michael David Lukas births his heroine, Eleonora Cohen, he does so with more than enough soothsaying fanfare to herald a new Messiah. Supposedly, the last Tartar king prophesizes that "a young girl would come to push aside the tides of history and put the world right on its axis again." The auspicious signs are unmistakable: a sea of horses, the North Star in alignment with the moon, and a flock of purple and white hoopoes that gather mysteriously at the birthplace in Constanta, Romania during a siege by the infamously brutal Cossacks. Signs, indeed, of great expectations.

So what is it that Eleonora's presence is supposed to trigger? The downfall of an already weakened Ottoman Empire besieged by the Russians looking for their port on the Mediterranean Sea or the Germans desiring control of a railroad to ameliorate their trade in Baghdad? As a Jewess, is she representative of all the different races and creeds under the auspices of the Empire? Is she a foreshadowing of the angst and massacre that will come during the Great War and the destruction of Smyrna in 1922? Or is she just a little girl enamored by her ability to get lost as a reader in a good book?

Whatever Lukas intends her to be, he does not fulfill in this book of "Oracle." Perhaps, like "The Hourglass," the multi-volume novel that a fascinated Eleonora reads over and over again, "Oracle" is intended to be part one of a multitude of offerings that will follow Eleonora's life as it meanders along during this crucial period in the history of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Perhaps, the augurs were correct and indeed, Eleonora will try and fail to put the world back on some semblance of its axis. Or perhaps, Lukas has an alternative history planned where the concept and application of "It's a Small World, After All," may foster an aftermath of global benevolence.

Despite all these pitfalls, Lukas succeeds in crafting prose that does border on the magical. Reminiscent of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's "The Shadow of the Wind," "Oracle" allows its protagonist to ponder the world through the exploits read in novels. Readers will definitely fall under his spell but again will anticipate a spectacular ending based upon the promise of the premise.

Sadly, "Oracle's" world of Stamboul with all its behind-the-scene's intrigue and half-comprehended dynamics as seen through the eyes of nine-year-old Eleonora, remain ill-lit conundrums locked within a series of Chinese boxes. However, if Lukas considers "Oracle" as Book One of a series, the promise of further adventures, speculations and prophetic fulfillment would necessitate a look at this novel from an entirely different vantage point.

As a freestanding piece of literature, "Oracle" opens the door to events of much interest, but never resolves the intriguing tidbits it brings into the light. For example, the character of Reverend Muehler decidedly is spying on the household of Eleonora's guardian, the Bey. However, Lukas shows Muehler's actions only from the perspective of Eleonora who as a savant has other more detail-oriented things filling her savant mind. As the literary universes of Ovid, Homer, Cicero and the imaginary author of the fictive "The Hourglass" fashion a pleasant sensible respite from Eleonora's actual world, understanding the actions of Muehler, the Bey, Mrs. Damakan, the Valide Sultan, the Grand Vizier and her stepmother/aunt Ruxandra are prioritized as secondary issues relegated to the background of her existence. <Spoiler Alert:> Once the girl realizes that the activities of the adults around her are going to disrupt that which she wants and with which she feels comfortable, she dissipates everyone's expectations of her Messianic future by simply dropping out of the scene. As in the beginning, her flock of hoopoes symbolizes her journey; at the end of the novel they cover her trail neatly, partitioning themselves and gathering in different sections of Stamboul to throw her pursuers off the track.

So all the questions still remain: Series or one-time-only? How can a girl with such auspicious birth signs just disappear? Is the prophecy just a load of hooey? Could the hoopoes have bet on the wrong horse? Will the reader ever discover the true purpose of each of the novel's characters? What exactly is Eleonora supposed to do to "set the world back on its axis again?" Hopefully Mr. Lukas is typing now as I am, weaving all of his loose threads into an even more compelling sequel.

Bottom line? If Michael David Lukas's "The Oracle of Stamboul" is a stand-alone novel, his readers will be treated to lovely prose, a glimpse into the mindset of an extraordinary girl who loves to read and a magic carpet ride back to the end of the nineteenth century when the feeble Ottoman Empire ruled a good portion of Europe and the Middle East. Whether or not many of the plotlines of "Oracle" wither on the vine can only be determined if Mr. Lukas has decided upon a series where his intrepid protagonist, Eleonora, will execute the prophesy set up so nicely for her to fulfill. Perhaps, Lukas will present Topkapi and its intrigues through keener, more world savvy eyes. Or perhaps he will not. If this is the case, be prepared to be disappointed as this novel, like Eleonora has great expectations that have not been actuated. Recommended with wariness for those expecting a magical transportation.
Diana Faillace Von Behren