His entry begins:I finished Remembrance of Things Past—Marcel Proust’s thirty five hundred page, seven volume novel—just a few days ago. Ever since, I have been trying whenever possible to work it into conversation, without much success. Much like mountain climbers and scuba divers, readers of Proust will take any opportunity to introduce the topic of reading Proust. It’s hard not to talk about the mountain I just summited, even if such conversations almost invariably fall flat. For while there may in fact be many social situations that his work can illuminate, the words “that reminds me of a passage in Proust” are almost always followed by silence. And so, when offered the chance to write a few hundred words on the topic of what I have been reading lately, I jumped at the chance.Among the early praise for The Oracle of Stamboul:
I had a similar feeling a bit more than a year ago, after...[read on]
“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.”Learn more about the book and author at Michael David Lukas' website.
—Kirkus Reviews
“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
“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
“The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas’ promising debut.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Michael David Lukas charms in his debut.”
—Vanity Fair
Writers Read: Michael David Lukas.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
