Summary
A beautiful and compelling novel that considers the damage which can be inflicted by our simple desire to look at others.
“I didn’t say anything. I didn’t return his smiles. I looked at him in the wide mirror in front of where I was sitting. He grew uncomfortable and avoided my eyes. I hate those who think fat people are stupid.”
An obese woman and her lover, a dwarf, are sick of being stared at wherever they go, and so decide to reverse roles. The man goes out wearing make up…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780241201916 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0241201918 |
| Author: | Elif Shafak |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 272 |
| Release Date: | 24 June 2015 |
| Weight: | 206g |
| Dimensions: | 198mm x 130mm x 19mm |
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Critics Review
Beautifully evoked * The Times *Original and compelling * TLS *Plays with ideas of beauty and ugliness like they’re Rubik’s cubesEntertaining and affecting * Publishers’ Weekly *Elif Shafak is the best author to come out of Turkey in the last decadeA gorgeous novel: worldly, intriguing, raucous yet elegant, teeming with love and cruelty - and brilliantly alive – A.D. MillerShafak’s novel is a carefully crafted work of imagination… [it] will confirm Shafak’s reputation as a writer of impressive range, who is not afraid to ask the big questions * Financial Times *Shafak paints a gorgeous picture of a city teeming with secrets, intrigue and romance. Lush * The Times *Vividly evoked, beautifully written… this edifying novel shows how hate and envy destroy, and how love might build the world anew * Observer *Shafak blends historical fiction, urban politics and youthful curiosity in an elaborate map of Turkey whose key is the book itself * Guardian *
About The Author
Elif Shafak
- Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist, whose work has been translated into fifty-seven languages.
- The author of twenty books, fourteen of which are novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world.
- Shafak’s previous novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky, was the UK’s bestselling literary hardback novel of 2025, selling over 500,000 copies.
- Her work has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, amongst others.
- She is currently nominated for ‘Author of the Year’ at the British Book Awards.
- Elif Shafak was appointed President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2025.
- Her books have sold several million copies worldwide.
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