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48th out of 107 books
—
108 voters
The Snake Stone (Yashim the Eunuch #2)
by
Jason Goodwin (Goodreads Author)
The captivating return of Yashim, the eunuch investigator from the intelligent, elliptical and beguilingly written" (The Times, London) bestseller The Janissary Tree
When a French archaeologist arrives in 1830s Istanbul determined to track down a lost Byzantine treasure, the local Greek communities are uncertain how to react; the man seems dangerously well informed. Yashim...more
When a French archaeologist arrives in 1830s Istanbul determined to track down a lost Byzantine treasure, the local Greek communities are uncertain how to react; the man seems dangerously well informed. Yashim...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
October 16th 2007
by Sarah Crichton Books
(first published 2007)
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"Yashim did not challenge the men who met him; or the women. With his kind face, gray eyes, dark curls barely touched, at forty, by the passage of the years, Yashim was a listener; a quiet questioner; and not entirely a man. Yashim was a eunuch."
The city of Istanbul is nestled under a cloud of apprehension in 1839. The Sultan Malmud II is dying and with any impending change of power the people are uncertain about how their lives will be affected by the will of the new Sultan.
Sultan Mahumud II
Y...more
The city of Istanbul is nestled under a cloud of apprehension in 1839. The Sultan Malmud II is dying and with any impending change of power the people are uncertain about how their lives will be affected by the will of the new Sultan.
Sultan Mahumud II
Y...more
Ein im osmanischen Istanbul spielender Kriminalroman - die Handlung ist mit der Biographie Lord Byrons und der griechischen Unabhängigkeitsgeschichte verknüpft. So weit, so gut - das alles klingt eigentlich sehr vielversprechend - doch das Buch selbst ist eintönig, langweilig, und nicht stringent. Ständig werden neue Charaktere eingeführt, die jedoch ein paar Seiten später schon wieder sterben, und selbst bei der Auflösung bleiben noch viele Fragen ungeklärt. Dieses Buch bietet kein erfüllendes...more
1 like · like · see review
As the subtitle indicates, investigator Yashim returns. For those of you who haven't read the first book in this series, The Janissary Tree, I highly recommend it. (It's not just me, it won an Edgar!) Yashim is a eunuch, previously part of the sultan's household who was granted his freedom many years ago. He still has a good relationship with the Valide Sultan (mother of the sultan) and visits her. The sultan has moved out of Topkapi Palace to his new palace, Besiktas, but many things still cent...more
Nov 26, 2012
LJ
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
historical,
istanbul,
male_author,
mystery,
mysterybookclub,
turkey,
georgian_1714-1811_1820-37
First Sentence: The voice was low and rough and it came from behind as dusk fell.
I love Goodwin’s strong sense of place. His descriptions draw mental pictures and engage you senses. The book is a fascinating look at Istanbul of this period and a culture so different from our own, but you also see our culture viewed through their eyes. We are also seeing it at a time of significant transition from being and primarily Muslim city, to one more influenced by Western Culture. Yet his descriptions are...more
I love Goodwin’s strong sense of place. His descriptions draw mental pictures and engage you senses. The book is a fascinating look at Istanbul of this period and a culture so different from our own, but you also see our culture viewed through their eyes. We are also seeing it at a time of significant transition from being and primarily Muslim city, to one more influenced by Western Culture. Yet his descriptions are...more
I enjoyed The Snake Stone, the second in the Investigator Yashim series. Yashim is a eunuch in service to his sultan and has access to all layers of Constantinople society. Yashim moves fluidly from the most base to the most exalted and esteemed - from shopkeepers to the first wife, a Frenchwoman who waits in privledged isolation for her husband, Sultan Mahmut to pass. This access is a marvelous storytelling technique and give us access too to all that the city has to offer.
Particularly apprecia...more
Particularly apprecia...more
A tour through the historical area of Istanbul and a rousing mystery at the same time. In some ways, a better book than his first highly acclaimed novel featuring Yashim the Eunuch. Plot, in a nutshell, is French archaeologist (or is he?) shows up on Yashim's doorstep, later dies a horrible death (or does he?), Yashim becomes chief suspect (or is he?), wife of dead archaeologist (now is she? shows us looking for husband, despite lack of testosterone, Yashim falls madly into a torrid affair with...more
Another interesting mystery by a noted scholar of Ottoman history (he wrote Lords of the Horizons, perhaps the best introduction to the history of Osmanli dynasty from start to finish). Jason Goodwin's Investigator Yashim is a eunuch (a lala in Turkish) semi-involved with the Sultan's court who happens to act as a freelance investigator.
In The Snake Stone, a French archeologist gets involved with Yashim and his friend, the Polish consul (even though Poland does not exist as a country in the 1830...more
In The Snake Stone, a French archeologist gets involved with Yashim and his friend, the Polish consul (even though Poland does not exist as a country in the 1830...more
I truly enjoy this series. The description of the exotic city, people, food, and customs is fascinating. In Stone, several murders have taken place and while a group named Hetira appears to be involved Yashim is primarily concerned with the death of a French archaeologist whom he saw just before he died. Linking Yashim with this death would tarnish his reputation and diminish his effectiveness as an investigator. As Yashim investigates the murders he finds himself trapped in the waterworks in a...more
This book was another excellent mystery about Yashim and his adventures in nineteenth century Turkey. I love the attention to detail about Ottoman history (this time it was set right before the death of Sultan)and the cooking done by Yashim through the book just makes your mouth water. This time, the book is set in 1839. Yashim is trying to find out who attached his friend the vegetable seller George, who killed a bookseller in the marketplace and a French archaelogist named Max Lefevre. Yashim...more
The Ottoman Empire feels like a great gap in my understanding of the history of the world, which I've tried to fix over the past decade. Jason Goodwin's Lords of the Horizon was one of non-fiction histories I read and I've enjoyed his move into fictionalizing the declining days of the Empire. Set in 1830's Istanbul, The Snake Stone, like The Janissary Tree before it, explores not only the solutions to crimes, but the culture and politics of the moment, from the perspective of eternal outsider Ya...more
I was disappointed to find the author pretty much stuck to a formula from his first mystery so this felt really repetitive, especially reading it one week after book 1. As in the first book, his writing is very lush and interesting, and I enjoyed the view of a place I was seeing nearly 200 years later. But this mystery is even more muddy than the first and in fact it's still hard to say exactly what happened. This is not a good quality in a mystery...I don't like it when authors think it will be...more
Aug 13, 2011
Jen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
history lovers; mystery lovers
Shelves:
read-in-2011,
library-books
What I like about this series is that the mystery is nicely written. Its not so obvious and you can certainly piece together the evidence as Yashim does. You have all the pieces, but they don't quite fit right. As Yashim says in this book: you're trying to remember an old recipe just by taste, you have all the ingredients in front of you but something doesn't quite taste right. And that's what I love about this series. It keeps you thinking. Not to mention Yashim is a great narrator. He is a lal...more
With ‘The Snake Stone’, author Jason Goodwin shows he’s grown in his storytelling abilities without compromising on the parts which made his previous novel, ‘The Janissary Tree’, such a fascinating read. That plot could’ve been compared to the simplicity of any Dan Brown-like book, while with ‘The Snake Stone’, Goodwin reaches a climax that is so ridiculously dense and overly complicated it might more easily remind one of the works of Raymond Chandler.
Set again during the background of a fading...more
Set again during the background of a fading...more
I enjoyed this book very much even though I'm not completely sure what happened in it. It's supposed to be a mystery but I'm not sure what the mystery was or what the solution was. But it's really a pleasure to read, wonderful lively descriptions. The characters are interesting but not fully developed; they're more like short story characters, where you just get a quick sketch of just one side of their personalities. But, as I say, still really a good book. Not sure if I'll read another in this...more
A great read set in a totally unfamiliar place & time. Istanbul, 1838, is a major character, along with Yashim and others. There are interesting details here, at least of which I want to believe are accurate. My favorite is one character's (possibly Yashim's; I can't recall) puzzlement/curiosity over the European habit of separating different spheres of life into different rooms. I like the possibilities that suggests.
Oh, this tale also includes a good mystery, even if that was secondary for...more
Oh, this tale also includes a good mystery, even if that was secondary for...more
#2 in the Yashim the Eunuch historical mystery series set in 1830's Istanbul. The sultan is dying, and the city is in a peculiar mood. Yashim, who works for the sultan, hasn't been summoned to the palace in months, so he's perfectly free to investigate the murder of a French archaelogist on his own behalf. Dr. Lefevre had been a guest in Yashim's home the day before he died and he had been asking a lot of nosy questions about valuable Greek artifacts. He sought a ship back to France which Yashim...more
Aug 21, 2008
Shippseattle
marked it as to-read
The captivating return of Yashim, the eunuch investigator from the intelligent, elliptical and beguilingly written" (The Times, London)...more [close] The captivating return of Yashim, the eunuch investigator from the intelligent, elliptical and beguilingly written" (The Times, London) bestseller The Janissary Tree
When a French archaeologist arrives in 1830s Istanbul determined to track down a lost Byzantine treasure, the local Greek communities are uncertain how to react; the man seems dangerou...more
When a French archaeologist arrives in 1830s Istanbul determined to track down a lost Byzantine treasure, the local Greek communities are uncertain how to react; the man seems dangerou...more
I really enjoyed The Janissary Tree, so I was very excited about the release of the follow-up mystery, The Snake Stone. But, sadly, I found it terribly disappointing.
Goodwin clearly as a vast knowledge of the world of 19th-century Istanbul. In his first novel, he carefully balanced his knowledge with explanations and descriptions that kept the reader engaged in a world that few Westerners likely know much about. But in this new novel, arcana seems to have taken over, and it makes the story hard...more
Goodwin clearly as a vast knowledge of the world of 19th-century Istanbul. In his first novel, he carefully balanced his knowledge with explanations and descriptions that kept the reader engaged in a world that few Westerners likely know much about. But in this new novel, arcana seems to have taken over, and it makes the story hard...more
After Yashim helps archeologist Lefevre to leave Istanbul, he hears that Lefevre has been murdered. Lefevre has been seeking old hidden treasures, and Yashim is wary of the waterkeepers. When Lefevre's beautiful wife shows up, Yashim helps her as well, and trying to protect her he risks his life going below ground to the water tunnels. Yashim may have been the last person to see Lefevre alive, so he needs to solve the murder to save himself.
World-building at its best. Istanbul 1838, in a dying Ottoman Empire the eunuch Yashim is accused of murder. Though the plot moved rather slowly, what really elevated this book was how Goodwin well used the city of Istanbul, and the layers of history that make it up. After all, Constantinople was THE capital of Christianity for quite awhile. Good read if you want to learn more about Istanbul or marvel at some excellent world-building.
Not a clear mystery story line. A good read for those interested in immersing themselves in another culture, in this case an historical look at an exotic locale. The story is set in Istanbul during the 1830's and features Yashim, a former palace eunuch. It is the second in a series and has very colorful secondary characters. Many fascinating details about the customs, architecture and ethnic groups of this geographical area.
1 like · like · see review
I found this rather slow moving at first, which may have had more to do with the pace of the narrator, since I listened to it on audio, or it may be because I kept falling asleep. It is a very complicated plot but what I like most about this series of mysteries is that they are set in 19th century Istanbul and I find the descriptions of the city and the varied races who live there fascinating. Now I want to go to Istanbul to see the city for myself.
I am clearly addicted to this series, even if it is only an historian who decided to cash in on his knowledge by constructing a mystery series set in his area of expertise. The bits about Turkish cooking make my mouth water and my mind wonder how I coud achieve the same effect! It thrills me that the books have been translated into 36 languages. The drawing power is clearly universal. Try just reading one!!
The first book I read in this series was the Janissary Tree. I enjoyed it more than this one. This novel felt disjointed. There were too many asides that diverted and distracted me. For example, Goodwin clearly enjoys supplying the reader with detailed descriptions of food preparation. Sounded yummy, but I'll read a cookbook if that's what I'm in the mood for. I never felt that the characters were more than props, so I never connected to the characters--even Yashim was much more shallow than in...more
See my review for the first book in the series, the estimable Jannissary Tree.
This, if anything, is even a little bit better. Melodramatic characters (surely they all were in Victorian/Ottoman times?) inhabit this return to intrigue and death amid the dark streets of Istanbul.
My daughter, aged 16 at the time, loved this book and its prequel.
This, if anything, is even a little bit better. Melodramatic characters (surely they all were in Victorian/Ottoman times?) inhabit this return to intrigue and death amid the dark streets of Istanbul.
My daughter, aged 16 at the time, loved this book and its prequel.
Jason Goodwin's Yashim the Eunuch books are making me hungry! The way he describes Yashim buying food then preparing/cooking the food . . . or getting kebab or pastries at a street vendor or cafe . . . well, I want to drop everything and search for those eggplants or peppers or drop into the patisserie (lol, like we have anything similar in Dallas).
Then he tops it off with a good mystery which takes Yashim from Topkapi to Galata to Pera to Balat and describes so well the major sites of Istanbul....more
Then he tops it off with a good mystery which takes Yashim from Topkapi to Galata to Pera to Balat and describes so well the major sites of Istanbul....more
I just love these books. I confess that I may often skim through 'narrative' in some mysteries to 'get on w/ the story' but I so love Jason Goodwin's word-painting of Istanbul and its history that I am not tempted at ALL to do so in his books. I so wish there were more than three...but there will be, I trust.
Sequel to The Janissary Tree, which I quite liked. This, too. I very much like Goodwin’s investigator, Yashim, and I liked the setting and the story, although I have to say there were some places where I wasn’t quite following what was happening. Still, overall, most engaging and I eagerly await the next.
Jul 26, 2011
Steven Sears
added it
It was readable without ever making the pulse quicken. It is not that punchy, however Istanbul is not a place that I have been to, so I enjoyed learning something about it. The descriptions of the food were beautifully described and certainly made me hungry. Not sure I would rush to read another Yashim mystery!
The second in Jason Goodwin's series about Yashim the Ottoman eunuch. He's stilling cooking wonderful meals and exposing the reader to the complexity of the city and culture of Istanbul.
Even the Vikings have a bit part in this story albeit not a very savory part. A vacation read.
Even the Vikings have a bit part in this story albeit not a very savory part. A vacation read.
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Jason Goodwin studied Byzantine history at Cambridge University - and returned to an old obsession to write The Gunpowder Gardens or, A Time For Tea: Travels in China and India in Search of Tea, which was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Award. When the Berlin Wall fell, he walked from Poland to Istanbul to encounter the new European neighbours. His account of the journey, On Foot to the Golden Hor...more
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Perhaps because I just ate a kilo block of frozen pac...more
Jul 05, 2012 02:16pm
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