Honour: The gripping historical novel about love, betrayal and clashing cultures from the bestselling author of There Are Rivers in the Sky

Often not a comfortable read, particularly if you are of a Western mindset, but more than worth persevering with. Beautifully written and, as always, non-judgmental. The theme is both feminist and religious focusing on tradition and the subservience of women in conservative Islamic societies. It is clear where she stands but this is no polemic. Instead a calmly told story that dives deep into the core characters to explain how they look at the world. You may not like where the characters stand, but she explains where these attitudes come from. About time she got the Nobel Prize for literature.

I really enjoyed this book. If I had not found it a bit confusing at first sorting out who was related to whom it would have been five stars. The early part of the book jumps about a bit between characters and time frames, but it does not spoil the story. I would have liked to know more about how Iskender fared when he came out of prison, but maybe that's another book. There is a surprising twist at the end. It highlights how damaging the perception of having to preserve honour can be, especially for women.

How good can a novel be? This is a wonderful story, by a brilliant writer. She has a fantastic ability to catch the right image. She describes the air plant, tillandsia, that has no roots but survives where it can, a metaphor for the exiled Elias, from everywhere and nowhere. Shafak is as comfortable describing Turkey in the 1950s as London in the 1970s. Her characters are not just cut outs against a carefully depicted background. They live, exist and move creating their world as much as they are shaped by it. We find cooks and hairdressers, midwives and microbiologists, anarchists and punks. A rich kaleidoscope of life. She suggests that there may be a magical, a higher purpose, in the everyday coincidence. Not all dreams are fulfilled, but not all nightmares are realised. At the heart of Honour there is an awful crime. The author shows how its seeds were sown in many families, over many generations in many lands. We are left to ask at the end whether the tragedy has fully unspooled, whether there really is a happy ending. No-one is entirely denied a better side. This allows us to stay with those – all men – whose "honour" directs violence and hate on sisters, mothers and daughters. Equally we feel a rage at this hate, which poisons sons and fathers and brothers. As in the other novels of hers that I have read, Elif Shafak avoids a narrative of revenge or redemptive violence. Forgiveness may be impossible, but hatred is no solution.

Wow. This book was amazing. I was unsure about awarding 5 stars purely because the story jumped between timeframes and locations a lot, but by doing this I was constantly surprised by events. For the intricacies of the plot, the profound descriptions, the enormity of the subject matter and the clever double twist at the end, I consider it 5 stars. This is a book that definitely deserves a re-read.

Personally I am not the biggest fan of different chapters "written" in a different characters voice across multiple timeframes even when they are prefaced with the relevant details of who, when and where, so I found this to be more disjointed than I would have liked. However, once it was all narrated through the characters, the story itself was relatively distinct although I still had queries on why it happened as it did. The explanations of the twins different lives across their lifetimes was so vividly opposing it made a counterpoint to them in particular. Although there were times I found it very hard to read this book, I think it is a good book to give an insight into how something like this could happen. I still cannot fathom the notion of it being 'honour', but I understand well the notions of disgrace to the family etc. and how the traditions of the background play into that feeling. On the whole, I felt it was a very worthwhile exercise to read this book which was both interesting and highly intriguing and though I was very tempted to give it another star, I resisted due to my personal dislike of so many narrators across so many times and places which left me feeling the story still had holes in it and I had slipped through time and understanding because of this. However, I can see how others would give it four or five stars.

I have not read the book yet hence the arbitrary star rating BUT I wanted to leave a review to say that the font is super tiny. That’s not ideal.

A great storyline from a talented author. A good first novel for an introduction to Eli’s Shafak’s work.

Totally immersed in this gripping story from start to finish. The changes in time and place were well integrated and enhanced the central theme of the story. The characters were clearly drawn and empathetic. we read this for book group, it wasn't a book I might have naturally chosen but I'm really pleased to have read it. It's a story that has a lasting impact on the reader, well told, well written and ultimately very moving.

Molto interessante. Affronta temi molto delicati, come il ruolo della donna nelle culture mediorientali e la condizione di chi si trova ad emigrare in un altro Paese e deve affrontare le difficoltà legate all'incontro con un'altra cultura e con le discriminazioni.

The excellent writting that Elif Shafak has is amazing. The book opens many stories together - and different narrators-and the climax is within each story plus the general climax.Unpredictable, many supositions but any certainty up to the end that every story joint the other to a end with fireworks. As the Bastard of Istambul and the Forty rules of Love is GREAT. The writer brings her background through traditions and beliefs towards the 21 century female life and the cultural clash. An intense writing, difficult to put aside after reading the first lines

Elif Shafak's books will grow over distant years into timeless pillars of literary greatness. In the short term, I hope someone in a position power ensures her name is put forward gor the Nobel prize for literature.

A heart wrenching story of a Turkish immigrant family as they adjust to life in London in the 1970s. This narrative skips between characters and countries and times, so sometimes it is difficult to keep up with, but nevertheless this book is an absolute gem to read. The plot is so well crafted you won't be able to put it down!

This book is nothing but emotions.. Pure human emotions which come with no rational explanations. This book felt like self discovery. It made me ache for the characters, empathize with them and above all.. To feel for people. To not judge. To understand people as fellow human beings who come with all their imperfections. I would definitely recommend this book to those who like to be captured by words and emotions.