The Bastard of Istanbul
Shafak, Elif
literary fiction
magical realism
past tense
third limited POV
~479 pp
A dark literary fiction. Expect minimal worldbuilding, dense, literary prose. Deeply introspective. Ends on an unresolved note. Contains notable violence.
Matched by vibe, pacing, tone, and feel — not just genre.
| Word count | 119,648 |
| Page count | ~479 pp |
| Prologue | — |
| Epilogue | — |
| Tense | past |
| POV | third limited |