‘The Snake Stone’ is a crime novel about historical Istanbul. The thriller was written by Jason Goodwin, an Englishman. It has been translated into Dutch by Nina van Rossem and was first printed in 2007. The book comes from a series of historical crime thrillers of which ‘De Slangensteen’ is the second book. Jason Goodwin even won the ‘Edgar Allan Poe’ prize with this book.
Summary ‘The Snake Stone’
French archaeologist Lefèvre comes to Istanbul in 1838 because he has information about a lost Byzantine treasure that he is eager to find. Since the man has sensitive information, the Greek but also the Turkish community is not very happy with the arrival of the archaeologist. That’s why Yashim, the eunuch who had brilliantly solved murders before, is brought in to keep a close eye on him. When Lefèvre was suddenly found dead in the street, everyone naturally looked at Yashim. Yashim then has to prove in a very short time that he has nothing to do with the murder, and there is only one way: he has to find the real murderer.
One day while he was with his friend Palevski, the Polish ambassador, Palevski suddenly opened a cupboard containing the Relics, the Byzantine treasure that Lefèvre was looking for. Then suddenly Lefèvre’s wife travels ???? Madame Lefèvre ???? to Istanbul. She then stays with Yashim. Yashim shares what he knows about her husband’s death. Because time is really running out, he is going to visit ?? with an English doctor, Dr. Millingen. After talking to many people, many puzzle pieces fall into place. Millingen has captured the French archaeologist, and the deceased man was someone else, someone who was murdered on behalf of Millingen. Millingen wants the relics that Monsieur Lefèvre thought he was on the trail of, and that is why he has taken Lefèvre prisoner. Ultimately, Yashim succeeds in freeing Lefèvre from the doctor and with that he proved his innocence.
Main character: Yashim Togalu
The main character of ???? The Slangensteen ???? is Yashim Togalu, in the book he is really only called Yashim. He is close friends with the Polish ambassador ???? Palevski ???? and can also think fairly clearly in a very dire situation. His problem in the story is that he is suspected of the murder of the French archaeologist Lefèvre. He has to prove his innocence in a very short time. Yashim is a wise man who sometimes works too hastily. You don’t learn much about his family and his family in the book. It is said that Yashim lives alone.
Writer: Jason Goodwin
Jason Goodwin is an English writer and historian. Other well-known books by him are, for example, ‘The fire of Istanbul’ and ‘The map of Bellini’, which comes from the same series of books as ‘The Snake Stone’. The Serpent Stone is the second book in the series and is often seen as the least of the three. They are three on one standing books, but some prior knowledge of the previous books can sometimes clarify the story. Jason Goodwin studied Byzantine History at Cambridge University. You can see this topic clearly reflected in the books. Details about the buildings but also the customs in Istanbul are often discussed extensively.
My opinion about the book
I thought it was a very interesting and exciting book to read. Often the atmosphere and the surroundings are described very nicely, making the book more interesting to read and you almost really feel like you are in the Turkish city. Yet there are also pieces that only things happen that are not relevant to the story. This sometimes makes it a bit long-winded and the tension decreases slightly.
All in all, it is a fascinating book to read in which you can taste the history of Istanbul well. The tension is good despite the sometimes monotonous and long-winded lyrics. It is definitely recommended to read!
- ISBN10: 9023427270
- ISBN13: 9789023427278