this went so much deeper than i thought it was going to go and im so glad for it. there was so much to it that i went in blind and feel a tad ignorant that i didn't know more than i did on certain subjects. but what i also loved is how it didn't get preachy, heavy or overtake the beautiful story within. there was nothing better for me than when my grandparents or someone elderly or from a different time or place would tell me their story. there is so much the my Grandpa told me of his world and my granddads life im sure has been stolen for a modern day soap story! so this and hearing from our main character about his life was just such a solid read for me. and i did later go and google what i didn't know or actually what i was a bit ashamed i didn't know more of as my knowledge of that time and experience was very very light.
this is Pericles story. hes is older now and lives in a very old building. but its a building that has witnessed much of what life has forgotten or chosen to hide or ignore. and that is of Turkeys past. the building once belonged to the Greeks. but the Greeks never had it easy here. not at all.
but what happens to the old cities or buildings when a country wants to push forward, possibly erase certain things?
Pericles tells us his story as hes watched over a fraught time in his country. his family were pushed out, everything of their taken over. he heard many a disgusting thing happen to people around him. he is still here, in this old building. and his memories are beautifully interwoven with the present and very much linked. because now his home is being threatened. they want to take this one down too. they have taken all the others after all. he is one of very few residents left.
i feel very lucky to have Defne tell me the story she has. im so thankful for anyone that gives me a light to something i should be looking at probably long before i have. but its done with tender moments to sew through the not so hard bits. and its done with human heart and human feelings. so you cant help but feel connected. you can help but want to know this brave and brilliants mans story. you might not be able to relate to what hes seen. but you somehow still relate to someone who "feels" what he does and sees what has and what that can do to us all and those around us.
and we should never erase a history. we should always keep telling and knowing it.

This is the biography of a city and a culture, told as the biography of Pericles a seventy-five year old man born into that city at the end of World War II, Greek Orthodox by culture and descent, but a Turkish citizen in the Islamic city of Istanbul. The history of Greeks in Turkey is too complex to discuss here but, essentially, Greek people have lived in Istanbul for centuries, and their population is the only one tolerated. But increasingly through the Twentieth Century they have been persecuted and stigmatised, their properties destroyed or expropriated until, in 1964, all those with a Greek passport were expelled from Turkey. Pericles has lived through these times, and his life has been entrained by them. In the Twenty-First Century, some of these pressures still persist but his life is now more constrained by the massive destruction of the old city and the construction of a massive highway cutting through within sight of his apartment in a historic and architecturally important building. None of those adjectives guarantees that it will survive. He has been recalling his past and making notes for a possible memoir, a project that becomes more industrious and more important when a young novelist, Leyla, moves into the building and becomes his amanuensis.
This novel is effectively told in two timelines, the present – watching the destruction and writing his memories – and the past - not told linearly, but interwoven, with memories triggering others to form a tapestry; a colourful Turkish carpet, you might say. It is a very political story, but also a love story; in fact several love stories, not only of the women in his life but also of his love for the city, despite all his, and its, tribulations. Pericles is a wonderful, beautifully drawn, character, and the other people who frequent the story are all believable and interesting in their very different ways. I am reminded of writers such as Dickens and Austen, in the way Suman picks out the details and dissects their lives. Normally, I only review mystery stories and on the face of it there is no mystery here, but, on reflection, I think Leyla is the mystery, because the book wouldn’t exist without her, yet we don’t really know her at all.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

An elderly man named Pericles lives in an old building—aged, beautiful, and unwanted. It stands as a silent witness to Turkey’s painful and often deliberately forgotten past. Once, the building belonged to the Greek citizens of Istanbul. Greeks—meaning Christians—have always been unwanted and despised.

Today, the Turkish state is eager to modernize and reinvent itself. It dreams of sleek, modern streets and a society that is both forward-looking and traditionally Muslim. In this vision, anything that doesn’t fit must be erased. Historic buildings are bulldozed. Greek citizens are evicted, displaced, and ultimately driven out of the country.

Pericles, born in Istanbul and a Turkish citizen, is Greek by heritage and Christian by faith. He has lived through it all. He saw his family harassed and forced into exile, their property confiscated. He heard the gunshots, the screams, the stories of women raped. Now, in his old age, he watches as his neighborhood is demolished—building by building. The one he lives in is the last one standing. Only a handful of residents remain. And when they’re gone...

In her powerful work, Defne Suman once again confronts a silenced chapter of Turkish history—the systematic erasure of its Christian citizens and culture. Her writing sheds light on the realities that are often glossed over or denied: the forced labor camps for non-Muslims, the Pontic Greek genocide, the atrocities in Cyprus.

Many of my Turkish friends had never heard of these events. They believed Christians had left Turkey of their own accord, that Hagia Sophia was peacefully abandoned, and thus justifiably turned into a mosque. Few knew of the once-thriving Jewish community in Istanbul—or should I say Constantinople? Even simit, the sesame-sprinkled bagel sold on every corner, is a relic of Jewish tradition.

Thank you, Defne, for telling these stories. For unearthing the truths so many tried to bury. For reminding us that history doesn’t disappear just because we choose to forget it.

The protagonist is Pericles, a Turkish man (of Greek origin) in his 70s, living in one of Istanbul's gentrifying neighbourhoods. The story follows two timelines, essentially - the present, where Pericles and his neighbours are struggling to ward off the construction boom that is threatening their building and its legacy; and the past, where Pericles recounts his life's story, focusing on the terror the Greek population in Turkey endured, as well as his own personal struggles with love and family.

What I liked most about the book is the characters - they are all vivid and colourful. Pericles is quite the anti-hero - coming across as rather a self-centred womaniser, who, with few second thoughts, is happy to supply thugs with date rape drugs, as long as there is a benefit in it for him. His portrayal is truly masterful - the kind and friendly old man, which is on the surface, is slowly revealed to be quite despicable.

I also loved learning about the story of the Greek community in Turkey, and how they fared during the various phases of Turkey's evolution into what it is today. There is also an interesting parallel the author draws between the thriving neighbourhood where the Greeks established themselves and its decline, and that of the broader Greek community's status in Turkey. It's devastating and horrific at once, and, most importantly, incredibly well executed writing wise.

There are few things I didn't like. The worst was perhaps the ending, which was somewhat inconsistent with the broader atmosphere of the novel. I also felt some things could have been explored further - particularly some of the secondary characters probably deserved better treatment, given the clear talent the author has for character development.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing book. An elderly Greek gentleman has lived his whole life in an apartment in Istanbul, as those around him, family and friends suffer the effects of the Turkish/Greek conflict, expulsion, abuse and violence. Nevertheless, many people live together in harmony, sometimes having to keep associations quiet, but he feels very much that this is his home. We are treated to many recollections of his life and loves, from boyhood crushes to deeper and long lasting love. Our charming hero is not without his flaws, but they are forgivable, and his memoir is candid and entertaining. With a wonderful cast of characters and almost sensual references to the food of that region, we fall in love with him and all the people in that ill fated area. We can almost smell the olive groves and the sea.

Set against the backdrop of a grand, aging apartment building marked for demolition, this tender and beautifully crafted story centers on one resident’s reflections. Moving seamlessly between past and present, it gently unfolds a lifetime of memories, relationships, and quiet moments of meaning. With much of the narrative rooted in the solitude of the Covid lockdown, the sense of loss (of place, time, and connection) feels especially profound. A moving, nostalgic read that lingers long after the final page.

This is such a gentle and lovely story about a group of residents in a beautiful old apartment block that is earmarked for demolition. Told through the life and memories of one man, the story weaves backwards and forwards through his memories. The fact that the current timeline takes place during the Covid lockdown makes the story all the more poignant.

I loved the commentary on people’s lives during the pandemic, feeling immersed in Istanbul and learning more about the Greek community there. I had no idea about the anti-Greek sentiment in the 50s and 60s so this was really illuminating. However I found it hard at times to keep up with the main character and the different narratives his journey takes in the book.

This book was a lot of things - a commentary on people’s lives in city apartments during Covid, an essay on gentrification, (maybe?) a love story and a historical fiction account of Turkey’s treatment of its Greek population, as well as a damning indictment of the culture that features if we let anti-immigrant xenophobia run rife in our respective countries. For that reason, it was well worth a read.

For the review: as above, the book does cover some really deeply impactful issues, and all the while, it’s a love letter to Istanbul. Now having been to Istanbul, I do think it’s one of the greatest cities on this earth, and so, a lot of the deceptions of Istanbul resonated and makes sense - but I couldn’t help but think it was so overly place based and focused on Istanbul as a location that if you didn’t know anything about it, you would be so deeply lost or skipping over pages of description.

What this book did best was talk about the history of the Greek community in Turkey, and really shine a light on the scale and scope of anti-Greek sentiment and violence in Turkey in the 50s and 60s, namely Septemvriana in 1955. This was such critical and hard reading and this is where I think it’s so important that this book is available to as many people as possible, especially in the English speaking world.

Where this book fell flat for me was the character - I found it hard to relate to a 75-year old man who was pining over 30-something year old Leyla while reminiscing over his sexual exploits of his earlier years - I did feel for Pericles, I just wasn’t that committed to his narrative. Also, I do think this story takes like 5 different directions and narratives at once, and it’s just hard to commit to some parts of the books over others - I kept wanting to skip to the chapters that talked about the past - I guess that’s why I’m a historic fiction reader!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the early copy and opportunity to review!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222376504-the-last-apartment-in-istanbul

We follow Pericles' life from young boy to a 75 year old man, but not in chronological order. The novel jumps around between youth, middle age and old age. Pericles lives with his family in Istanbul. A Greek family living in Turkey and living through the hatred and persecution of Greeks, Pericles remembers the fear as a child when surrounding homes were ransacked with his parents eventually driven out of the country to relocate to Athens. Pericles continues living in the family apartment despite surrounding blocks being erased around him. By now he is an arrogant, self-centred young then older man, using women with little regard for their feelings. I kept reading because of the history of oppression I knew little about, but the main character was not likeable while the women around him had far more depth which was not fully explored.

This story and its setting are close to my heart, however this may equally closer inspection and attachment.
Pericles is a 75 yo who lives in one of the older districts in Istanbul.
His life changes when he meets Leyla, a newbie in the neighbourhood.
At the backdrop of this is the old souls of Istanbul with all their beauty, richness and love.
I loved this book.

Pericles, a 75 year old Greek man who has lived in Istanbul all his life, is looking back and preparing to write his story. He lives in one of the old historic beautiful buildings (but in a 'rough' area) which are being steadily bulldozed by Istanbul planners together with mafia and gangsters. There's a hugely interesting personal story here as well as an overview of historic Turkish aggression against Greek Instanbul citizens, from 1955 on.
The 'current' storyline is set in the Covid period and Pericles sells his family's (empty) apartment to a young woman, Leyla to whom he is immediately attracted. She is the daughter of a (deceased) author and is going to help Pericles organise his notes into a coherent story, for publication.
Learning about the 'September Events' and violent aggression of 1955 and the forced exile of Greek citizens in 1964 - who lost their apartments, houses, belongings and bank accounts on being forced to sign a 'confession' at the border was horrific. I'd never heard of these events - and as Leyla points out, even modern Istanbulites are often oblivious because it was never spoken about.
Wonderful characters who support each other through generations and lifetimes, despite unheavals and family trauma. An overal positive book but you do mourn for the loss of the historic areas and the old ways of life they had there. Beautifully written.

The Last Apartment in Istanbul by Defne Suman is a beautifully written exploration of memory, history, and the passage of time. The story revolves around Pericles Drakos, a seventy-five-year-old Greek man who has spent his entire life in the Circle Building, a once-glorious apartment complex in Istanbul. As the neighbourhood gentrifies and the pandemic deepens his isolation, Pericles retreats into the shadows of his home, reflecting on the changes in both the city and his own life.

When a vibrant thirty-something named Leyla moves into the building, Pericles becomes captivated by her energy and presence. As he discovers that Leyla is a writer, Pericles feels compelled to tell his own story—one shaped by the tumultuous politics and oppression he endured as a Greek man living in twentieth-century Turkey. In doing so, he seeks to preserve his memories, his identity, and the rich, complicated history of his experiences.

The book delicately balances the personal and the historical, drawing readers into Pericles' world with his poignant reflections on his past, his loves, his regrets, and his hopes. Suman's prose is elegant, capturing the sense of nostalgia, longing, and connection between generations. The relationship that blossoms between Pericles and Leyla adds a layer of warmth and human connection to the narrative, offering a reminder that even in the face of isolation, there is the potential for meaningful relationships and personal growth.

What truly stands out in The Last Apartment in Istanbul is its exploration of the intersections between individual lives and the larger political and cultural shifts that shape them. The story thoughtfully addresses themes of displacement, cultural identity, and the complexities of living in a city that is constantly evolving.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Suman’s storytelling is rich, immersive, and deeply moving. The Last Apartment in Istanbul is a book that not only captures the essence of Istanbul but also delves into the universal themes of love, loss, and memory. It’s a captivating read that stays with you long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I don't usualy read books that talk of the pandemic, I prefer to be taken away from real life, but this is a wonderful and gorgeous read.

Pericles Drakos is almost eighty and has lived his apartment for all his life.

When the pandemic hits he becomes lonely and isolated and when a new neighbour moved in it enriches his lifr

The is a book I truly enjoyed. It is beautifully written and I loved my reading time