Review of A Court at Constantinople

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Nzube Chizoba Okeke
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Review of A Court at Constantinople

Post by Nzube Chizoba Okeke »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Court at Constantinople" by Anthony Earth.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Court at Constantinople by Anthony Earth is a thrilling story that intertwines and cuts across the lives of James Bingham (a struggling English barrister), Osman Mehmed (a brilliant Turkish law student), and Rosamund Colborne (a wealthy merchant's daughter). Follow the story to see how love, power, prejudice, passion, and religion affect the relationship between the European and Islamic civilizations.

A Court at Constantinople is exciting and suspenseful, as it carries readers into a thrilling and tense environment of a typical courtroom. Readers are exposed to lawyers' play in defending or prosecuting a suspect, as seen in the case of "R v Sinclair." Here, Mr. Thomas Sinclair is brought before an English court for sexually assaulting a young girl. The author takes the reader through the processes that culminate in the final judgment.

The author brought to light the disposition of the people in the Victorian era toward women or the female gender. Despite having other ambitions, decent women were only meant for marriage, childbirth, and family care in that era. The marriage of Maggie to a naval lieutenant when she came of age and Mr. Colborne's constant attempt to marry off his daughter, Rosamund, were typical examples of the mindset of the people in that era.

The author also showcases the challenges of reconciling two nations divided by religious and prejudicial sentiment. A strong case can be seen in the British notion of being civilized and having a superior judicial system over the Ottoman's uncivilized and inferior judicial system. Another example can be seen in Mehmed dislike for the British judicial system, despite working as a clerk in a British court.

An aspect of this book doesn't sit well with me. On several occasions, the author uses words that require the aid of a dictionary to understand. Some of these words are salacious, imprimatur, wastrel, acquiesced, excoriated, and many more. I had to take breaks to check the meaning of those words.

A Court at Constantinople was exceptionally edited, as no errors were spotted. I'd recommend it to readers seeking a thrilling and suspenseful novel with a legal undertone. There were slight mentions of religious elements. However, they didn't detract from the main goal of the story. Finally, I'd rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted one star because of the heavy vocabulary that made me take breaks from the story.

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A Court at Constantinople
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Chris Agbara
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Post by Chris Agbara »

Thank you for the fantastic review of A Court at Constantinople. I love the way you highlighted the book's thrilling and suspenseful nature and how it brings readers into the tense environment of a courtroom. The issues of power, prejudice, passion, and religion that affect the relationship between the European and Islamic civilizations sound fascinating. I can't wait to read it.
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Ukaegbu Confidence
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Post by Ukaegbu Confidence »

Excellent review you have written. Honestly I find legal books Boeing because I usually don't understand the ambiguous language it carries. Lawyers always tend to speak in a certain type of way.
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Post by reviewerbook17 »

You have written an excellent review and I would love to read more about this book.
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