The Gaze won the Turkish Writers Best Novel Award.
In this novel Shafak explores how "seeing and being seen" shapes our lives. The Gaze has a multilayered structure in which all the stories and characters are ultimately and surprisingly connected. The story extends from 17th century Siberia to 18th century France, from 19th century Istanbul to modern Istanbul. What connects all the pieces together is the theme of the gaze.
Among all Shafak books The Gaze is the most avant-garde one. The novel's both style and themes were highly praised by literary critics in Turkey. It was seen as a rare example of "magical schizophrenia."
