[adam-a]

When you hide your meaning and the centre of your argument in mazes of long sentences, as the author does, you necessarily lose it a little. Which is kind of the point. If you want to confuse your reader with contradictions and vagueness, then long sentences are a good idea.

I don't think clarity is a bad thing, and certainly doesn't preclude strangeness or multi-faceted descriptions of Istanbul. It does hurt understanding. Even in fiction and poetry, surely writing is primarily a communicator, a tour-guide to your thoughts. Making it easy for your reader to follow you makes it easier to take them on the journey of your choosing. Go slowly over rough terrain; stop and stare at the acropolis; don't run zig-zag through the forest till they can barely keep up.