Orhan Pamuk

[Ecurb]

While traveling in Turkey recently, I read “The Black Book” and “Snow” by Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk is the Turkish writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2006. Based on the evidence of these two novels, the Prize was well deserved.

“The Black Book” is a mystery novel. Galip, an Istanbul Lawyer, is searching for his wife, who has disappeared, and may or may not be with Celal, her step brother and a famous columnist who has also disappeared. Galip’s search takes him through the back streets of Istanbul, and through the dream-like recesses of his memories. Each chapter about Galip’s search is followed by a reproduction of one of Celal’s newspaper columns. I only wish that we had columnists like Celal writing for modern, American papers.

The book explores the theme of identity. Celal points out the The Arabian Nights is filled with stories of Princes pretending to be commoners and commoners posing as princes. As the novel develops, it is both a mystery novel (Celal wrote word puzzles for the newspapers before he became a columnist) and a critique of mystery novels. Galip is searching for his wife, Ruya, whose name translates as “dream”, and is also searching for his own identity.

“Snow” is set in Kars, a city in far northeastern Turkey, by the Armenian and Georgian borders. A poet, who has been living in Germany, travels to Kars to write about girls who have committed suicide because they are forced to abandon their head scarves in order to attend school. The poet also hopes to romance the recently divorced Ipek, whom he knew in the past. Political and religious factions vie for control in Kars, and vie for the hearts and souls of its people.

Both novels are excellent – and, better yet, Pamuk has written more than a dozen other books.

[Paulclem]

I agree with you - he's a brilliant writer. I thought Snow was fantastic. i was only looking at it on my bookshelf the other day and wondering whether to read it again -(I rarely re-read books unless I'm studying them).

Black Book was also brilliant. I found it to claustrophobically stuffed full of lists of items, and stories, and not at all conventional as a mystery.

The only regret I have is that I'm not too attuned to turkish/ Islamic cultural references, and so I know I'm reading something that has many more layers that I can't penetrate.

I've read My Name is Red too - which is also a murder mystery. The examination of eastern v western art and representation is fascinating. It would be a hard call to say which I liked the best.

[free]

I've read The Museum of Innocence - one of those books you cannot put aside until its end. It is about a man in love with a young woman. And, although, his love may seem more like obsession, it still has its endless beauty because of the way the author develops the story. The whole novel is impressive and fragrant like an oriental perfume. A real pleasure to read it.

[scotta.clark]

I have read his book "The Black Book"; the plotting of the book is like its really happening in real with us. It was great to read, great writer.

[Buh4Bee]

Snow sounds really good. I'm going to add it to my reading list. I usually do not like mysteries, but the format sounds interesting.

[Pensive]

I have read Snow and totally loved the book! I would especially like to appreciate the qualities he attributed to the snowflake. Definitely a must read! :)

[scotta.clark]

Its sounds me great, I have read but according to review it must be good.

[aliengirl]

Snow sounds really good. I'm going to add it to my reading list. I usually do not like mysteries, but the format sounds interesting.

I've read Snow, My Name Is Red, and The Black Book. Pamuk is very different from an ordinary mystery writer. Though his narrative style is a bit complex his use of language is very beautiful. I liked My Name Is Red best. It is a murder mystery which keeps you guessing till the end. Pamuk describes the nuances of the miniature painting with great care and it is adeptly interwoven with the plot. If you read Snow and like it, then do go for My Name Is Red.

I've also read Pamuk's memoir "Istanbul". It helped me to understand his works in a better way. Full of childhood memories, exquisite passages on Bosphorus and many interesting photos, Istanbul is worth reading.

[aliengirl]

The only regret I have is that I'm not too attuned to turkish/ Islamic cultural references, and so I know I'm reading something that has many more layers that I can't penetrate.




You are right. To understand Pamuk in a better way one must be acquainted with the cultural references he uses in his works. He is influenced by Sufi tradition especially Rumi and Shams Tibrez. (I don't have his works right now. So can't mention in which book he has used this particular reference.) If you have some knowledge of Sufi terminology, it really unravels layers of meanings. Fortunately I know a little and was delighted to get some hidden meanings.

[Ecurb]

Pamuk writes about Rumi and Shams Tibrez in "The Black Book". I've been reading "My Name is Red". It's about miniaturist painters, commissioned to illustrate a book for the Sultan. One of them is murdered, and on of them is a murderer. The Point of View changes with every chapter. Generally, the chapter is told by one of the characters, but one chapter is told by a dog, one by a dead person, etc.

[aliengirl]

Yeah, right! It was "The Black Book". I could not recall because I read them in quick succession and had a fever back then. So it got mixed up. The narrative technique of "My Name is Red" keeps up the mystery. The way each painter is named is also very interesting - Olive, Stork and so on.