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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I just could not stay focused on this book. I couldn't keep the characters straight, and the constantly shifting narrative voice didn't help. I have heard such amazing things about this author, I was surprised to feel so bored by this book.
This book's writing style is in my opinion more important than it's story, since everything in the book has a life of it's own. It's as if every page is talking to you, it acknowledges you as the reader and an observer of the events and tries to tell you the next part of the story.
I love how much it appreciates Herat's school of art, my childhood stories and places i have visited growing up in Herat and that region of the world.
It was such a joyful read that i was kinda sad the book was finished. Orhan Pamuk is a genius, his writing style makes the book very engaging, the characters do not have complicated names and they come to you one by one, each giving you little peaces of the story.
I love how much it appreciates Herat's school of art, my childhood stories and places i have visited growing up in Herat and that region of the world.
It was such a joyful read that i was kinda sad the book was finished. Orhan Pamuk is a genius, his writing style makes the book very engaging, the characters do not have complicated names and they come to you one by one, each giving you little peaces of the story.
As usual, there's no such thing as a fast pace when I read Orhan Pamuk's book. Even though it's not that thick, but there's a great sense of subtle pleasure when I read this slowly. Very much unlike how I usually do.
Anyhow, the book is a mix of many things. You can get your kick of adventure, to mythical stories like being taken into Syehrazad's world. What started as a simple crime, turned out to be something more. There's a decade long love story that take place, and there are also other stories based on the characters. Each tell whatever they see. Including what they think of others.
It made me see "Red" as more than just a color. It's life, it's death, it's blood, it's living and breathing and actually could affect me in a way. And no, it's not because there's a character named "Black". But because how the color Red itself can come in various shades and each have their own meaning and implication. I might wear red lipstick for days to come.
Anyhow, the book is a mix of many things. You can get your kick of adventure, to mythical stories like being taken into Syehrazad's world. What started as a simple crime, turned out to be something more. There's a decade long love story that take place, and there are also other stories based on the characters. Each tell whatever they see. Including what they think of others.
It made me see "Red" as more than just a color. It's life, it's death, it's blood, it's living and breathing and actually could affect me in a way. And no, it's not because there's a character named "Black". But because how the color Red itself can come in various shades and each have their own meaning and implication. I might wear red lipstick for days to come.
This is an intricate, elegantly crafted work that is to be absorbed in small bits rather than ravenously consumed. Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, the characterization is strong and complex, with a love story and a murder-mystery taking equal time on the stage, along with creative vignettes from the perspective of animals or inanimate objects (including the opening chapter, a striking introduction told from the perspective of a corpse), and meditations on the nature of art and the meaning of individual style.
The pace is slow and occasionally plodding; main characters, if one spends too much time with them, seem mildly irritating and secondary characters much more compelling. While art plays a central role, it is, of course, a prime example of the failures of language in the face of aesthetic, visual beauty. The best cure might be to read 10 or 15 pages at a time, taking breaks to look at engravings from the historical period which refresh the palate and clean the slate.
That being said, I enjoyed the writing and craftsmanship tremendously, and, while the plot dragged at intervals, the language and artistry never suffered. The philosophy is thought-provoking, and the chapters alternate between amusing, almost-stand-alone pieces narrated by a gold piece, a dog, or the color Red; and the stories of three artists, two masters, an outcast, and a beautiful widow. What is truly wonderful is that it is never obvious which level the author considered primary: are we supposed to take the characters lives as example of the thoughts on art, or the philosophical interludes as examples of flawed reflection in context of these characters more pressing needs? Either way, layers upon layers of meaning, art, and beauty are interwoven and inseparable.
The pace is slow and occasionally plodding; main characters, if one spends too much time with them, seem mildly irritating and secondary characters much more compelling. While art plays a central role, it is, of course, a prime example of the failures of language in the face of aesthetic, visual beauty. The best cure might be to read 10 or 15 pages at a time, taking breaks to look at engravings from the historical period which refresh the palate and clean the slate.
That being said, I enjoyed the writing and craftsmanship tremendously, and, while the plot dragged at intervals, the language and artistry never suffered. The philosophy is thought-provoking, and the chapters alternate between amusing, almost-stand-alone pieces narrated by a gold piece, a dog, or the color Red; and the stories of three artists, two masters, an outcast, and a beautiful widow. What is truly wonderful is that it is never obvious which level the author considered primary: are we supposed to take the characters lives as example of the thoughts on art, or the philosophical interludes as examples of flawed reflection in context of these characters more pressing needs? Either way, layers upon layers of meaning, art, and beauty are interwoven and inseparable.
One of the best and most unforgettable pieces of modern literature. Still, any book over 300 pages is cancer and should be avoided.
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was an intriguing window into Ottoman culture. I found it really interesting to learn about the background behind why Ottoman miniatures appear to our modern eyes is so unoriginal and uncreative. Naturally, we come to learn why so much of the similarity among artists of that time period is a reflection of developed skill rather than the lack thereof. Far beyond the look into this subculture, the author weaves a compelling plot line with a highly unique method. Admittedly some of the first few chapters were difficult to follow on account of this switching of narrator. But, once I felt settled in to the authors’ style of storytelling, willing to set aside some of his highly intricate detail allusions to Islamic literature and stories, the mystery began to pull me through. The flourishes and detail and unique style of the author, in retrospect, stand in stark juxtaposition to the ancient art style being described. Highly recommend this book, a real interesting look into Ottoman and Turkic culture.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No