My Name is Red

As it won a Nobel prize, I had thought that there must be something in this book that I was missing. However other members of the book club started saying that they just could not get into it, and some were even abandoning the effort. I was relieved the problem was not just my inability to appreciate it. Yes it is beautifully written in parts, it is informative in places, and there is a story, but, oh dear, there are just so many words and so much waffle in-between. I am about 75% through it, and determined to finish it, but won't be reading any more books by this author.

First book I've read by Orhan Pamuk and certainly it won't be the last! I think like Salman Rushdie, you need to understand the writer's psyche to enjoy books like this. That said, I found the Satanic Verses a tricky read but then again, I've been told by Muslims you need to understand the Koran. I am not religious so I'm not going to comment on that. My Name Is Red is not like the Satanic Verses so let's clear that up. It is in its entirety a great read. I read over the Christmas period and I was literally devouring great swathes of it at any time. When I finished it I gave it to my brother who wouldn't really read this sort of book but even though he's older, he's now prone to experiment with his reading. I haven't heard back from him on it. He may not read it for months! I love historical fiction and Orhan Pamuk does it as good as any one else. Umberto Eco springs to mind while I read this.

Despite being rather too wordy at times, this is fascinating on many levels. It is such an interesting insight into Islamic thinking. Even though it is set in the 1500's, other more modern stories from the Islamic world indicate that a lot of the thinking and behaviour is similar now.Unlike a couple of other reviewers, I enjoyed the different 'voices' used to drive the story along. The mystery and the love story served well to keep me reading to the end and the ending was very satisfying.As a woman, It led me to reflect that it is only very recently that women have lost their second class status in the West. In the Islamic world at different times and places - like 16th century Istanbul - the societal structures seem to have forced both men and women to behave rather strangely, to modern Western eyes.

Reading the storyline of this novel and indeed some of the other reviews one could put off the purchase, however, don't be. To write a review is difficult as its a hard book to describe. On the negative side there are times when the descriptions of illumination and the comparison of painting styles between east and west are heavy going and sometimes I found myself reading whole chapters with no real understanding of their relevance. However, as I got further and further through the book everything slowly came into focus. In the end my only complaint was that there were no examples of illuminations within the book as it fired my imagination to see the work of these painters who were so clearly obsessive about perfecting their art. If you are more confused now, its a description of life in Istanbul,its a love story, its a detective novel, its a book about the conflicting cultures of east and west, its definately a book that makes one think but most of all its a interesting which unlike many books keeps ones attention until the end.

Rich in historical detail My Name is Red tells the story of the Ottoman miniaturist painters told through multiple viewpoints. I enjoyed the unusual structure and couldn't put it down.