does anyone of us read orhan pamuk-benim adım kırmız? if so what could u tell me about this book?

Benim adım kırmızı

Have you read anything else by Orhan Pamuk before? It's written in the style that is characteristic for him but I found large parts of the book to be somewhat boring because of it's very descriptive talking about ottoman art forms. Overall it's quite good though.

unfortunately i didnt read nothing else about orhan...i just buy the book:benim adım kırmızı , i read a few chapters and it seems to be an interesting book...i also heard some good references about the book...i just wanna know others opinion about the book...could u pls recommend me something else about orhan pamuk....thx

Personally I think the story about Şeküre is the best part of the book and of course there's the mystery about the murders which is also great. I'd just recommend you to take your time remembering all the details because it also gives you a chance to try and guess who the murderer is.

I can definitely recommend these:

Kara Kitap (Black book)
Yeni hayat (The new life)
Beyaz Kale (White castle)
Istanbul, Şehir ve hatıralar (Istanbul, the city and memories)


I read these 4 of him and was very very impressed by his usage of language. He is a rather controversial writer, but I think many people confuse his political ideas with his writer talent, and they have no connection really. Many people also think his book are nonsense, but believe me, they just couldnt understand the books. They are sublime written if you ask me. Espeially Kara Kitap and Yeni Hayat. Beyaz Kale is very surprisingly and mind twisting.

The book about İstanbul is not really okuyacak kitap, its more some sort of scenery of the city and of his youth. But every interesting again. Wouldnt pick this one for a hot summerday though.

I hope to read Benim Adım Kırmızı soon too.

thx very much for the recommandations...as far as i read it is kind of open-mind writer and i appreciate this..i like the way he writes...i admit that in the first chapters i was confused a bit, but after i focused a bit more i realised what is all about.i can wait to read the book...i hope to find those others books , and if i have a bit of luck i maybe find them translated into roumain, otherwise i will read them into english....thx again for the recommandations...

So far I have found his books a little hard in the beginning as well but that's just until you have grasped the 'world' he is describing. I'm reading Yeni Hayat now and it's really interesting as well.

I have read all his works but the Black Book. It's next on my list He is a controversial figure among Turks. In my experience most Turks don't like to talk about him.

I think it is because of the particular class (an ultra modern upper class very secular wealthy family) he represents is removed from the majority of Turkish society. Perhaps he writes about issues that are somewhat painful for Turks to have exposed to the world for speculation.

I've found his books easy and fast reading, but you have to keep focused. If you put them down very long it's easy to loose the flow.

I wish more Turkish writers were translated. You might find Yasar Kemal interesting to read as well. Although Orhan Pamuk is more contemporary in his outlook and observations.

I totally agree with you Alameda.

I have also read some of Yaşar Kemals books, and he has become one of my favourite writers. His sentenes just flow like creamy milk. He has a perfect description of scenery and a deep feeling for the details around him. Especially the thrilogy of Gök demir yer bakır (I cant remember well in turkish as I read them in Dutch translation) caught my heart and İnce Mehmet was a masterpiece too. Unfortunately I havent been able to read all of the last one, as in Dutch libary I could only find the first one.

I read İnce Mehmet and enjoyed it a great deal. I'll have to read more of his works. I think for reading Pamuk and Kemal if you have some knowledge of Turkish and Turkish culture it helps. For instance the name Ipek and Kadaif were interesting choices, particularly in the context of his relationship with those so named.

It's easy to visualize the thistles Kemal mentions in Ince Mehmet, having been in Turkey. Although I found them beautiful, I didn't have to plough them or walk through fields of them. They look like a relative of artichoke, I wonder if they are edible or could be cultivated? I've grown artichokes and when they're let go, they look like that.