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kmatthe2's review against another edition
5.0
A mesmerizingly beautiful book. Pamuk fleshes out the complexity that is Turkey's Arab/Islamic culture in a way that trumps both _Kite Runner_ and _Reading Lolita in Tehran_. Here we have Islamic radicals, moderates, atheists, cultural Arabs, and many more groups. More importantly, Pamuk gives us another look into women in Islamic culture -- those wrangling with the choice to wear the headscarf or not. The range of perspectives helps humanize a culture that has lost its diverse human face in recent years. Pamuk's prose is some of the most enchanting I've read (less Nabakov) -- props to him and his translator. Terrific.
zarco_j's review against another edition
1.0
I don't throw the word hate around lightly, but I absolutely hated this book!
The author made himself a character in his own story, then tried to imply it was a biography even though it clearly says it's a novel.
The charactarization in this novel is terrible, the men are whinging, childlike and fall in love with every woman they see. The women are either drop dead gorgeous or fat, there is no realism at all.
Yes, I get this won the Nobel Prize for Literature but it wasn't for me at all.
Will I read again... NO
Will I recommend... NO
Will I read more by this author... NO
The author made himself a character in his own story, then tried to imply it was a biography even though it clearly says it's a novel.
The charactarization in this novel is terrible, the men are whinging, childlike and fall in love with every woman they see. The women are either drop dead gorgeous or fat, there is no realism at all.
Yes, I get this won the Nobel Prize for Literature but it wasn't for me at all.
Will I read again... NO
Will I recommend... NO
Will I read more by this author... NO
wollibs's review
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
neerajams's review against another edition
3.0
The glowing reviews of this book make me think I'm the one who's missing something. I was never quite enthralled by Snow, though I consistently felt that I was on the verge of something great, but the something never came.
And maybe that was on purpose. A small Turkish town's political conflict between the secularist militant faction and the fanatical Islamists was used only as a backdrop for the main story of a selfish, lonely poet's return to Turkey to obsessively pursue a college sweetheart. His desires and jealousies drive his wavering political allegiances more than any political beliefs he actually holds. The same is true for the other characters in the novel, so that at the end you're left feeling that the political conflict Pamuk depicts is not one of ideology and grand history, but one of egotism and personal history.
Even this could have been compelling if Pamuk's style wasn't so detached. As a reader, you're forced to guess at the motivations of the characters - motivations that often seem petty, misguided and, in the end, a little boring.
And maybe that was on purpose. A small Turkish town's political conflict between the secularist militant faction and the fanatical Islamists was used only as a backdrop for the main story of a selfish, lonely poet's return to Turkey to obsessively pursue a college sweetheart. His desires and jealousies drive his wavering political allegiances more than any political beliefs he actually holds. The same is true for the other characters in the novel, so that at the end you're left feeling that the political conflict Pamuk depicts is not one of ideology and grand history, but one of egotism and personal history.
Even this could have been compelling if Pamuk's style wasn't so detached. As a reader, you're forced to guess at the motivations of the characters - motivations that often seem petty, misguided and, in the end, a little boring.
beckydham's review against another edition
4.0
I wouldn't say I love this book, but I admire it and think about it. That's pretty good, eh?
dannb's review against another edition
1.0
I tried. I was so intrigued by the location and the premise... I made it 1/3. More than enough.
rkibler24's review against another edition
2.0
At first I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was lovely and the imagery captivating. Unfortunately, the plot really began to drag and the character development slowed. I found myself skimming pages and finally gave up all together. I don't usually give up on books, but this one could not hold my attention in the end.