Reviews

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

jarjarblingg's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

mokey4's review against another edition

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2.0

Interesting read.. fits and starts... disappointing.. the flowery language seemed unnecessary and got in the way of the narrative.. I did not enjoy the change in perspective about 3/4 through, from third person omniscient to first person. This could have been done a lot more smoothly.

This book had 2 or 3 things going for it. The story really is interesting, if you can get past some of the silliness. Ka has something to say, if you can get past his naivete and narrow-mindedness. And there are some really interesting literary devices used, sometimes I would read a passage and then a few hours later I would realize what the author was doing. I noticed a lot of parallels between Ka's poetry, the theatrical revolution, and this book itself. There's an unfolding puzzle here, if you pay attention, and I appreciate that. I also appreciated learning about Turkey, and found the story interesting as a cultural/political lesson.

But overall, I didn't really enjoy it. I can't believe this won the nobel prize in literature.

Still, if you're curious, you can put up with some literary shenanigans, and you have a high tolerance for boredom you might find this worth reading.

kricketa's review against another edition

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another reviewer, hallie, writes:

"Other Good Reads reviewers express the desire to like this book, but proceed to be confused, bored, and insecure. Most wrap up with the dismal feeling that they didn’t GET it, and so didn’t succeed in really liking it."

this exactly sums up why i didn't finish. i wanted to read the book to prove to myself that i'm still an english major who can get through difficult, ponderous books. but in my classes, i could at least count on having lively discussions with students and professors who would help me get some substance out of a confusing read. i don't know anyone who loved this book, so it seemed pointless to carry on.

felixray's review

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emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jarichan's review against another edition

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3.0

Ein sehr berühmtes Werk eines sehr berühmten Autoren. Endlich konnte ich also auch Bekanntschaft mit Orhan Pamuk schliessen.

Meins scheint der Autor jedoch nicht zu sein. Zumindest konnte "Schnee" mich nicht völlig überzeugen. Das lag hauptsächlich an der Länge. Das Buch wirkt zu sehr in die Länge gezogen, irgendwann hatte ich einfach keine Lust mehr auf die Diskussionen und Kas Schwärmereien. Irgendwann drehte sich für mich alles nur noch im Kreis und ich wartete sehnlichst darauf, dass ich das Buch beenden kann.

Da Pamuk jedoch über wichtige Dinge schreibt (und das noch dazu sehr poetisch und zart), vergebe ich dem Werk dennoch drei Sterne. Noch immer sehr brisant und aktuell, schreibt Pamuk über Fundamentalismus, Entscheidungsfreiheit und die Liebe. Scheint auf den ersten Blick alles nicht zusammenzupassen, doch in Kar verschmilzt dies alles und Ka kann endlich wieder schreiben.

Eigentlich mochte ich Pamuks aufmerksamen Schreibstil sehr gerne. Nur, wie bereits gesagt, ist der Titel aufgrund seiner Längen für mich mit der Zeit nicht mehr zu geniessen gewesen. Das finde ich sehr schade; scheint sich Pamuks Stil doch mehr für kürzere Werke zu eignen. Auf 200 Seiten wäre diese tiefgründige Sprache sicherlich sehr gut zur Geltung gekommen.

Umso enttäuschter bin ich darüber, dass ich schlussendlich so sehr mit dem Buch zu kämpfen hatte. Weder Inhalt, noch Stil, noch der Autor hätten dies verdient. Aber eben - nicht jeder Titel eignet sich für jede Seitenzahl...

kitkat2500's review

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3.0

The story is set in a small town in Turkey, and it snows throughout the entire novel. Pamuk's writing is lovely, and it grabs you immediately. But I found myself getting bored around the halfway mark, and I really had to struggle to get to the end. The story line does pick up in the last quarter, but I found the book a little too long. The novel touches on themes of politics (secular vs Islamist ) and gender (young girls commit suicide rather than remove their headscarves). But as in real life, the novel doesn't offer simple answers; rather, it lays out the mystifying truth and invites the reader in. I was a little frustrated, as I wanted more answers than questions!

sara_grace's review

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3.0

Elegant but the middle is slow. I was sometimes quite bothered by the conversations between characters - repetitive speech patterns make me crazy.

magic_bookshop_'s review

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3.0

Ciężko jest mi do końca ocenić tę książkę. Czytanie dłużyło mi się, nie byłam też wciągnięta w fabułę. Jednak doceniam, to w jaki sposób został przedstawiony motyw śniegu oraz rozumiem jakie wartości i tematy autor chciał wyrazić poprzez tą powieść.

gmuguruza's review against another edition

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2.0

This took a lot of time, it's a taste I guess. I did like the start and the wrap up, but it's just so weird... and slow... and there are too many details and illogical behaviours by characters... I don't get the thought processes that are described and all the characters just seem delusional, is that the point? Did I have a huge cultural clash? I don't know.

rocknroulette's review against another edition

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3.0

ilk yarısı küçük şehir insanları ve dertlerini arka plan edinen bir aşk romanı tadında geçerken sona doğru romanın siyasi yönü ön plana geçti gibi hissettim. sanırım bu yüzden yarılayana kadar büyük bir heyecanla okurken kitabın sonunu sıkkınlıkla getirdim.