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natashaquay2025's review
5.0
Beautiful prose and such interesting discussion of east vs west, art, culture, history, and melancholy.
ferciboy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
ayamami's review
2.0
Self centered and lazy, this gave a narrow upper class perspective of life in Istanbul.
clare_tan_wenhui's review against another edition
4.0
Bildungsroman and non-fictional memoirs are not necessarily oil and water. In this collection of reflections by Orhan Pamuk, these two genres catch up in a melancholic beautiful manner like long-lost yet reunited lovers, who nevertheless have no "happily ever after" in sight. Sometimes "happily ever after" is too overrated indeed. It was the humanity of Turkey in my honeymoon last November that made the trip memorable.
byronwww's review
2.0
I wanted a book about Istanbul, I got a book about the author's teenage huzun (melancholy) which he brings up in nearly every chapter.
The chapter about Melling was the most interesting, the rest was tedious.
The chapter about Melling was the most interesting, the rest was tedious.
aleffert's review
2.0
I read this book before taking a trip to Istanbul. Reading didn't really impact how I perceived or felt about Istanbul. Which I think is an indictment of either me or the author. This book was self indulgent, which I suppose is par for the course for a memoir, but it wasn't really clear what the point of it was. For most of the book, he rambles aimlessly. The final portion of the book resolves into an actual story about his first romance that has some coherence and would have made a reasonable short story.
spilledinksanket's review
4.0
Istanbul dives into the rich history of one of the greatest cities in the world, but through the tear stained memoir glasses of Orhan Pamuk. However through exploring his own memories , personal and otherwise, he doesn't fall into a completely nostalgic view of the Ottoman Empire. There is much sadness in the way he positions all of Istanbul's problem without hinting at any clear solution.
The book ebbs and flows as Pamuk, a painter also, plays with his brushstrokes and brings out a largely readable and enjoyable book.
In Istanbul there is also a larger message for the whole world. While change is essential in the world and there are issues in the world that needs to be tackled. Yet something are also worth preserving. As a human race our future lies in how we make that distinction.
The book ebbs and flows as Pamuk, a painter also, plays with his brushstrokes and brings out a largely readable and enjoyable book.
In Istanbul there is also a larger message for the whole world. While change is essential in the world and there are issues in the world that needs to be tackled. Yet something are also worth preserving. As a human race our future lies in how we make that distinction.