A review by anbar
My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk

1.0

Kinda laborious read, more of a treatise on old Middle Eastern artistic traditions with an incidental murder-mystery and not-exactly-love story thrown in. Arts-buffs might enjoy the analysis of artistic style (or lack of style), sociology & psych majors might enjoy analysing the little social paradoxes encountered. Myself, reading this as someone in pursuit of story, I walked away thinking:
a) all these characters are selfish connivers, right down to the little kids
b) it seems all of the male characters in this artistic community are a little too interested in pretty little boys (again, sociology & psych majors will love taking apart this aspect of a very gender-segregated society), and
c) this 'love story' seems kinda devoid of actual love (which was probably on purpose).

I'm glad we didn't have to read this in high school, and I'm sure that somewhere, some poor schmucks are being made to read it and over-analyse it right now.