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A review by karenluvstoread
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
4.0
This novel feels quite hard to review. It had so many different elements to it - from mystery to a cultural clash to interpersonal relationships to religious factions. There was also quite a bit of philosophy in this book, but in such a way that it didn’t feel confusing but instead, understandable. I really appreciated that because sometimes highly philosophical discussions can get a bit abstract for me. 🙃
The story very much had the feel and tone of some of the Russian classic literature novels I’ve read…that melancholy tone that seems to pervade the pages of a Dostoevsky novel for example.
The writing itself was beautiful. Very poetic. The writing sometimes had a cadence to it, especially when talking about the snow. Here’s a sample:
"Much later, when he thought about how he'd written this poem, he had a vision of a snowflake; this snowflake, he decided, was his life writ small; the poem that had unlocked the meaning of his life, he now saw sitting at its center." (p. 94)
This book pulled me in but then I admit, I was very glad to finish it. The last few chapters felt like it took forever to read. In spite of that though, I really liked the storytelling, the writing, and the depth of the novel. Deeply written, probing, and very thought-provoking, this book was a solid 4 star read.
The story very much had the feel and tone of some of the Russian classic literature novels I’ve read…that melancholy tone that seems to pervade the pages of a Dostoevsky novel for example.
The writing itself was beautiful. Very poetic. The writing sometimes had a cadence to it, especially when talking about the snow. Here’s a sample:
"Much later, when he thought about how he'd written this poem, he had a vision of a snowflake; this snowflake, he decided, was his life writ small; the poem that had unlocked the meaning of his life, he now saw sitting at its center." (p. 94)
This book pulled me in but then I admit, I was very glad to finish it. The last few chapters felt like it took forever to read. In spite of that though, I really liked the storytelling, the writing, and the depth of the novel. Deeply written, probing, and very thought-provoking, this book was a solid 4 star read.