Maureen Freely

Pamuk's writing is beautiful but, at times, can be verbose and painfully phrased (but that could be because of the translation into English). The other thing I was not a fan of, as far as writing style is concerned, is blatant foreshadowing, which had been utilized several times. I had read that Pamuk was a fan of Dostoevsky, and even if l had not read that, that admiration is clearly exemplified in this nihilistic story of unsatisfied, idealistic yearning and uncompromising choices that show more have ramifications for a life time. show less

Outstanding work by an author who can't put a foot wrong. Beautifully constructed, the novel meanders through ideas on ownership, gender, and the oversimplification of the east/west divide magnificently. A deep-thinking novel cleverly executed in the vein of Kafka.

A novel of American expatriate life in Istanbul that is by turns funny and tragic, from the translator of Nobel Prize winner, Orhan Pamuk.

Het gegeven is wel interessant maar alles wordt zo omslachtig beschreven dat daardoor het lezen een straf wordt. En ben ik maar vroegtijdig gestopt.