The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk

Probably the most exciting thing about reading this was that I started it before I went to Istanbul, read it while in Istanbul, and finished it after I returned from Istanbul! Our trip to Istanbul was unexpected; I was excited about going, having loved the Barbara Nadel Inspector Ikmen series, and enjoyed reading this mysterious book in the weeks surrounding my visit.

The one thing to note is that this is a long book, heavy and slow to read. That's not to say that it isn't enjoyable - on the contrary, I enjoyed it very much. But it was a very slow read. It is philosophical and meandering at times. I have a tendency to steam on ahead with books, wanting to follow the plot and get to the outcome. But for this book, the journey is important. Which is perhaps the same of the city, where simply being in Istanbul is as satisfying and uplifting as the myriad places of interest to visit.

Galip's wife is named Ruya, which means dream. And the novel is dreamlike in its confusion and wandering at times... Although it is also very focused, heading in one direction. It is written in parts, one chapter charting the plot, the main story of the lead character, Galip, who is searching for his wife. But these chapters are interspersed with columns from Ruya's half-brother's newspaper column. Are there clues to be read within those narratives? Or do they simply reflect the action of the present?

I am looking forward to reading "My Name is Red", which we also bought in preparation of our visit.

I should point out that I was reading the Maureen Freely translation. I understand that there is a world of difference between this and the earlier translation into English!