Title: My Name Is Red
Author: Orhan Pamuk
(Translated by Erdag M. Göknar)
Published by: Faber& Faber
I picked this book up randomly at the airport (when there's time to kill I like to wander along the shelves and see where it leads). I find this a good way of changing genre, otherwise I'd always go for the same kind of read.
This book is definitely a change. The story is based in 16th century Istanbul where a secret book has been commissioned by the Sultan. One of the miniaturist illustrators comes to an untimely end which puts those involved with the book in danger. Every character tells the story from their own point of view which makes for interesting reading.
The prose are sumptuously descriptive and, at times, need a second read to get the full flavour. It took me a little while to get into it and to get used to the constant changing of POV but it does get easier and I' actually quite enjoying it. I don't know what the criteria are to be candidate (or even a winner) of the Nobel Prize in Literature - this book won the coveted title in 2006 - but it certainly gets ze leetle grey cells zinging!
Hasta pronto!
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