Define Based On Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
| Title | : | Istanbul: Memories and the City |
| Author | : | Orhan Pamuk |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 356 pages |
| Published | : | July 11th 2006 by Vintage International (first published 2003) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Travel. Autobiography. Memoir. Biography. History. Cultural. Turkish. Asian Literature. Turkish Literature |
Orhan Pamuk
Paperback | Pages: 356 pages Rating: 3.79 | 15500 Users | 1491 Reviews
Description Concering Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
A shimmering evocation, by turns intimate and panoramic, of one of the world’s great cities, by its foremost writer. Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul and still lives in the family apartment building where his mother first held him in her arms. His portrait of his city is thus also a self-portrait, refracted by memory and the melancholy–or hüzün– that all Istanbullus share: the sadness that comes of living amid the ruins of a lost empire.With cinematic fluidity, Pamuk moves from his glamorous, unhappy parents to the gorgeous, decrepit mansions overlooking the Bosphorus; from the dawning of his self-consciousness to the writers and painters–both Turkish and foreign–who would shape his consciousness of his city. Like Joyce’s Dublin and Borges’ Buenos Aires, Pamuk’s Istanbul is a triumphant encounter of place and sensibility, beautifully written and immensely moving.Particularize Books During Istanbul: Memories and the City
| Original Title: | İstanbul: Hatıralar ve Şehir |
| ISBN: | 1400033888 (ISBN13: 9781400033881) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Istanbul(Turkey) |
| Literary Awards: | National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Autobiography/Memoir (2005), Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction Nominee (2005) |
Rating Based On Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
Ratings: 3.79 From 15500 Users | 1491 ReviewsCritique Based On Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
It is just lucky that I happened to read Menocal's Ornament of the World just before this, as it perfectly prepared me for the psychological labyrinth that is this book. It introduced me to a beautiful, helpful image for Pamuk's creation- the "memory palaces" and "memory gardens". This is not an introduction to Istanbul, it is a memory palace worthy of the wildest child's fantasies that haunt this tapestry. Perhaps John Adams, the minimalist composer, put it best when discussing his piece On theAbout a year ago, when I was brainstorming the topic for my masters thesis, I stumbled upon the idea of space and identity relationship. Since then, Ive always been interested in how space and place can affect the formation of ones self. Reading Istanbul has strengthened that particular idea. Not only describing the physical condition of Istanbul, Orhan Pamuk also wrote about his love-hate relationship with the city. Istanbul isnt just his home; it is the city that always inspires him. I
(B+) 79% | GoodNotes: An effective, inviting blend of history and memoir. Though the word "melancholy" is overused to the point of cliché.
There's really no nice way to say this. One of the deservedly obscure authors he spends a chapter praising is described as being some kind of pedophile. This isn't a pretend metaphor in Lolita, this is Pamuk's loving description of a nobody. If that's not enough, his best description of Istanbul, one of the largest cities today, and, more importantly, in history, is mopery about his apartment and decaying wooden houses near it. To spend a day in the tiny English section of a large bookstore and
This is a duel memoir, that of the authors first twenty years of life and that of Istanbul during the same period. Pamuk has a poets voice. By that, I dont mean that he uses flowery or metaphoric language, but rather that he has the ability to conjure the abstract into palpable form: the atmosphere of a neighborhood, the bonds in a family, the mood of a people. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book that lacked any plot or narrative tension. I must have been in just the right mood.
(B+) 79% | GoodNotes: An effective, inviting blend of history and memoir. Though the word "melancholy" is overused to the point of cliché.
It feels very odd to be writing this review now, sitting in a car on my way back home, feeling bored and tired for no particular reason. And out of nowhere this book- which I finished more than a month ago, and entirely gave up on ever being able to write a decent review about- comes to my mind unbidden, as though deeply connected with my present state of mind. This is going to be one of the most personal reviews Ill ever write, but thats merely because Istanbul: Memories and the City has
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