My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk

Crime fiction has always been popular here at the library, and amongst the general public. Lately, some of the best crime novels being written are coming from writers outside the U.S. and are set in locales across the globe. The international settings for these stories add another element to the appeal, opening up new worlds for the reader. This week, we will take a quick spin around the world through crime fiction.

First up is the complex and multi-layered My Name is Red by Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk. The novel begins with a soliloquy from a dead man, and follows that up with a chapter narrated by a dog, and then a first-person narrative by the murderer. Pamuk’s bravura opening draws you in, and he then proceeds to build an enticing tale that mixes religion, art, and murder in the court of the Sultan in 16th-century Istanbul. While the story alone makes the book worth reading for its twisting plot and fascinating characters, Pamuk’s use of language is equally deft, and some of the passages in the book are breathtakingly beautiful.

Also noteworthy is the attention that Pamuk pays to the details of life in 16th-century Turkey. Whether it is the Sultan’s court or the studios of the miniaturists who are illustrating manuscripts for the Sultan and his nobles, Pamuk takes the reader deep into new worlds. Although there is a compelling mystery at the heart of the tale, My Name is Red is also a fascinating exploration of the role of art and the artist in society. It is particularly intriguing to see these questions explored in an Islamic culture. The questions that Pamuk raises are as pertinent to today’s society as to that of Turkey in the 1500s.

So, try Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red, and if you like his lyrical style and his twisting plots he has several other tales to beguile you.

Check the WRL catalog for My Name is Red