My Name Is Red -- Orhan Pamuk, Paperback

At once a fiendishly devious mystery, a beguiling love story, and a brilliant symposium on the power of art, My Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor and religious intrigue of sixteenth-century Istanbul, from one of the most prominent contemporary Turkish writers.

The Sultan has commissioned a cadre of the most acclaimed artists in the land to create a great book celebrating the glories of his realm. Their task: to illuminate the work in the European style. But because figurative art can be deemed an affront to Islam, this commission is a dangerous proposition indeed. The ruling elite therefore mustn't know the full scope or nature of the project, and panic erupts when one of the chosen miniaturists disappears. The only clue to the mystery-or crime? -lies in the half-finished illuminations themselves. Part fantasy and part philosophical puzzle, My Name is Red is a kaleidoscopic journey to the intersection of art, religion, love, sex and power.

Translated from the Turkish by Erda M G knar

Author: Orhan Pamuk
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 08/27/2002
Pages: 432
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 8.04h x 5.20w x 0.97d
ISBN: 9780375706851

Review Citation(s):
Booksense '76 Sep/Oct 2002 09/01/2002 pg. 1
New York Times 09/08/2002 pg. 28

About the Author
Orhan Pamuk is the author of seven novels and the recipient of major Turkish and international literary awards. He is one of Europe's most prominent novelists, and his work has been translated into twenty-six languages. He lives in Istanbul.