The Museum of Innocence is the latest novel written by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, published on August, 2008.
Pamuk has been working on the novel for many years and it has been hinted by himself in many interviews during this period. “The story, which takes place in Istanbul between 1975 and today, is about obsessive passion and the great question: What is love, really?” says the writer, in a Spiegel interview back in 2007.
Orhan Pamuk is also trying to establish an actual museum based on the novel, in Cukurcuma - Istanbul, to exhibit several objects mentioned in The Museum of Innocence.
When I finished the pivotal chapter, The Engagement Party, I flung the book down in disgust and vowed to return it to the library immediately.
Then, to my horror and shame, I realized that not reading the book was causing me even more pain than reading the book. My "manly immorality" had dissolved into a mysterious numbness.
Continues... 20 Feb 2010, Kevin Burke
Please select a rating for the novel, from a scale of one to ten (greater means better).
Average Rating: 6.5
Total Votes: 1394
I could hardly read the last pages of the novel because I was crying so hard. I just could not keep myself from crying, it is difficult to explain why. It touched me... Pamuk's work always does, his craftsmanship, how he brings together, the million pieces that he collects and then sews together into a beautiful whole.
Continues... 15 Jan 2009, Berna
The Museum of Innocence will surely be remembered as one of the masterpieces of this century. This is a book that radiates with love for everything put into it, and a book that restores faith in the power of great literature.
Continues... 29 Jun 2009, Zulfikar Filandra
Well I think the book is fascinating. I read the original version.
Apart from its very detailed reflection of the years the story was told, the people, their values and their approach to life in depth very well analysed and brought out. That was exactly how we were then. (at a given time at a given location)
Continues... 12 Sep 2008, belya N.
This is my first read of Pamuk's books. What can I say? I was very excited at first, and now I feel more like Keving Burke during his reading (had lots of fun reading his review, a great laugh).
Continues... 25 Aug 2011, Edinamara Rufino
I've just finished the book ,full of admire about the way Pamuk discribes the obsession of his hero, his point of view about the real love and the real happy moments in life. He make me feel Istanbul a part of my life after I also red his book about the city. He is one of the best storytellers and I love the way he mixes the present with the past, the historical details with the life his heroes live.
Link 17 Aug 2011, Jenny Manaki
Remember the story of the Emperor wearing no clothes?
I have the courage to tell you that this is one of the worst books that I have ever read. It cries out to be condensed. The few good things in it gets lost in the trivia.
If he was not a Nobel Prize winner, it would probably never have been published. The editors of this novel should hang their heads in shame.
Link 16 Jul 2011, anton dockel
You may start with the Wikipedia article about Orhan Pamuk to get more information on the writer of this book.
Orhan Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. You may read his Nobel Lecture: My Father's Suitcase
The official site of the writer is located at www.orhanpamuk.net
The official site of “The Museum of Innocence” is located at www.masumiyetmuzesi.com (in Turkish).
Pamuk describes the relation between the novel and the museum as “The museum is not an illustration of the novel and the novel is not an explanation of the museum. They are two representations of one single story perhaps.” in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Pamuk is writing a series of articles, discussing the literary, philosophical and personal backgrounds of the novel and his thoughts on other great novels about love. These articles will also be linked here.
This section will be updated as more resources are available about the book.
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