Istanbul

Memories and the City

By: Orhan Pamuk

Narrated by: John Lee

From the Nobel Prize winner and acclaimed author of My Name is Red comes a portrait of Istanbul by its foremost writer, revealing the melancholy that comes of living amid the ruins of a lost empire.

"Delightful, profound, marvelously origina.... Pamuk tells the story of the city through the eyes of memory." —The Washington Post Book World

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.

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.

Critic reviews

"Delightful, profound, marvelously original.... Pamuk tells the story of the city through the eyes of memory." —The Washington Post Book World

"Far from a conventional appreciation of the city's natural and architectural splendors, Istanbul tells of an invisible melancholy and the way it acts on an imaginative young man, aggrieving him but pricking his creativity." —The New York Times

"Brilliant.... Pamuk insistently discribes a]dizzingly gorgeous, historically vibrant metropolis." —Newsday

“A fascinating read for anyone who has even the slightest acquaintance with this fabled bridge between east and west.” —The Economist

Flaneur in Istanbul

It is an excellent flaneur-novel vibrating from mixed emotions towards the city of Istanbul. A Bildungsroman, in which the young Orhan and the old city are reflecting each other's face. The impersonated city and the objectified self live in an organic symbiosis as their histories become intertwined.
I enjoyed the audiobook a lot, although the vast and detailed historical set of references the book provides sometimes makes the reading hard to follow.

unengaging

I love Istanbul but this book does not capture it particularly well. The narration is rather boring.

Got eyes through which I could see Istanbul no as normal tourist.

Thanks to this thoughtful book I enjoyed visiting Istanbul differently, could use different eyes. It sparked curiosity and sharpened focus while in Istanbul.

Streets of Istanbul

Interesting insight to the son of a rich man and how impacted his life as a boy, artist and writer. The history of Istanbul emerging from an Ottoman Empire into a Turkish city that become an international stopping place from all over the world. Sitting on the peninsula that joins Asia with Europe. The Muslim religion is evident in all the historic Mosques and buildings that are a staple of the vistas seen in the city. All these factors influenced this writer and budding artist.

Only for those with interest in art history

The book is grammatically well written and well read. I found it overwhelmingly boring with little or no character development, reader attachment or a significant plot. It was full of musings of the author. Just not my cup of tea.

travel that never leaves home

Orphan has got to be the most popular author in Turkey right now. His books are piled up everywhere.It was hard for me to relate to his spoon fed life, but the story of his first love was poignant and his decision to become a writer even though his parents had him enrolled to be an architect was also very interesting. The book jumps all over the place chronologically and there is an awful lot about French writers who came to sum up Istanbul after only very short visits. Orhan describes the city as black and white and melancholy. These seem to be right on point and I tried to look at some of the dilapidated buildings that sit often nearby the fantastic mosques that are ubiquitous here. There are lots of small neighborhoods with steep winding streets to explore. The place is surrounded by sea and teems with vitality.This was really a biography and we learn about Orhan's childhood and sibling rivalries and a great deal about his personal life. I wonder what a book exploring places like Anatolia would read like. In the end, Istanbul appears different than other cities. There is a reverence for the past, but there is the same desperate passion to get rich quickly that every city seems to exude in it's hollow pursuit of money that really lies at its heart.

Missed the narrative

After reading his novel, "Snow," which I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend, I came to this work with high expectations. The descriptions were wonderful, but with the narrative of a novel, I found my mind wandering. It was all I could do to push through to the end.

John Lee is superb as always.

Insights to Istanbul

I spent the last year living in Istanbul, so this book was a sweet time of reflection over that time, with a level of added context. A great read for anyone who longs for something different than the norm out of their life, or just a nice escape from their current l

Istanbul through the eyes of an melancholic

Istanbul is one of my favorite cities, experiencing the city through the eyes of Orhan was a beautiful experience.
Will have to listen to it again lest I missed something.

Wandered Istanbul as a sola traveler…with Pumuk as my guide

My 14 days in Istanbul began with Pamuk’s
book playing in my ears as I slowly walked the streets with no plans my first 2 days. I wandered longer just to keep listening to the book without distracting myself with touristy things. My time in this city was emotionally deepened as a result. Part memoir, part ode to Istanbul: I fell in love with his style, honesty, and insight about life here. I strolled the Bosphorus many times at the end of being a tourist all day; I kept hearing his insights and emotions he attached for the remainder of the trip. I travel sola, but I had the best guide with me the first few days.