Itemize Books In Pursuance Of 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) |
Orhan Pamuk
Paperback | Pages: 356 pages Rating: 3.79 | 15500 Users | 1491 Reviews
Chronicle As 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.
Define Out Of Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
| Title | : | Istanbul: Memories and the City |
| Author | : | Orhan Pamuk |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe 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 |
Rating Out Of Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
Ratings: 3.79 From 15500 Users | 1491 ReviewsComment On Out Of Books Istanbul: Memories and the City
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 hasAbout 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
Pamuk adds another layer to Istanbuls proverbial description as the bridge between east and west by showing how the major Istanbul modernists poet Yahya Kemal and novelist A.H. Tanpinar, new names to me, I have to follow up derived a poetics of post-imperial ennui and urban decay from the melancholic image of their city recorded or dreamed by travelling French writers in the nineteenth century. [T]he roots of our hüzün [urban melancholy] are European: the concept was first explored, expressed
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
A beautiful memoir and nostalgic look at Istanbul, this book is very readable and poetic. It is also an autobiography of the author's childhood and the emergence of his desire to be a writer and how that is tied to his sense of melancholy. Literary references abound and helped me appreciate the uniqueness of Istanbul and its part in history. It is probably a must for the next time I get to Istanbul with the time and luxury to explore and dream like Orhan.
In this work of Pamuk I see myself more vividly....A must read for those who love history and for those who have experienced Hüzün.Highly involving, entertaining and thought provoking. Wanted to give it 6 points. It's a great work from a great author.
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