Rating: 
Summary: A slightly entertaining islamic Name of the Rose
Review: In the year 1591 a master gilder is murdered in Istanbul. He was working on a secret book ordered by the Sultan and it quickly becomes clear that one of his three colleagues is the murderer. The task to solve this murder rests on the shoulders of Black, the nephew of the man who coordinates the illustrations in the secret book. During the murder investigations, the reader gets a deep insight into 16th century Istabul, a city that is becoming more and more influenced by Europe and the discord this causes in the artists' society.My name is Red is deeply rooted in the storytelling tradition of the East, with some wonderful digressions on subjects as varied as a gold coin, a dog and the color Red. However, the main subject of the book was only slightly interesting te me. In itself the influence that cultures may have on the developments in other cultures can be very interesting, but 500 pages on illustrations of books was a bit over the top for me. By times the book was very amusing to read, but especially towards the end it became rather long-winded.
Rating: 
Summary: Who dunnit in Istanbul?
Review: I suppose that the shortest way to describe this book would be the Turkish equivalent to Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose", in that essentially it's a very accomplished historical murder mystery novel. But I thought that leaving the description at that would not do real justice to Pamuk's work. This novel has lots of things going for it, and it would stand on its own merits without the need for comparison with Eco's fine novel. In late sixteenth century Istanbul, the miniaturist Elegant Effendi is murdered. Why? Was it one of his colleagues, all of whom are engaged on a controversial piece of work for the Sultan? Pamuk carries forward the main story and the various sub-plots by using the different characters as narrators. This is nothing new, but what I found original was that Pamuk let the deceased characters, inanimate objects and even Satan contribute to the tale. An added pleasure was the examination of the West versus East, Christianity versus Islam issues of the time by use of discussions on the meaning and future of art. Be warned though that the pace of the story is slow at first, and the writing takes a bit of getting used to. Once you're in the book's rhythm though, it's very enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: A mosiac
Review: Orhan pamuk is a very famous Turkish writer. I did not read all of his books but My Name is Red is really good.
The thing I like most in book is he really studied and learned those times. It can easily be an art guide.
Rating:
Summary: A great mystery and a thoughtful message
Review: "My Name is Red" would be a fascinating novel in any era, but in this time of profound, and seemingly growing, disconnect between East and West, it is all the more compelling. By using the clash between traditional Islamic art and the budding realism of the Renaissance, Pamuk strives to shed light on the conflicted nature of Islam and traditional societies in general. In using the Ottoman Empire of the late 16th century as his setting, he sets the reader into a place and time where the Western world and the Islamic world were in conflict both intellectually and militarily, much as they are today. This conflict operates on three levels. The first is the most obvious, and drives the story, which is a brilliantly conceived and diabolically executed murder mystery. The reader follows the trail of the murderer through the voices of a host of different characters, including the murderer himself, and some of the artwork he and his fellow artisans have created. As the novel progresses, the reader comes to realize that this murder has occurred because of a conflict between the traditional method of manuscript illumination and the method of using perspective to create lifelike images. What is unclear is whether the murder occurred to protect or overthrow tradition. The reason for this obscurity is that the killer himself seems uncertain as to the correctness of his actions and thus engages in a running internal moral debate. His internal conflict is in many ways a microcosm of the conflict in the era in which he lives. The second conflict is found in the love story that underlies the mystery. As Black, one of the murder victim's nephew, pursues the killer, he is also pursuing his uncle's daughter, Shekure, who he has loved for most of his life. However, she is trapped, both by a tradition that leaves her bound to her husband, who presumably has died in battle, and by her uncertain feelings towards Black. Shekure is perhaps the most remarkable character in the book, as she struggles to make her own path in a society that has little tolerance for the needs or opinions of women. While not the core argument of the book, Pamuk makes a strong argument for how absurd it is to completely disenfranchise half of society for the sole reason that they happen to be female. The final conflict is more subtle, but lies at the heart of the novel's message. It is a consideration of the results of cultures colliding and merging, and what happens when they are either unable or unwilling to adapt. Pamuk seems to suggest that Islam, while an inherently good religion, is far too rigid for its own good. By exploring the torment of artists who must choose between the traditional methods they have preserved for centuries, and the European method that is clearly the future, he parallels the crisis society as a whole faces when it fails to change. His characters feel compelled to make their choices based upon obscure religious dictates that have long since masked the true purpose of Islam's teaching: that God's creation is beautiful, and that man does Him honor by acknowledging it and living a good life. In the end "My Name is Red" cuts to the heart of the conflict in which we find ourselves today. Islam, as a religion is deeply spiritual and has the potential to be a profound force for good. Unfortunately, Islam as a dogma has reverted to medieval forms that are completely incompatible with modern life. Pamuk uses the Ottoman Empire because it became rigid and collapsed, and it therefore serves as a cautionary tale to those who would attempt to stop time in its tracks. He has created a beautifully written, thoroughly researched and fiendishly clever mystery that also carries a message of profound importance. "My Name is Red" is a rare novel that is both entertaining and thought provoking, and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfocused
Review: The writing is good, but where is it going. Too much information for me to follow. Maybe it is my lack of knowledge of Muslim culture and Turkish history. Whenever I go back to it I am just disapointed and bored. Too much going on, too much silliness. I just wanted it too be over! Too bad, because the cover is so interesting. One chapter alone was enough for puzzlement. Those of you who really liked it----------I don't get it at all. I don't care about the miniturists and their angst. Could have lived with just the love story or the mystery or the art history. I felt as if I was in a bad, confusing dream.
Rating:
Summary: My Name (Of the Rose) is Red
Review: My name is red is a great book with an extraordinary narrative style, an intriguing plot, historical depth and colorful allegories. Though being one of the best books I have read in the last few years, a careful reader will spot similarities in the plot lines and allegories between my name is red and the name of the rose at an unfortunate degree. Both books start with focusing on a murder, and as the events unfold, the themes and allegories offered to the reader pose a striking resemblence. In both books, literature and offenses on religion are assesed, blindness is discussed and politics is practiced. The book could have been a cult and a well deserved Nobel nominee if only my name is red had been published before name of the rose
Rating:
Summary: Dense and Complex
Review: This dense and complex work is an allegory of the Islamic/Western cultural divide. Although fascinating in the extreme, My Name is Red is definitely not a book anyone can rush through, no matter how fast he may speed read. This book is a full-course, gourmet meal and one that requires much time in order to properly appreciate all its many nuances. There is much about the Ottoman Empire in this book, but the author has chosen not to give us any background information, requiring the reader to do his own research instead. And you must do the research if you want to get the most out of the book. My Name is Red, on its surface, is the story of Black Effendi, who returns to Istanbul after a twelve year absence only to find himself at the center of a murder investigation involving two of the city's master illuminators. Working on a secret book for the sultan, these illuminators were using two forbidden painting methods...perspective and portraiture. Black Effendi, a civil servant, has other things on his mind than murder, however. He wishes desperately to marry his childhood sweetheart, Shekure. Unfortunately for Black Effendi, Shekure's father did not approve of him. Also quite unfortunate is the fact that Shekure's father just happens to be one of the two murder victims. So, guess who's the prime suspect? Right. Black Effendi. Although this may all sound like the makings of a very dense and tightly-woven plot, plot actually plays a very small part in this story. The book is broken up into fifty-nine very short chapters that are told from extremely interesting perspectives: that of a horse, a dog, the color black, a butterfly, a tree and a corpse, to name just a few. Most of the narrators are quite unreliable, making the book more fun, in my opinion, but also causing the reader to need to pay very close attention to what is being said if he wants to understand the thrust of the story. These strange narrators spin fascinating tales about such things as the Koran and its interpretation, about the intricacies of the art of illumination, the day-to-day goings on in Ottoman Empire life and the ins and outs of Turkish coffeehouse culture. While this may seem like the very good murder mystery it is, the careful reader will find that it encompasses so much more. Pamuk has written a fascinating allegory in My Name is Red regarding the self-defeating violence that fundamentalist Islam is willing to visit upon itself simply to keep the West at bay. The most astute readers will also discover that Pamuk also gives us his version of why this violence is occurring. My Name is Red is a dense, complex and sometimes, very difficult book, but it is one that is beautifully and exquisitely crafted. Any intelligent reader who is willing to give it the time and attention it deserves will find himself highly rewarded and will come away, not only entertained, but with a new, more educated, perspective on Islam as well.
Rating:
Summary: "To God belongs the East and West"
Review: Seldom do we find in literature a work with so many well-elaborated facets. This is the case with "My Name is Red," a novel which not only has a murder plot and a love story, but is also richly adorned with history, art, politics, while addressing deep philosophical/religious issues. The novel has an architectural strucure made up of 59 chapters, each one representng the perspective of every character involved in the plot, besides inanimate objects (a corpse, a coin, the color red, death), figurative characters such as a dog, a horse, and Satan. The result is a cubistic outlook in which each piece has its own autonomy and at the same time remains dependent upon each other. Although "Black" is the main figure, none of the characters is fully developed; they serve as means to painstakingly and repeatedly address the central issues of the novel: the political allegories and the philosophy of art. The plot evolves around the story of an art book requested by the Sultan (back in the 16th century) in order to glorify the life and deeds of the monarch. The miniaturists (Butterfly, Stork, Elegant, and Olive) commissioned to perform the paintings have to struggle between adherence to conservative techniques of a two-dimensional painting versus the introduction of the new western approach to art, using perspective (three-dimensional) and portraiture. This clash eventually brings a disruption of the old stability and results in the murder of two miniaturists. The author is a progressive Muslim intellect who opposes the conflict between East and West (East and West being relative terms and as the Koran rightly states "To God belongs the East and West), and holds to the principle that "all good art comes from mixing things from different roots and cultures." Two cultures should not generate conflict but rather an amalgamation in which the values of each one are preserved and respected. "My Name is Red" is an outstanding novel, exquisitely crafted, with intense monologues and dense passages, demanding close attention and persistency from the reader. A most gratifying experience which undoubtedly places Ohran Pamuk as one of the most gifted contemporary writers.
Rating:
Summary: Islam as art; art as philosophy
Review: There are plenty of books and TV shows on Islam, but they tend to be repetitive and factual, giving us the important dates and information over and over again. My Name Is Red takes up where all the non-fiction leaves off, bringing us into the very soul of Islamic thought as it is realized and articulated by a group of 16th century miniaturist painters who have been asked to construct an illustrated book not in traditional islamic style but in Venetian single-point perspective. Orhan Pamuk not only captures the world of 16th century Istanbul, but also is able to open an entire philosophy of art to Western readers. I was amazed by what I learned in the book, but was even more taken by Pamuk's skill as a novelist and stylist. Using a strange mix of first person vignettes that actually advance the story from one character to the next, Pamuk constructs a postmodern parable of his own yearnings. As if that weren't enough, Pamuk also kept me on the edge of my seat. (Did I mention My Name Is Red is also a murder mystery?) This book acted as my antidote for post 9-11 TV, bringing me face to face not only with Islam but, more importantly, with a brilliant and profound Muslim artist.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing
Review: My Name is Red is an excellent novel and an interesting exploration of Muslim art which I think goes much deeper that miniaturist art of many centuries ago and has implications for today's political arena. The novel begins with the murder of a miniaturist in ancient Istanbul. Before the murder is discovered, we meet Black, a young man who has returned to the city after traveling for 12 years. He is still pining for Shekure, an old love who has since married another man, a man who is now missing. Shekure's father is then murdered. Black seeks to solve these murders and regain his lost love. The novel takes place against a backdrop of conflict between traditionalist Muslim miniaturists and those who accept Western artistic expression. This novel has been compared to works by Eco and Calvino. I have to say that personally, I don't think My Name is Red rises to that level. The novel, is good, very good, but ultimately falls a bit short of those works. I found the pacing to be slow at times and I could not understand what made a lot of these miniaturists tick. Still, My Name is Red is a very good novel that I recommend highly.
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