Rating: 
Summary: wonderfull
Review: I have recently finished Orhan Pamuk's Black book, and I have read itin original. This is the fourth Pamuk book I have read (I liked his other works too), and I undestand (and I also agree) why they refer this book as "Pamuk's masterpiece". The book gives glimpses of Itanbul's life in 60-70's, it blends modernizm with sufi thinking, and it has references to comtemporary political discussions in turkey, struggle of turkish identity between east and west, etc. The book has so many details, which makes it sometimes a difficult, but definetely an enjoyable read. Especially Chapter 2, "the day bosphourus's dries up", is my favorite part, which I have read numerous times, and everytime I read it, I noticed a new detail.
Sure, this book is not a thriller, and some people can, and will find it boring. However, as one master once said "this book is like wine, and everybody drinks water".
I strongly suggest it, if you like literature you will enjoy it. It is among my favorites now.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and unforgettable
Review: Especially chapter 2 (the day the Bosphorus dries up). It's just too hard to find such a brilliant storytelling nowadays.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant book with dreamy quality
Review: ever wonder how bosphorus would like when it dries up?or wonder about the story of palace dwarves in ottoman times?famous gangsters? mirrors reflecting mirrors reflecting mirrors ad nauseam? why orhan pamuk's daughter is named rüya(dream)?-a fact actually-how to be a unique person?where alaaddin's store is?-it still is in nisantasý and i can describe the way to it if you are interested-the fascinating story of mannequins peopling the tunnels under pera? well then if you do you should read this book.definitely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Mysterious East
Review: First of all I apologize for my typos, I tend to type fast and.. you know the rest.Orhan Pamuk is one of the biggest authors of Turkey. He definitely has his own style and if you like his his style then you will love his books. All of them. I have read all of his books, all of them in Turkish and some of them (the ones that are translated) both in Turkish and in English. Everytime I read one of his works, it is just magical, hard to explain. Maybe I am biased because I was born and raised and lived 18 years in Istanbul.. Who knows? Anyway.. Black Book is a great work of fiction, literature.. He writes about historical fiction, combines it beautifully with mystery, love, passion, sadness.. Everything you can think of as a human being..
I realize that it may be hard for "Red Dress Ink" reader to read this book.. But that is the idea not every book is the same and this book is definitely different. This is a book, that I have read a few times, underlined and went back several times to read one part or another. I highly recommend it. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Mysterious East
Review: First of all I apologize for my typos, I tend to type fast and.. you know the rest. Orhan Pamuk is one of the biggest authors of Turkey. He definitely has his own style and if you like his his style then you will love his books. All of them. I have read all of his books, all of them in Turkish and some of them (the ones that are translated) both in Turkish and in English. Everytime I read one of his works, it is just magical, hard to explain. Maybe I am biased because I was born and raised and lived 18 years in Istanbul.. Who knows? Anyway.. Black Book is a great work of fiction, literature.. He writes about historical fiction, combines it beautifully with mystery, love, passion, sadness.. Everything you can think of as a human being..
I realize that it may be hard for "Red Dress Ink" reader to read this book.. But that is the idea not every book is the same and this book is definitely different. This is a book, that I have read a few times, underlined and went back several times to read one part or another. I highly recommend it. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult to follow
Review: GREAT BOOK, AS FAR AS THE ART OF LITERATURE IS CONCERNED! HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE SOMEONE INTO "LITERATURE FOR THE PUBLIC" TYPE OF LITERARY STUFF, THEN JUST DON`T EVEN BOTHER TO READ IT AS YOU WOULDN`T BE MISSING MUCH ANYWAYS. ORHAN PAMUK`S WRITING STYLE, AND ORGANIZATION OF EVENTS IN THIS BOOK RESEMBLE TO THAT OF UMBERTO ECO`S. HE DEFINITELY IS TRYING A DIFFERENT NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE IN THIS NOVEL YET IT IS NOT SOMETHING INNOVATIVE. THE STORIES WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE IF THE READER KNEW ABOUT ISTANBUL. AND ONE HINT, PLEASE DO NOT START OFF WITH THIS BOOK IF YOU WANT TO DISCOVER PAMUK! OVERALL, A HARD TO FOLLOW NOVEL BUT A GOOD PIECE OF LITERARY ART.
Rating: 
Summary: A Bore
Review: Halfway through this book I had an incredible urge to hurl it at the wall. But I paid for it, so I forced myself to finish it. I was sorry that I forced myself. It was depressing. I don't understand how people can rave about this book. A history and geography lesson of Istanbul would have been much more interesting. Pamuk abandoned the usual formula of entertaining the reader, instead creating some sort of literary experiment. I hated it. Don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A great description of modern and 'dark' Istanbul..
Review: Pamuk, undoubtedly, is one of the best writers of the world, and The Black Book is his best work. Even if you have never been to Istanbul before, you will feel yourself in it as you read this book and you won't want to put it down till you finish it. As you near the end, you will feel sorry because you won't want it to end while on the other hand you will rack your brains to read the next page. This is a page turner. Although it seems to lose its originality due to the lack of translation at times, it's a very good book which I highly recommend. If you want to learn about both modern and 'dark' Istanbul, with its back streets, pubs, crimes...everything... READ THIS.
Rating:
Summary: Witty, yet very sad. Excessively researched. Entertaining.
Review: The Black Book has the same depth of historical reference as any of the thicker novels by the likes of Mann, Eco, or Rushdie. His interests align Pamuk most closely with Eco (there is a lot of narrative theory, old and new, being toyed with here). Anybody who has spent any time in Istanbul and who appreciates its zaniness will be pleased to find it faithfully depicted in these pages. Addicts of complexity as well as former fans of Robert Anton Wilson would do well to pick this up. Aggressive readers looking for a challenge might also consider it. It's easy to read (Pamuk is no Joyce) but difficult to grasp. Its best feature is that it's a Bildungsroman in the double sense: it educates its reader along with its protagonist, so it repays multiple readings. Send me mail if you'd like to discuss it.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult
Review: This is an extremely complex ,and at times, difficult novel to read. For a Turk or someone familiar with Istanbul, some of the" stories within a story" may be fascinating. However for a non-Turk this book was more frustrating than attempts to read Marcel Proust. The scenes described are often hallucinatory, and subsequent narration of the same incident through different eyes, leaves you with the feeling that you have lost your place, and are re-reading the same material with a misunderstanding of what you are positive you had read and understood earlier. The book is about identity, alienation and the art of writing . The author's intent to mislead the reader is deliberate. Like Galip, the main character of the novel , you are constantly forced to re-evaluate that which you were quiet confident that you understood the first time around. Ultimately it becomes too disorientating, and tiresome. I have no doubt that "The Black Book" is considered a Great Novel. However Pamuk's style, in translation, makes this work very difficult and less than rewarding to read. The story of the Mannequin Maker however is very haunting, and it is this/those segment(s) of the novel which I will always remember and rediscover in memory.
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