Thursday, January 28, 2016

"The Museum of Innocence"


This wonderful tale by the Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, paints a beautiful portrait of Istanbul in the early 1970s. Describes the city, the nightlife, and the rituals to such an extent, you feel like you've been there. It's also the tale of a young man who has a torrid love affair with his cousin. When she marries someone else, he pines for her for years. Interestingly, the author assembled a detailed diorama for each chapter of the book as he was writing it. And as a result, he opened a fascinating museum which contains all the dioramas, each on a true piece of art. I was lucky enough to visit the museum last year--however it was before I had read the book, so much of it was lost on me. 

Mr. Pamuk also published a book titled "The Innocence of Objects" which includes photos of all his dioramas, historic photos, and explanations of how they relate to his story. Well worth owning, if you enjoyed his novel. 

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