Snow

I like Orhan Pamuk because of the sense of realism and fallibility he creates in his books. I read Istanbul last year and felt the huzn he wrote so movingly about. His description of the reflection of the setting sun on the bosphorus is not easy to forget. His first brush with love... you want to love him for what he is - a real life, imperfect, thinking, boy-struggling-to-be-a-man man.

So it is almost expected what he does with the character of Ka. Hopeless, romantic, ex-politicised, introvertish, over-analytical, middle aged, toyed-with-it-all-and-want-the-simplest-thing-now man. Do you have an option but to silently pray for him, inspite of the pending gloom, the all encompassing huzn that is unspoken but clearly everywhere? You hope against hope that Ipek will love him, you will his lies to get him the one chance at happiness you almost want him to deserve. I waited patiently to read at least one of his poems and when the green notebook was lost, I almost felt the loss that Orhan felt.

The dialogues between Ka and Necip about religion are brilliant. Loved the book, all the way through. I am a big fan of Orhan's and can't wait to get my hands on My Name is Red.