In the Museum of Innocence, Pamuk primarily explores issues of virginity and sexuality during 50s in well-off neighborhood in Turkey. Pamuk's skill in psychoanalysis is also well manifested in this book, in his portrayal of his love for Figen,her every move, gesture. This kind of storytelling partly reminds me Peyami Safa and Dostoyevski. However, his love for Figen is very self-centered, aimed at sexual coupling; he rarely pays attention to what Figen wants.Also, while Pamuk implicitly claims to portray life in Istanbul during 50s, it is hard not to notice that the life he presents mostly reflects his own bourgeois upbringing in an upper-middle class neighborhood in a quite secular part of the country. It hardly represents how people lived, what they taught about virginity in other parts of the country. Despite its flaws, and Pamuk's self-centered love, the last sentence in the book made me cry. "I want the readers know that I had a good life", Kemal says, despite the intense pain he endured to get together with Figen, and lost her in a tragic accident. I adore Orhan Pamuk, and this is his third novel that I have read this year. I am a little disappointed with this book. The story is far-fetched. Early on in the novel boy meets girl, things don't work out and boy pines faithfully for girl for many years. Her behaviour in this drama is mystifying. I don't mind the absurdity of this fairy-tale-telling at all. Pamuk is an unabashed romantic of the highest order, and I love that about him. I want to believe this story and in these dark and cynical times–I need to. The problem is how dramatically the pace and interest of the story fizzles in the end. I hate to say it because I get so much pleasure from his books, but you could probably lose the last thirty pages of this book without really effecting the read. He inserts himself as the narrator picking up the pieces in the end (a plot device also used in Snow) and it makes me sad. It doesn't strengthen the story, it detracts. If you are a hardcore romantic, and do not mind reading indepth about other cultures, as Turkey is very much a central character of his books, it is definitely worth the read in spite of the weak ending.
What do You think about El Museo De La Inocencia (2008)?
I red this book while staying in Istanbul because our teacher wanted to go to Museum of innocence. I couldn't fully connect with leads characters. But I still like this book because of learning new things about Turkey and people who live there. Also because of rich language and way how is used. And idea of building actual museum is the best of the book for me. When I visited the museum I could go more in to characters and I just loved walking inside the building with my book in my hand.
—Jace
One of the modern literature books that has really impressed me a lot after Shantaram. The story is extremely melancholy and you actually drown in it.What makes the story even more wailful is that the author describes everything in such precise details that you feel with every peace of your skin what had happened in the book. I wouldn't recommend to read it while you have a rather depressive mood but as long as you have strength inside you the story is pretty fantastic.
—dewlijhkk
First half great, second half dismal. Hate this book.
—manda
