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My Name Is Red Audiobook
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(3.00) - 14,482 listener ratings
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At once a fiendishly devious mystery, a beguiling love story, and a brilliant symposium on the power of art, My Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor and religious intrigue of sixteenth-century Istanbul, from one of the most prominent contemporary Turkish writers. The Sultan has commissioned a cadre of the most acclaimed artists in the land to create a great book celebrating the glories of his realm. Their task: to illuminate the work in the European style. But because figurative art can be deemed an affront to Islam, this commission is a dangerous proposition indeed. The ruling elite therefore mustn’t know the full scope or nature of the project, and panic erupts when one of the chosen miniaturists disappears. The only clue to the mystery–or crime? –lies in the half-finished illuminations themselves. Part fantasy and part philosophical puzzle, My Name is Red is a kaleidoscopic journey to the intersection of art, religion, love, sex and power. Translated from the Turkish by Erda M Göknar
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"Essentially a kind of detective story told from about 20 different perspectives, set in the world of miniaturist painters in Istanbul during the zenith of the Ottoman Empire. It begins with a corpse who tells you how he'd just been murdered (without telling you who muredered him) and then it shifts perspectives to the main character who is telling you about the woman he loves, then to a painted dog who is mocking the people who are staring at him, then to the murderer who doesn't reveal his name etc., etc., eventually to a painted tree, a gold coin, a painted horse, satan, death, the beloved of the main character, her children, three painters, their master, a palace official, etc. Interspersed throughout are intoxicating discussions about art and artistic theory (tradition v. innovation, essence v. vision, mimesis v. interpretation, among others), the influence of religion in art (and vice versa), of literature in art, fables of honor, love, and courage, as well as perhaps the most physically painful scene I've ever read. Obviously the difficulty in telling the story like this is keeping each perspective distinct and consistent, and I think Pamuk achieves this quite well. Telling the story this way certainly heightens the suspense and intrigue, and truly leaves one guessing until the end (especially when not all narrators are trustworthy). The love story and events related to it were cheesily sentimental, however; I often felt thrust into the middle of a romantic comedy, which certainly detracted from the solemn discussions of art and artistic theory, which are what make the book, in my opinion."
— Brian (4 out of 5 stars)
My Name Is Red Listener Reviews
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" Great story about art, love, envy and vanity. It takes you on a fascinating tour in 16th century Istanbul. I love the humor and honesty in Pamuk's characters. "
— Perttu, 2/15/2014 -
" It took me about a year to finally find time to finish reading this novel, but it was well worth the effort. "
— Ignacio, 2/12/2014 -
" Tough going, given the culture and the style. All kinds of creatures speak as colors: a dog, a suitor, a murdered man. Beautifully done, but hard to get into. "
— Ripley, 1/31/2014 -
" I thought this was fascinating and hilarious. My favorite chapter was on the illustration of the dog. I think you need to be Muslim to "get" how funny that chapter is. Laughed like mad. "
— Julia, 1/22/2014 -
" I loved it, especially those chapters written from the point of view of the corpse and of the colour red. "
— Costi, 1/11/2014 -
" The novel gets more and more fascinating as you get further in--not only in terms of the mystery plot, but for the way it pulls apart and reassembles different ideas about the place of art in the world. "
— Dan, 1/3/2014 -
" with words Pamuk persistently weaving a meditative story of love, changing values and murder. "
— Rajith, 11/6/2013 -
" writing is truly an art. and this fine artistry. the book was talking to me. "
— Nanda, 10/26/2013 -
" I think the fact that I didn't enjoy it all that much has more to do with me than the book itself. I might revisit this one a few years down the lane to see if I like it any better. "
— Vineeta, 10/11/2013 -
" If you want to read something that is unlike anything you've read before - surprising, beautiful, mysterious - this is it! "
— Pandemonium, 9/21/2013 -
" Fascinating, but less like a novel than a philosophical dissertation smushed into a 16th century Turkish art history textbook. There's probably a lot more in this book that I am missing... I see a reread in my future. "
— Flik, 8/31/2013 -
" This is a fascinating book, but it utterly fails as a novel. "
— Kara, 8/29/2013 -
" Difficult but well worth it! "Snow" is easier but this is richer, more layered and dense. "
— Lisa, 9/18/2012 -
" "I am a corpse." "
— Gremily, 7/21/2012 -
" My favorite novel of all time, or close to it. "
— Amanda, 6/29/2012 -
" Taking break from this book,,,, though I love it but,,, need a break,, "
— Raheleh, 9/19/2011 -
" Roman polyphonique, roman policier, roman historique, roman poétique. C'est aussi un roman sur l'art. <br/> <br/>Je ne crois pas nuire au livre en disant que c'est un des cinq romans qui m'ont le plus marqué. <br/> <br/>Et quelle traduction! Le traducteur français a une plume superbe. "
— Maxime, 5/19/2011 -
" one of the best books I enjoyed lately it's a piece of art. "
— Mahitap, 5/12/2011 -
" I tried to get into this book several times and it never captured me. I didn't finish the book. It reminded me a bit of Jorge Borges work. But I didn't find the characters interesting and the plot seemed too theoretical. I have really liked other works by the same author. "
— Ian, 4/23/2011 -
" Fascinating and as intricate as the illustrations that form the heart of the novel. "
— Lisabet, 4/23/2011 -
" Hard to get into, but forged ahead and found the ending vivid! "
— Jane, 4/15/2011 -
" It took me a while to get into this book. It wasn't until about have-way through that I wanted to keep reading to see how it would unfold. I loved the ending- makes me want to go back and read the book again. "
— Annemargaret, 4/13/2011 -
" Intriguing. Was on second listening to the CD version when got interrupted again. Still don't totally understand, but an exotic story to plummet. "
— Lily, 4/5/2011 -
" I am called Yellow. When I hue my stars saffron in praise of the master storytellers, I'm generous with my paint. "
— Jeff, 4/5/2011
About Orhan Pamuk
Orhan Pamuk is a prominent literary author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006. His novel My Name Is Red won the 2003 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and his numerous novels have been translated into more than sixty languages. He lives in Instanbul.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.