Istanbul cover art

Istanbul

Memories of a City

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Istanbul

By: Orhan Pamuk, Maureen Freely
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

Istanbul is a shimmering evocation, by turns intimate and panoramic, of one of the world's great cities, by its foremost writer. Orhan Pamuk, winner of the Nobel Prize in 2006, was born in Istanbul, in the family apartment building where his mother first held him in her arms. His portrait of his city is thus also a self-portrait, refracted by memory and the melancholy-or hüzün- that all Istanbullus share: the sadness that comes of living amid the ruins of a lost Ottoman Empire.

As he companionably guides us across the Bosphorus, through Istanbul's historical monuments and lost paradises, its dilapidated Ottoman villas, back streets and waterways, he also introduces us to the city's writers, artists and murderers.

Like the Dublin of Joyce and Jan Morris' Venice, Pamuk's Istanbul is a triumphant encounter of place and sensibility, beautifully written and immensely moving.

©2013 Orhan Pamuk (P)2013 Faber Audio Europe Middle East Sociology Turkey Urban Ottoman Empire Imperialism Middle Ages

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All stars
Most relevant
The writer describes Istanbul very evocatively, weaving aspects of his personal history with that of the city. Describing atmosphere is a challenging task, but Pamuk does so in a way which draws out many moods and tensions.

Atmosphere

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Took me a few chapters to fully get into it but once I did, I really enjoyed and appreciated Pamuk’s genius. The translation and the narration are also very well done.

Brilliant

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Deeply personal and sensitive writer. A great inspiration for an artist or writer. A very honest view of Istanbul and its people.

Brilliant evocation of a young man’s inner world.

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Apart from the excellent descriptions of a fascinating city, I found his struggle through painting and then a failed university diploma in architecture very moving. It is this part of the book that brought it alive for me. His eye for his beloved city may well have been aided by his 2 'failed' careers; it is full of lyricism and insight.

Development of a writer

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Overall enjoyable but at times a hard listen. Full of facts and references not all relevant. Have read better books from this author.

Worth the effort

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