Orhan Pamuk's newest novel was published in the US the week before September 11th. Despite critical acclaim, it became a victim of the short cultural attention span of a nation in crisis.
For Pamuk, one of Turkey's leading novelists, it's an irony, because his novel deals with precisely the issues that have dominated the news since: the clash of civilizations, Islam and the West. Pamuk's approach, though, is more nuanced than the pundits and more poetic than the politicians.
My Name is Red is set in 16th-century Istanbul, chronicling one week that proves to be the tipping point for a centuries-old Islamic artistic tradition.
Pamuk paints a tale of jealousy and nostalgia, as Western culture encroaches upon the East.
