i bought this book years ago, and tried reading it; but i couldn't grasp what was going on in it. years later, now, after i've read through the books of woolf, joyce, faulkner, and ali smith; and after loving complex patterns of narrations in their books, i thought about reading this again. now, it was much easier. i loved this book. and, i admired pamuk's scintillating skill of applying non-linear, complex, and intersecting narrations through the different polyphonic voices in this novel. also, i loved how he brought the east-west dichotomy in this novel which, as an asian, i understood and somehow related to. i am glad that i thought of giving pamuk another chance. it was worth it.