I hated every minute of reading this book, but then could not stop thinking about it for weeks. The main character is a mysogonistic narcissist, and I despised him throughout his entire telling of his story. I hate him all over again just thinking about this book. Pamuk’s prose is stunning, the character development is extremely effective, and the themes throughout are enduring.

I had the pleasure of visiting the museum that resulted from this book (what a concept!) in Istanbul, and I especially enjoyed the diagram of anatomy with corresponding feelings, and that the butterfly earrings are for sale. The attention to detail is impressive.