READING MY NAME IS RED

This is a murder mystery set during 16th century Istanbul.

Overall it was not an easy read at all. I struggled and stumbled through the initial chapters. However, it got easier as I progressed. I guess that happens as one gets more familiar with the writing style. By the way, the book is a translation and I found some of the choice of words could have been better. Some of the ideas about the art can be quite abstract. Probably it is just me as I have no formal background in such a discipline. Nonetheless, I feel there is an element wanting to stay as pure as before on the one hand....resisting change.... and a progression into change caused by needs and influence of other civilizations such as the Chinese and Franks, on the other hand. At the beginning so much is taken to discuss the art of miniaturism. I wonder if much of it is true in the historical aspect as I sensed much of the depictions in books then were laced with legends more for the pleasure of the elitists who patronised their work.

The book opens with the death of a Elegant Effendi, a master miniaturist whose body was then dumped into a well. 18 chapters on, the murderer, Wednesday, narrates his story. As expected he was the one who wailed the most at the funeral until he pulled himself together before it became obvious. I sensed envy/jealousy is the prime reason apart from other reasons which only those engulfed in the purity of the art and religion would do anything to defend them. But then the war had caused royal funding of the arts to dwindle and the master was forced to look elsewhere to supplement themselves i.e. the pashas.

A very challenging read I must say. It reminded me of books like Anna Kerinina which I never could complete because of names I simply could not remember. The minute details of the art which the writer took the trouble to delve into ...almost to a spiritual level of consciousness. The way the mystery is being solved is so unlike the CSI stuff I am more familiar with. The clues lie in the images themselves. The ending is rather unexpected. Well, you need to read it in order to understand the message of the book. I wouldn't make it so simple for you. Suffer folks!

Now, I am ready for "Istanbul".

"The Court of Gayumarth",

By Sultan Muhammad  Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh.

Above are samples of miniature paintings much described in the book. No wonder many miniaturists went blind in the end.