Chapters 10-18 Hey, We're Going to Move Ahead

If it is OK with the group, we will cover more pages of reading, (chapters 10-18) for this week. That way we can move ahead quicker in our discoveries in this novel. I bet Ray has already past these chapters :) Your comments are due Monday, September 5.

Chapter 10
One of the most creative writing inventions Pamuk employes in My Name is Red is to write chapters of the story from the point of view of inanimate objects. In chapter 10 "I am a Tree", Pamuk explores what a tree from an illuminated page has to think and say. The image of the tree has been separated from it's book and is now alone.
Do you think this has caused the tree to lose or to expand it's meaning?

Chapter 11
Black meets Master Osman and they discussed how the Venetian style differs from the Islamic illuminations. They also talk about how the Islamic illuminations are changing.
Can you list a couple of those changes?

Black asks Master Osman what "separates the genuine miniaturist from the ordinary" (p.60)
Master Osman replies that to determine this, he would ask a painter three questions. Black is going to use those questions to interrogate the miniaturists to help him identify Elegant's murderer.
What are those questions?

There is an important discussion in this chapter about blindness. Master Osman tells Black that "blindness is silence" and "it's the farthest one can go in illustrating: it is seeing what appears out of Allah's own blackness." (p 60) In chapter 14 (p80) Pamuk tells us that an artist that is blind paints by memory and is not distracted by the world.
Do you think blindness would make an artist better? Answer this question after you have reviewed the following 2 outside sources:

1) A video about a remarkable blind painter from Turkey.....Esref Armagan
http://www.armagan.com/

2) The story of a painter, Benodebehari Mukherjee, helps us explore the concept of whether blindness is a virtue and can make an artist better
http://humanitiesunderground.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/the-blind-art-of-the-concrete/
Some of the artwork of Mr. Mukherjee can be viewed here:
http://www.artfact.com/artist/mukherjee-benode-behari-jsudm51tks

Chapters 12, 13, 14
In these chapters, Black visits the three miniaturists (Butterfly, Stork and Olive) and poses the questions Master Osman has suggested. He uses the questions as a ploy to observe the painters to pick up any signs of guilt of Elegant's murder. All three miniaturists are on to Black's motive for visiting them.

Butterfly answers Black's question about style and signature. He also boasts he is the best painter because he earns the most money (p68) and also that he didn't murder Elegant ( 66). But he also says he feels like lowering an inkpot onto the skull of this buffoon Black for suspecting him of Elegant's murder.

Stork answers Black's question about painting and time. Stork tells Black a tale with the moral that "time ends for the one who forsakes the perfect life and perfect illuminating leaving nothing but death." (p75)

Olive answers Black's question about blindness and memory. One of Olive's stories (p79) reveals some of the "eternal anxieties about going blind shared by all miniaturists."
Can you list some of these anxieties and the conditions that caused these anxieties?
Chapter 15
In this chapter Esther heightens the drama of the love triangle between Shekure, Black and Hasan.
How does Esther stir things up?

In this male dominated society, it would appear that a women holds power over men the most when she is desirable for marriage.
Do you think this might be a reason Shekure is playing Black and Hasan against each other?

Chapter 16
We learn more about Shekure's thnking. She tells us: "It wasn't aging, losing one's beauty or even being bereft of usband and money that was the worst of all calamities. (p87)
What does Shejkure is more horrible?

Enishte is afraid Shekure will divorce, remarry and abandon him. He is also afraid he too will be murdered.

Chapter 17
Enishte goes to Elegant's funeral with the knowledge that Elegant's murder is present there.
At the funeral he talks with Olive, Stork and Butterfly. He recalls Stork criticizing Elegant's gilding work as being inferior (p92). He notes that Olive was the "one who most believed in my book. (p92). He has a fiery discussion with Butterfly in which Butterfly accuses Olive and Stork with starting rumors that he is the murderer because he had bad relations with Elegant. (p93) Looking into Elegant's grave Enishte again fears his own demise.

Why do you think Enishte tells Butterfly to let the others know that he is calling off the project of the secret book?

At this point in the story, who do you think the murder is?

Resources for optional discovery

An interesting history of gold coins:
http://www.nationalcoinbrokers.com/rarecoins/gold-in-your-ira/history-of-gold-coins/

Author Pamuk describes some of the paintings referred to in "My Name is Red"
http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/authors/pamuk/desktop1.html

Chapters 7-9 due Monday 8/29/11

I'll be camping for about the next 10 days, so you get an few extra days to read and analyze these chapters---comments please by Monday 8/29/11.

Chapter 7 we get deeper into the romantic intrigue between Black and Shekure and find it really is a love TRIANGLE. On pg 35 we learn that Shekure sent a message to Black via Esther which contains an illustration that Black made for her years ago. Was Shekure's message meant to encourage or discourage Black's advances?

Chapter 8 we meet the interesting character of Esther. What do you think Esther gains from manipulating the lovers the way she does?

Chapter 9 we meet Shekure. What do you think Shekure gains from manipulating Black?

Remember you can answer all or some or none of the questions posed above. They are only discussion starters. If you have any comments about parts of the story that interest you, please share them with the group.

OPTIONAL READING AND RESEARCH
Here are some interesting pictures of womens' costumes in 16th century Turkey: http://home.earthlink.net/~al-qurtubiyya/16/kultur-16.html

Here is an actual pattern you can purchase to make a 16th century Turkish woman's outfit.....check out those platform shoes!!!! Actually the clothing looks pretty comfortable and the colors are fantastic, but was probably very warm in summer--all those layers!
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/products/rh406-ottoman-turkish-woman-1

And finally a little Turkish-English poem about love and marriage!
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/will-you-marry-me-turkish-english/

I look forward to your comments.......Happy Reading!

Chapters 4-6 -- due 8/15/11

So far we have been given an introduction to some of the characters, the main plot, theme and setting for our novel, My Name is Red. We have learned that this book is basically a murder mystery. In chapter 4, the murder challenges us (p 17) "try to discover who I am from my choice of words and colors." He also tells reveals the motive for the murder-- to silence Elegant who "was prepared to confess everything to everyone."

Can you list the other clues the murder give us about his motives, actions, and identity in Chapter 4?
The murder and Elegant get into a debate about responsibilities and obligations of our actions. The murder says "we must do as we are told." Elegant says "we must distinguish good from evil--we have our own free will." Who do you side with? Can you give a modern-day example of each of these philosophies?

The murder tries to justify the act of murder by looking for affirming signs from God (p 21). What do you think of his rationale? Have you ever had people rationalize their behavior in a similar way?

In chapter 5, by way of Black's visit, we are introduced to Beloved Uncle (Enishte). Enishte makes a statement about Black's acts of respect toward him(p 22): "all of this not only announces that he is the sensible grown man he aspires to be, but it reminds me that I am indeed the venerable elder I aspire to be." Enishte further says (p 23) "True respect arises not from the heart, but from discrete rules and deference." Do you agree? Do you think Black's acts of respect were genuine? For what other reason/s would Black want to be respectful to Enishte?

What did Enishte do to keep Black from his daughter Shekure? Why does he not want Shekure and Black to have a relationship?

In chapter 5, Enshinte gives us the reasons he wants to create the "secret" painting for the Sultan. Can you name some of them? What aspects of the creation of portraiture in the Venetian style does Enshinte find so appealing?

In chapter 6, we learn why Enshinte invited Black to return to Istanbul. What was the task that he asked Black to perform?

We meet little Orhan, Enshinte's grandson and the younger of Shekure's two sons. How does Orhan become aware that his mother might be more than casually interested in Black? What happened to Orhan's father?

Enshinte (p 28) says: "Yet does illustrating in a new way signify a new way of seeing?" Is the author alluding to more than art when he says this?

Please share your comments on your reading of these 3 chapters by next Monday. You can discuss any, all or none of the questions posted. Your own comments and observations and questions to the group are most welcome!! Don't forget to post some links or sites you've found for the rest of us if you've done further research.

Thank you and happy reading.

Chapters 1-3

First, dear Silver Hoody, there are 59 chapters in this book. As we are reading 3 per week, my bet is that you will be able to catch up with us quickly when your book arrives. Is it not available on Kindle? Perhaps you will reconsider your decision not to read along with us.Regardless, thank you for your comments. I too have heard visitors say that the country is fascinating as being a crossroads of culture, religion and history. Perhaps we can visit Turkey together some day?

I am picking up several recurring themes in this book: dark/light and repeated references to snow (pg 7, 9, 16) and blindness. Will watch for how these develop as we read along.

On pg 5 Elegant says "my death conceals an appalling conspiracy against our religion, our traditions and the way we see the world." I think that is the underlying idea for the whole story.

We learn a little about Islamic law and teachings: pg4-"I have not been buried and therefore my soul has not completely left my body."--a corpse must be given proper burial rites before the soul is released. So someone must discover he has been murdered and someone must give a proper burial and with this, Elegant EXTRAPOLATES that someone must revenge his murder.

In Chapter 2 we meet the character Black who was invited back to Istanbul after a 12 year absence to help work on the secret book being created for the Sultan. Because he has been away for 12 years, we get to see through his eyes how things have changed since he was last in Istanbul: rising prices, immorality, inflation, crime, theft, fires, plaque, endless wars with Persians (sound familiar?). On pg 9 he says it is a "time of straying from the path of the Prophet"--disregard for the strictures of the Koran; tolerance toward Christians; open sale of wine; playing musical instruments.

Black has heard the cleric Nusret, who claims to be a direct descendant of the Great Prophet, attributes all the catastrophes that have befallen Istanbul on the influx of immigrants and poor, perhaps refugees?, from other lands "dragging us toward absolute degradation (pg9). (sound familiar?)

Black briefly mentions (pg 8) the growing power of foreign powers: Flemish and Venetians.(sound familiar?) We will watch for more developments on this theme.

But how fundamentally solid is Black himself? It seems that Istanbul is not the only thing that has changed in the past 12 years. He is easily lured by the melodious sound of the lute to the coffeehouse where he sits and listens to the tales told by the Dog. Didn't he learn from the fundamentalist cleric Husret Hoja that,"the Great Prophet did not partake of coffee because he knew it dulled the intellect." Therefore it is EXTRAPOLATED that coffee is prohibited by the Prophet.

Although the Koran does not specifically prohibit the depiction of human figures in art, that prohibition was EXTRAPOLATED and enforced through literal interpretation. Black tells us he left behind his childhood love in Istanbul 12 years ago. Because he had no depiction or drawing of her, his "beloved's face has long since escaped me." Although he struggled to remember what she looked like, he slowly forgot her and left that love behind. This theme of depiction of the human image will reoccur in our reading.

Chapter 3: We get a preview glimpse of the black dog in chapter 2 (pg7). When Black visits the family graves he sees the black dog wagging its tail in friendship. In Chapter 3 we learn more about the dog. We find out that dogs don't make mistakes, only humans do. Dogs know who deserves to be bitten. Clerics despise dogs because the Prophet liked cats--therefore it has been EXTRAPOLATED that must mean the Prophet hates dogs. So it is further EXTRAPOLATED that if you are a follower of the Prophet you, too, hate dogs. People who frequent coffeehouses and those who dance actually listen to and believe what dogs tell them. And did you catch the part where the dog says that in spite of what Husret Hoja preaches, coffee is good for you in that it sharpens your sight and quickens your thoughts?

WHO DO YOU THINK THE DOG REPRESENTS?

Here is are optional interesting articles on Islamic art (miniatures):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_miniature
http://www.spongobongo.com/EKOM00.htm
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/17/us-art-auction-lslam-idUSTRE72G4RG20110317
http://www.lesartsturcs.org/miniatures/index.html

Jackie/Ray: did you know that there is a wonderful collection of Islamic Miniatures right in your own backyard? The Cleveland Museum of Art has a fabulous collection. Why not take a field trip there to check them out! If you do view them, please share your impressions with us. Thanks!

Introductions and Chapters 1-3 due 08/08/11

Good day! Thanks for joining the A Riot of Reading blog. As we enter the beginning of our book, My Name is Red, let's take a moment to meet the author Orhan Pamuk.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/conversation/july-dec02/pamuk_11-20.html
Our assignment for this first week:
1) Sign in as follower to A Riot of Reading blog
2) Introduce yourself to the group by entering some information about yourself in the profile section
3) Read chapters 1-3
4) Post your comment about the reading and/or answer the following question:
"What are some of my perceptions of the country of Turkey as I begin my exploration of this novel?"

Remember to complete your assignment before Monday August 8th and if you have discovered any interesting articles, photos, maps, interviews, websites, etc. related to our reading in general or more specifically relating to chapters 1-3, please share the links with the group.

Teşekkürler!