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WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

A deeply moving portrait of a torturous love affair that shows Istanbul in all its complex beauty.

‘An enthralling, immensely enjoyable piece of storytelling.’ The Guardian
‘Intimate and nuanced . . . a classic, spacious love story.’ The New York Review of Books
‘A resounding confirmation that Orhan Pamuk is one of the great novelists of his generation.’ Washington Post

Kamal lives a life of cosmopolitan glamour, exploring the restaurants and boutiques of Istanbul with his friends and fiance. In the newly modern city, they pride themselves on their liberal attitudes and Western style.

A chance encounter with Fusun, a working-class shop-girl, begins a long, obsessive love affair, one that draws him deep into Istanbul’s complex history, and uncovers the forces of class and gender that still control its inhabitants’ lives.