IstanbulIstanbul
Score Modern
What it's about
Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist, remembers growing up in Istanbul in the 1950s and 60s, in a large, quarrelsome, declining family in an apartment building. He describes the city's melancholy beauty, its ruins and its history, how it shaped him, and how, at twenty-two, he decided to become a writer.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize. It's a beautiful portrait of a city and a young mind, illustrated with old photographs.
You'll love it if you liked
Speak, Memory
The Years
AusterlitzGood to know
It's reflective and melancholy, more mood than story.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller9 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #287 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #1530 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2757 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Istanbul worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize. It ranks #2,757 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Istanbul about?
Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist, remembers growing up in Istanbul in the 1950s and 60s, in a large, quarrelsome, declining family in an apartment building. He describes the city's melancholy beauty, its ruins and its history, how it shaped him, and how, at twenty-two, he decided to become a writer.
How long does it take to read Istanbul?
About 9 hours (368 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Istanbul?
If you liked it, try Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov, The Years by Annie Ernaux or Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald.