"My Name Is Red" by Orhan Pamuk

*Orseas_Urusha

I don't understand this short parable - can somebody explain?

From the novel "My Name Is Red" written by Orhan Pamuk. Originally in Turkish, translated into English by Erdag M. Goknar. OK, so here it goes:

Once upon a time, to the North of Herat, in a mountain castle, there lived a young Khan (prince) who was fascinated with illuminating and painting. This Khan loved only one of the women in his harem, and this striking Tatar woman, whom he loved madly, loved him in return. They engaged in such bouts of lovemaking, sweating until morning, and lived in such ecstasy that their only wish was to live eternally. They soon discovered the best way to realize their wish was by opening books and gazing for hours and hours and days on end, upon the astounding and flawless pictures of the old masters. As they stared at these perfect renderings, unfalteringly reproduced, they felt as though time would stop and their own felicity would mingle with the bliss of the golden age revealed in the stories.

In the royal bookmaker's workshop, there was a miniaturist, a master of masters, who made the same flawless pieces over and over for the same pages of the same books. As was his custom, the master depicted the anguish of Ferhad's love for Shirin, or the loving and desirous glances between Leyla and Mejnun, or the duplicitous, suggestive looks Husrev and Shirin exchanged in that fabled heavenly garden - with one slight alteration however: In place of these legendary lovers, the artist would paint the Khan and his Tatar beauty. Beholding these pages, the Khan and his beloved were thoroughly convinced that their rapture would never end, and they showered the master miniaturist with praises and gold.

Eventually, however, this adulation caused the miniaturist to stray from good sense; incited by the Devil, he dismissed the fact that he was beholden to the old masters for the perfection of his pictures, and haughtily assumed that a touch of his own genius would make his work even more appealing. The Khan and his beloved, considering these innovations - the personal stylistic touches of the master miniaturist - nothing but imperfections, were deeply disturbed by them.

In the paintings, which the Khan observed at length, he felt that his former bliss had been disrupted in numerous ways, and he grew increasingly jealous of his Tatar beauty who was depicted with the invidual touch of the painter. So, with the intention of making his pretty Tatar jealous, he made love with another concubine. His beloved was so bereft upon learning of this betrayal from the harem gossips that she silently hanged herself from a cedar tree in the harem courtyard. The Khan, understanding the mistake he'd made and realizing that the miniaturist's own fascination with style lay behind this terrible incident, immediately blinded this master artist whom the Devil had tempted.

Aku tak faham:

1. Keseluruhan ayat ni:

"They soon discovered the best way to realize their wish was by opening books and gazing for hours and hours and days on end, upon the astounding and flawless pictures of the old masters (miniaturists). "

2. Kenapa Khan tu rasa jealous ngan kekasih Tatar dia tu?

[ Last edited by  seribulan at 15-1-2008 10:06 AM ]

seribulan

bz la nih...nanti arr...help u adik oii...  if no one around to do it...

.Mika

i have read the book once,tp agaknya aku tak kosentret dan tak fhm jadi aku pun tak reti nak jawap.nantila aku baca semula buku ni.

seribulan

Pemahaman melalui bacaan excerpt di atas shj, bukan buku ek

*Orseas_Urusha

Thanks a lot seribulan. Hehe, rupa2nya takdela susah nak faham pun. Otak aku ni jerr yg sengal sket.

.Mika, selamat membaca novel ni balik.

hamizao

In truth, I am yet to finish reading this book. I have come to realise that the only way I can finish it is to just concentrate on one book (I usualy go through a couple at a time) as Pamuk's personal style does not make his book an easy read. This is the feedback I got from those who have read it.

Having said that, I also feel interpretation can be a personal thing.......just let your mind do it in it's natural way. It is alright to have different interpretations.

1. In the present time it may be equated to reading comics.... But with a much more deeper overtone as miniaturism is indeed an art reaching it's height during the Mongol period. So the two lovers with nothing else better to do would just frolic in each other's arms and go through the pages..........In a nutshell, that is...

2. This would require a little knowledge of the art itself. Usually  miniaturists do not even sign their names on the piece as it would be deemed as making the piece imperfect. People know who the miniaturist is through his style which is repeated over and over whenever he produced them. The miniaturist in the story was rather lucky that his change to the depiction of the lovers were even considered an innovation........in many cases he may have his life on the line for any imperfection........Anyway, from this "....caused the miniaturist to stray from good sense; incited by the Devil, he dismissed the fact that he was beholden to the old masters for the perfection of his pictures, .." I get the sense that the details done on the depiction of the Tatar woman was most likely such that only a lover would know. Hence the jealousy...........

My interpretationlah!

[ Last edited by  hamizao at 12-1-2008 11:24 AM ]

thamrong

In one of my posting I wrote " I stopped reading until Chapter 24 " I am death"" This is madness so I buried the book .....somewhere under my bed before I get brain damage.

*Orseas_Urusha

Originally posted by hamizao at 12-1-2008 11:22 AM


In truth, I am yet to finish reading this book. I have come to realise that the only way I can finish it is to just concentrate on one book (I usualy go through a couple at a time) as Pamuk's ...

Interesting explanation, on the second one.

Indeed a VERY heavy novel  it is.