Historical fiction book · Curated
My Name Is Red
Orhan Pamuk · historical fiction
In nine snowy days of 1591, Black comes home to Istanbul and finds the Sultan’s miniaturists split over a secret book that would paint faces the Frankish way; Elegant has already been killed, and the corpse, a dog, a gold coin, and the color red take turns naming the murderer. Orhan Pamuk’s 1998 novel (English translation 2001) is early-modern mystery historical fiction of Ottoman book art, heresy, and a workshop that may go blind before it tells the truth.
Why read it: A perennial title-search Ottoman historical novel—the Nobel laureate’s Istanbul mystery readers still look up by name, and a miniaturist-murder counterpart to The Miniaturist already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk is historical fiction set around 1591 in the Early modern period with key settings including Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. In nine snowy days of 1591, Black comes home to Istanbul and finds the Sultan’s miniaturists split over a secret book that would paint faces the Frankish way; Elegant has already been killed, and the corpse, a dog, a gold coin, and the color red take turns naming the murderer. Orhan Pamuk’s 1998 novel (English translation 2001) is early-modern mystery historical fiction of Ottoman book art, heresy, and a workshop that may go blind before it tells the truth.
On HisFic we tag it under 3. Historical mystery & crime and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include art, murder, faith, tradition, and love. A perennial title-search Ottoman historical novel—the Nobel laureate’s Istanbul mystery readers still look up by name, and a miniaturist-murder counterpart to The Miniaturist already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
In nine snowy days of 1591, Black comes home to Istanbul and finds the Sultan’s miniaturists split over a secret book that would paint faces the Frankish way; Elegant has already been killed, and the corpse, a dog, a gold coin, and the color red take turns naming the murderer. Orhan Pamuk’s 1998 novel (English translation 2001) is early-modern mystery historical fiction of Ottoman book art, heresy, and a workshop that may go blind before it tells the truth. A perennial title-search Ottoman historical novel—the Nobel laureate’s Istanbul mystery readers still look up by name, and a miniaturist-murder counterpart to The Miniaturist already on the shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
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Lucrezia de’ Medici is married at fifteen to the Duke of Ferrara, then isolated in a court where a duchess can be painted, praised, and quietly discarded. O’Farrell turns a famous rumor—that Lucrezia was murdered—into close, tense biographical historical fiction of Renaissance Italy.
Regions & places
Middle East
Istanbul · Ottoman Empire
Themes
- art
- murder
- faith
- tradition
- love
Tags
literary · mystery · award-winner