Snow

Snow (Turkish: Kar) is a novel by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. It was published in Turkish in 2002 and in English (translated by Maureen Freely) in 2004. The story encapsulates many of the political and cultural tensions of modern Turkey and successfully combines humor, social commentary, mysticism, and a deep sympathy with its characters. A poet who goes by the name Ka returns to Turkey after a twelve-year political exile in Germany. A friend in ... more

Snow (Turkish: Kar) is a novel by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. It was published in Turkish in 2002 and in English (translated by Maureen Freely) in 2004. The story encapsulates many of the political and cultural tensions of modern Turkey and successfully combines humor, social commentary, mysticism, and a deep sympathy with its characters. A poet who goes by the name Ka returns to Turkey after a twelve-year political exile in Germany. A friend in Istanbul who works for a newspaper suggests that he go to the town of Kars, near Turkey's eastern border of Armenia and Georgia, posing as a journalist. Recently, the suicides of a number of young women in the area have brought attention to the small town. Ka begins to interview residents and learns what he can about the deaths. The suicides are causing much controversy among local Muslims as suicide is forbidden in the religion. Ka reunites with a woman named İpek, whom he once had feelings for and whose father runs the hotel he is staying in... less