A Book Review: The New Life by Orhan Pamuk

"I read a book one day and my whole life was changed." New Life, Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk's introduction sentences are always impressive; 'The New Life' (Yeni Hayat) begins with this sentence. Osman sees the same book that his crush reads in a second-hand bookseller he always goes, and he buys the book. After he starts reading, he sees some details on every page of the book that reminds him of his own life. It was as if someone had followed him and wrote a book about his life. He can't resist the idea of discussing the book with other readers.

Like, I said before, his world has changed dramatically. He falls in love with a girl who has the same obsession. He thinks that he can no longer continue his old life because the book has promised him a new life. Osman thought, "There was a journey - there always been. Everything was a journey." and he began to travel to find the world mentioned in the book. These journeys are both internal and physical. During his travels, he finds out that the book was not a normal book, and people who have read the book and affected were not only them.

"Life is beautiful, if you are on the road to somewhere." The New Life, Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk has managed to tell structural and social changes in Turkey through a variety of characters. We read many of the characters' different perspectives on westernization and capitalism throughout the story from the descriptions of the villages and towns Osman visited during his travels, or while the conversation Osman had with the people who live there.

We all have read a book that affects us, contributes our self-improvement and therefore change our lives. In this respect, every book is a new life. Good reading!

"A good book is something that reminds us of the whole world - Perhaps that’s how every book is, or what each and every book ought to be." Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk Illustration

Emel

Jan 2019