RaveThe San Francisco ChronicleWhat they all have in common is that each one portrays its characters in a crisis that reveals resources of courage and resilience even he or she was not aware of. All but one of the stories concern what is arguably the deepest, most complex and most poignant of human relationships: the bond between parent and child ... Of all these heartrending stories of pain and loss, the most moving and unforgettable in the collection is \'Halflead Bay\' ... As Faulkner observed, voices like his not only record the human condition but also help us endure and prevail.
Orhan Pamuk, Trans. by Maureen Freely
RaveThe Los Angeles TimesThe snow that falls steadily throughout the book has a magical effect on Kars, concealing the evidence of poverty and decay, highlighting the beauty of the old Russian and Armenian buildings, making everyone feel closer together and giving Ka a powerful sense of the presence — and the silence — of God. During the next three days, Ka has a staggering series of life-changing experiences … The novel vividly portrays the cruelty and intolerance of both the Islamic fundamentalists and the representatives of the secularist Turkish state. More important, however, Pamuk has created believable, sympathetic characters representing both sides and has given an eloquent voice to their anger and frustration. These are no monsters but ordinary human beings who actually have much more in common than they would wish to acknowledge.
