Characters

BookRags has an entire page dedicated to the characters in the memoir and their descriptions. Simply follow the link to the study guide for instructions.

Orhan Pamuk is the author of the memoir. He was born in Istanbul in 1952, and he has never left the city of his birth. His parents were often separated because of their volatile relationship. Once wealthy, Pamuk's family's wealth had been significantly reduced as a result of poor business decisions. During most of his childhood, Pamuk lived in a building called Pamuk Apartments, where his family shared an apartment. Extended family members occupied other units in the same building.

While growing up, Pamuk felt the sadness that surrounded his family, as well as the other residents of Istanbul..... the city itself was enveloped in a sadness that was caused by the fall of the Ottoman Empire and a corresponding decline in the city's fortunes.

Pamuk portrays himself as a sad and disturbed from an early age..... someone given to the escape fantasy provided, and who often wandered the streets of Istanbul aimlessly. He loved to paint and was a talented artist. He even dreamed of a career as a painter. Pamuk later studied architecture, but eventually lost interest in that as well. In the end, he became a writer.