The Museum of Innocence

“Itwasthehappiestmomentofmylife,thoughIdidn’tknowit.”Sobeginsthenewnovel,hisfirstsincewinningtheNobelPrize,fromtheuniversallyacclaimedauthorofSnowandMyNameIsRed.Itis1975,aperfectspringinIstanbul.Kemal,scionofoneofthecity’swealthiestfamilies,isabouttobecomeengagedtoSibel,daughterofanotherprominentfamily,whenheencountersFüsun,abeautifulshopgirlandadistantrelation.Oncethelong-lostcousinsviolatethecodeofvirginity,ariftbeginstoopenbetweenKemalandtheworldoftheWesternizedIstanbulbourgeosie—aworld,ashelovinglydescribesit,withopulentpartiesandclubs,societygossip,restaurantrituals,picnics,andmansionsontheBosphorus,infusedwiththemelancholyofdecay—untilfinallyhebreaksoffhisengagementtoSibel.Buthisresolvecomestoolate.ForeightyearsKemalwillfindexcusestovisitanotherIstanbul,thatoftheimpoverishedbackstreetswhereFüsun,herheartnowhardened,liveswithherparents,andwhereKemaldiscoverstheconsolationsofmiddle-classlifeatadinnertableinfrontofthetelevision.HisobsessivelovewillalsotakehimtothedemimondeofIstanbulfilmcircles(wherehepromisestomakeFüsunastar),asceneofseedybars,run-downcheaphotels,andsmallmenwithbigdreamsdoomedtobitterfailure.Inhisfecklesspursuit,Kemalbecomesacompulsivecollectorofobjectsthatchroniclehislovelornprogressandhisafflictedheart’sreactions:angerandimpatience,remorseandhumiliation,deludedhopesofrecovery,anddaydreamsthattransformIstanbulintoacityscapeofsignsandspectersofhisbeloved,fromwhomnowhecanextractonlymeaningfulglancesandstolenkissesincars,moviehouses,andshadowycornersofparks.AlastchangetorealizehisdreamwillcometoanawfulendbeforeKemaldiscoversthatallhefinallycanpossess,certainlyandeternally,isthemuseumhehascreatedofhiscollection,thismapofasociety’smannersandmores,andofoneman’sbrokenheart.Astirringexplorationofthenatureofromanticattachmentandofthemysteriousallureofcollecting,TheMuseumofInnocencealsoplumbsthedepthsofanIstanbulhalfWesternandhalftraditional—itsemergentmodernity,itsvastculturalhistory.ThisisOrhanPamuk’sgreatestachievement.