BOOK 159: THE MUSEUM OF INNOCENCE: ORHAN PAMUK
The Museum of Innocence (Turkish: Masumiyet Müzesi)
is a novel by Orhan Pamuk,
Nobel-laureate
Turkish novelist published
on August 29, 2008. The book, set in Istanbul between 1975 and 1984, is an
account of the love story between the wealthy businessman Kemal and a poorer
distant relative of his, Füsun.
THEMES: Pamuk's work often deals with clash of culture between East and
West, which was cited as part of the reason for him being awarded the Nobel Prize
in Literature. This novel continuously references the influence of
the West (Europe and America) on Istanbul's culture, through both the idea of
museums and the film industry, which becomes a large part of the novel.
Female Identity & Turkish Culture: One of the key themes throughout
the novel is the role of the female in Turkish culture. The novel describes the
ostracism of women who have lost their virginity before marriage, despite the
fact that many claim to have a "more western" attitude toward this in
1970s Istanbul. Pamuk describes this as the taboo of virginity that is part of
an old system in Turkey.
In an interview Pamuk blended all of these themes as he commented on how
the role of the museum is also one of ownership, as Kemal looks to own Füsun as
a trinket in his own museum, rather than allow her autonomy of her own life.
MUSEUM: Pamuk has established an actual "Museum of Innocence",
based on the museum described in the book. It is housed in a building in the Çukurcuma
neighbourhood of Istanbul,
and displays a collection evocative of everyday life and culture of Istanbul
during the period in which the novel is set. Originally, the museum was
scheduled to be exhibited at Frankfurt’s
Schirn
Kunsthalle in October 2008, during the annual Frankfurt
Book Fair, but the exhibition was cancelled. In 2010, Pamuk still
hoped that the museum would be opened in 2011. After much delay, the museum was
finally inaugurated in April 2012. Although created later, the museum and the
novel were conceived of in tandem, displaying the obsessive romance between two
Istanbul families, as well as eternalizing a perspective on upper-class
Istanbul in the 1970s. The project was supported by Istanbul 2010 – European
Capital of Culture. According to the book, the museum allows free
entry to those who bring a copy of the book. A ticket placed in the 83rd
chapter of the book will be stamped before ushering the reader in.
