Snow by Orhan Pamuk

A perfect novel novel by Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. The novel has been able to depict the reality of artist's life in the world of politics, religion and love. It also has been abled to put forward how a artist can express his thoughts and ideas in a surrealistic way.
Ka a poet and a journalist reaches Kars; the boder city of Turkey to research on suicide of headscarfed girls, which has been a epidemic in this part of Turkey. However the reason behind the suicide of these girls are mysterious because everyone put forwards there reason; The Republican and Political Islamist. Just after Ka reaches Kars blizzard invites blocade to whole town oc Kars for three days. Then within this three days of confinement in Kars the whole of story is enclosed. It shows how ruthless and blind is state toward people of Kars and in the meantime it shows how is religion manipulated by politics. In this part of Kars it's sin to be an atheist even though if you are a reasonable person than a pious person.

"A perfect novel which can work in small periphery to depict the whole world"

Milan Gurung (Freeman)

Orhan Pamuk Official website:

http://www.orhanpamuk.net/

To the Unknown God (1864)

Once more, before I wander on

And turn my glance forward,

I lift up my hands to you in loneliness —

You, to whom I flee,

To whom in the deepest depths of my heart

I have solemnly consecrated altars

So thatYour voice might summon me again.

On them glows, deeply inscribed, the words:

To the unknown god.

I am his, although until this hour

I've remained in the wicked horde:

I am his—and I feel the bonds

That pull me down in my struggle

And, would I flee,

Force me into his service.

I want to know you, Unknown One,

You who have reached deep into my soul,

Into my life like the gust of a storm,

You incomprehensible yet related one!

I want to know you, even serve you.

(—Translation by Philip Grundlerhner)