The pace of the book is slow, and these details reflect that. The book is very detailed, and some found this rather tedious, particularly when Pamuk describes how boza is prepared. The dogs are a very real menace in Istanbul, even today. We follow him as he roams the city, selling his boza, and meeting his customers and packs of stray dogs. The character of Mevlut is well-drawn, depicting a man in his time, trying to eke a living for his family and stay out of trouble ( not always easy), a man seeped in tradition, yet at the same time, a liberal and moral man within the constraints of a repressive and corrupt society. For those of us who have visited Istanbul, the atmosphere of the city brought back many memories, - in fact the city becomes a character in the book- and we were overwhelmed with it's sights ,noises and smells.
There is such depth there, so many layers historical, political and philosophical, which immerse the readers and their senses.
The book is rich in scene-setting, and is affectionate without being sentimental.
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