I haven't read his book either. First time I heard of him was when his goverment put him on trial for being unpatriotic and un-turkish. Recently I also read an article in Salon that talked about some writers are tailor made for Nobel prize, those who write about the political struggle of their country and how their protagonist's life is affected because of that. I think one of the best example of these 'tailor made' writers is Nadine Gordimer from South Africa. Every book I read of hers told the story of conflict between black and whites, racial tension, bad government etc etc. Other writers like Naguib Mahfooz (sp?) from Egypt told the similar story but was so subtle that if you didnt know the countrie's history, you would miss the point. Back to Orhum, I heard that he wrote extensively about the Armenian genocide that is not supposed to talked about in Turkey coz that makes you a traitor. I have a made a mission to read books written by all Nobel prize winners and I am sure I will be reading Orhum's pretty soon. The thing i like the best about Nobel prize winners is that it is awarded for 'collective' efforts, not just one book. It shows that the writer has been consistently good and has shown the world something in his/her unique perspective.