In fact no one recognizes the happiest moment of their lives as they are living it. It may well be that, in a moment of joy, one might sincerely believe that they are living that golden instant "now," even having lived such a moment before, but whatever they say, in one part of their hearts they still believe in the certainty of a happier moment to come. Because how could anyone, and particularly anyone who is still young, carry on with the belief that everything could only get worse: If a person is happy enough to think he has reached the happiest moment of his life, he will be hopeful enough to believe his future will be just as beautiful, more so.

Pamuk's lawyer Haluk İnanıcı subsequently confirmed that charges had been dropped. The novel blends mystery romance and philosophical puzzles in a setting of 16th century Istanbul. Personal life

Pamuk's elder brother Şevket Pamuk who sometimes appears as a fictional character in Orhan Pamuk's work is a professor of economics internationally recognised for his work in history of economics of the Ottoman Empire working at Bogazici University in Istanbul.

As well as the Nobel Prize in Literature (the first Nobel Prize to be awarded to a Turkish citizen) Pamuk is the recipient of numerous other literary awards. One of Turkey's most prominent novelists his work has sold over eleven million books in sixty languages making him the country's best-selling writer. Ferit Orhan Pamuk (generally known simply as Orhan Pamuk; born 7 June 1952) is a Turkish novelist screenwriter academic and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.