YMMV / My Name Is Red

• Genius Bonus: The novel is full of references to Middle Eastern history and literature, as well as the theology of Islam. Though widely known in the Middle East itself, much of this is rather esoteric for Western readers.
• Ho Yay: There is a great deal of homosexuality and ephebophilia going on in the background. As the Storyteller says, this is largely because of the seclusion of women, leading to unmarried men trying to satisfy their natural urges somewhere.