When the "twin" appeared, I assumed that the novel would be in the form of a dialogue between self and doppelgänger and I so read it. Pamuk was altogether more subtle than that and the "identity theme" could be expanded to include a dialogue between two interior selves on ethical as well as cultural and psychological levels.
I didn't like the ending. It reminded me too much of the type of authorial trick used by Golding in
Pincher Martin: The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin.
However, this is a matter of taste (for which there is indeed no accounting
)and clearly many would find the ending of
The White Castle appropriate and satisfying as throughout Pamuk has made skilful use of literary ambiguity.. Another obstacle for me was the fact that I didn't empathise with the main character{s} nor with the plot, the latter of which i found quite static. Again, I am expressing what is certainly a personal opinion.
On a positive note, I am glad to have read this book because it has a depth of meaning which, for me, more than compensates for aspects I found annoying.