A winter reading list of Turkish literature

The cold days of winter are finally here and most of us dread the thought of going outside because of the biting cold which awaits. Istanbul, a metropolis city, has many adventures to offer visitors and locals alike but most of us are looking for reasons not to leave the house in the cold months of the year. It is during this season that most get acquainted with Turkish literature as the snow and rain push people indoors with nothing to do other than read, read, read! In the world of literature, Turkish authors have made a name for themselves with their unique styles of writing influenced by Turkish culture. Here are five authors and their widely recognized books which will allow you to experience Turkish culture and tradition from the comfort of your own home.

My Name is Red

When we think of Turkish literature, one of the first names that comes to mind is Orhan Pamuk. The Turkish novelist is more than just a writer, he is also a screenwriter, academic professor and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. The Istanbul-born writer is the country's best-selling author and has been recognized worldwide for his unique writing. His books have been translated into 60 languages and remain timeless due to content and context. One of Pamuk's best known novels, "My Name Is Red," was written in 1998, and was later translated to English in 2001. This book is set in the 16th century Ottoman Empire and revolves around miniaturists, a form of art during the time. The first chapter is full of suspense as one of the miniaturists is murdered and the mystery must be solved. Each chapter in the book is told from the point of view of different narrators with unforeseen narrations from Satan, a coin, a corpse and of course, the color red. Giving great detail about the philosophical system of the era and authentic insight into the mindset and conditions of the time, Pamuk's novel has been a timeless classic since it was published. "My Name Is Red" won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2003.

Night

Bilge Karasu, born in 1930, is a Turkish writer and philosopher. In his works, the author sheds light on many philosophical problems in society. He is acclaimed for the difficulty of his prose and the complexity of his writing techniques. The Istanbul-born author began writing when he was only 17 years old and had many of his works published in local magazines and papers. The combination of philosophy and real life add a down-to-earth element to his works that readers can relate to. One of the widely discussed novels of Turkish literature is Karasu's "Night." The book is set in a dystopia where "night-workers" physically abuse and kill at random. The main character is a man known only as "N" who narrates the book through his diary in an open-minded manner as opposed to an oppressive state. The novel guides us throughout the paranoia and terror of a mind stuck in a hellish place. "Night" won the Mobil Corporation's Pegasus Prize.

Sleeping in the Forest

When asked, Sait Faik Abasıyanık is regarded as one of the greatest short story writers and poets of Turkish literature. He became a prominent household name in the 1940s when he brought a whole new style and approach to Turkish literature. Writing about the lives of the lower and working class in a humanistic manner, his works range from realistic to surrealistic with traces of romanticism and modernism intertwined. His book, "Sleeping in the Forest," is a compilation of Abasıyanık's works which include twenty-two short stories, an excerpt from a novella and fifteen poems. The works in the book often portray the author rooting for the underdog as he takes ordinary characters and creates tragicomedies out of their lives through disillusionment. Whether it be laborers, fishermen, children, the unemployed or the poor, this author uses his immaculate understanding of the ironic to create unforgettable heroes.

Summer's End

The Ankara-born novelist and playwright, Adalet Ağaoğlu, is on the 20th century's leading novelists. Her writing is an authentic portrayal of the social pressures and struggles with modernity that are faced by people in Turkish society in an era where these ideas are complicated by political, religious, economic and social forces. With two doctorate degrees from Anadolu University and Ohio State University respectively as well as numerous honors and prizes for her contributions to literature, Ağaoğlu is considered one of the most important living authors of Turkey.

Her novel, "Summer's End" is narrated from the point of view of an author on vacation in Side, a Mediterranean city in Turkey. The author's sense of loss for the happier days of the past leads her to go on a journey in search of bliss. The book offers a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted view of Turkey's cultural values, politics and personal dilemmas. In an introduction written for one of her novels, Sibel Erol says that it "is an elegiac novel of attempted reconciliation and consolation set in a lush and delectable setting that intensifies the heartbreaking contrast between life and death, society's fragmentation and nature's organic unity."

Mother Tongue

Emine Sevgi Özdamar, who has resided in Germany for many years, is a writer, director and actress of Turkish origin. Her works are influenced by her life experiences which include time spent going back and forth between Turkey and Germany. She traveled to Berlin 1965 in search of a job which, at the time, laid the groundwork for most of her novels. One of her most notable accomplishments is being the recipient of the 1991 Ingeborg Bachmann Prize. "Mother Tongue" tells the story of an immigrant who faces exile in a search for identity while travelling between Germany and Turkey. The heroine finds that it difficult to fit into one place and is caught in between the two countries in the story. She mourns the loss of her mother tongue and develops a system of cataloging Turkish words in hopes of not forgetting her roots. The book is focused on the emotional and spiritual reality of the experiences of immigration and adaptation to a foreign land.