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Madonna in a Fur Coat
New Edition 2026
Sabahattin Ali's unforgettable novel, Madonna in a Fur Coat, is one of the most profound and moving novels in world literature. This work, which opens the doors to a great love and inner world hidden behind Raif Efendi's quiet and seemingly ordinary life, touches the most secret corners of the human soul. The novel explores the past of Raif Efendi, who appears to be an obscure civil servant in the cold and monotonous atmosphere of Ankara, and Maria Puder, a mysterious woman he met during his Berlin years and who profoundly influenced his life. Behind this seemingly ordinary life lies profound loneliness, profound love, and the struggle to hold on to life. Sabahattin Ali's simple yet striking narrative reveals the complexity of the human soul and the transformative power of love, while also confronting the reader with their own inner world. Since its publication, Madonna in a Fur Coat has earned a place in the hearts of readers not only as a love story, but also as a masterpiece that challenges human existence, loneliness, and hope.
Sabahattin Ali's unforgettable novel, Madonna in a Fur Coat, is one of the most profound and moving novels in world literature. This work, which opens the doors to a great love and inner world hidden behind Raif Efendi's quiet and seemingly ordinary life, touches the most secret corners of the human soul. The novel explores the past of Raif Efendi, who appears to be an obscure civil servant in the cold and monotonous atmosphere of Ankara, and Maria Puder, a mysterious woman he met during his Berlin years and who profoundly influenced his life. Behind this seemingly ordinary life lies profound loneliness, profound love, and the struggle to hold on to life. Sabahattin Ali's simple yet striking narrative reveals the complexity of the human soul and the transformative power of love, while also confronting the reader with their own inner world. Since its publication, Madonna in a Fur Coat has earned a place in the hearts of readers not only as a love story, but also as a masterpiece that challenges human existence, loneliness, and hope.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2025
25 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Sabahattin Ali
225 books2,444 followersSabahattin Ali (February 25, 1907 – April 2, 1948) was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.
He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria) of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (now Komotini in northern Greece), in the Ottoman Empire. He lived in Istanbul, Çanakkale and Edremit before he entered the School of Education in Balıkesir. Then, he was transferred to the School of Education in Istanbul, where he graduated in 1926. After serving as a teacher in Yozgat for one year, he earned a fellowship from the Ministry of National Education and studied in Germany from 1928 to 1930. When he returned to Turkey, he taught German language in high schools at Aydın and Konya.
While he was serving as a teacher in Konya, he was arrested for a poem he wrote criticizing Atatürk's policies, and accused of libelling two other journalists. Having served his sentence for several months in Konya and then in the Sinop Fortress Prison, he was released in 1933 in an amnesty granted to mark the 10th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Turkey. He then applied to the Ministry of National Education for permission to teach again. After proving his allegiance to Atatürk by writing the poem "Benim Aşkım" (literally: My Love or My Passion), he was assigned to the publications division at the Ministry of National Education. Sabahattin Ali married on May 16, 1935 and did his military service in 1936. He was imprisoned again and released in 1944. He also owned and edited a popular weekly newspaper called "Marko Paşa" (pronounced "Marco Pasha"), together with Aziz Nesin.
Upon his release from prison, he suffered financial troubles. His application for a passport was denied. He was killed at the Bulgarian border, probably on 1 or 2 April 1948. His body was found on June 16, 1948. It is generally believed that he was killed by Ali Ertekin, a smuggler with connections to the National Security Service, who had been paid to help him pass the border.[2] Another hypothesis is that Ertekin handed him over to the security services, and he was killed during interrogation. It is believed he was killed because of his political opinions.
Sabahattin Ali's 100th birth anniversary was celebrated in Bulgarian city Ardino in March 31, 2007. Ali is a well-known author in this country because his books have been read in schools in Bulgaria since 1950s.
He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria) of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (now Komotini in northern Greece), in the Ottoman Empire. He lived in Istanbul, Çanakkale and Edremit before he entered the School of Education in Balıkesir. Then, he was transferred to the School of Education in Istanbul, where he graduated in 1926. After serving as a teacher in Yozgat for one year, he earned a fellowship from the Ministry of National Education and studied in Germany from 1928 to 1930. When he returned to Turkey, he taught German language in high schools at Aydın and Konya.
While he was serving as a teacher in Konya, he was arrested for a poem he wrote criticizing Atatürk's policies, and accused of libelling two other journalists. Having served his sentence for several months in Konya and then in the Sinop Fortress Prison, he was released in 1933 in an amnesty granted to mark the 10th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Turkey. He then applied to the Ministry of National Education for permission to teach again. After proving his allegiance to Atatürk by writing the poem "Benim Aşkım" (literally: My Love or My Passion), he was assigned to the publications division at the Ministry of National Education. Sabahattin Ali married on May 16, 1935 and did his military service in 1936. He was imprisoned again and released in 1944. He also owned and edited a popular weekly newspaper called "Marko Paşa" (pronounced "Marco Pasha"), together with Aziz Nesin.
Upon his release from prison, he suffered financial troubles. His application for a passport was denied. He was killed at the Bulgarian border, probably on 1 or 2 April 1948. His body was found on June 16, 1948. It is generally believed that he was killed by Ali Ertekin, a smuggler with connections to the National Security Service, who had been paid to help him pass the border.[2] Another hypothesis is that Ertekin handed him over to the security services, and he was killed during interrogation. It is believed he was killed because of his political opinions.
Sabahattin Ali's 100th birth anniversary was celebrated in Bulgarian city Ardino in March 31, 2007. Ali is a well-known author in this country because his books have been read in schools in Bulgaria since 1950s.
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February 15, 2026happy valentine’s day!
January 25, 2026
If you're in a reading slump, get this novel. It only contains 168 pages and it reads seamlessly. The translation of this book in itself is a work of art. God bless Maureen Freely, Alexander Dawe, and all the other talented linguists out there. I appreciated the fact that they wrote biographical texts on the author Sabahattin Ali for the first section of the book. Reading this made me realize I typically don't do research or really know anything about the authors of novels I read, with exception of bigger literary names. Based on the accounts of Ali's life, it's clear to see that his own experiences bled into the creation of this novel, but I also suppose that's the matter for all artists.
In terms of characters, I don't particularly like Raif. I even, at some points, find him unbearable. His self-pity and unwillingness to make himself feel better is frustrating to read. He's dependent, sensitive, self-sabotaging, and above all human. I hoped while reading that he would alchemize the love and passion he discovered in himself through Maria into something tangible, but he never did. On the other hand, I enjoyed reading about Maria. I don't think she needed him as much Raif needed her and that caused friction in their relationship. Above all, I just love reading about complex and artistic women.
Despite my annoyances with Raif, I find this novel to be quite beautiful. It depicts a relationship where both parties are striving for authentic recognition beyond the constraints of gender, ethnicity, and normalities. Maria, at the end of the day, is a lesbian. Raif, at the end of the day, has twink tendencies. But these present themselves as second-hand in their connection as it's not rooted on the basis of these facts. Modern critics may deem it a "situationship," and I'm right there with them.
The yearning from Raif is annoying but also fucking gorgeous. The concept of a meaningless existence without the presence of "the one" is something we all secretly love to see in romance. Specifically if the one committing the yearning is a man or if it's a woman yearning for another woman. A woman yearning after a man just doesn't hit the same and above all feels sad. I wonder what this is all about ?
In sum, everyone read this novel. It's short, impactful, poetic, and well-intentioned. A solid 9/10.
In terms of characters, I don't particularly like Raif. I even, at some points, find him unbearable. His self-pity and unwillingness to make himself feel better is frustrating to read. He's dependent, sensitive, self-sabotaging, and above all human. I hoped while reading that he would alchemize the love and passion he discovered in himself through Maria into something tangible, but he never did. On the other hand, I enjoyed reading about Maria. I don't think she needed him as much Raif needed her and that caused friction in their relationship. Above all, I just love reading about complex and artistic women.
Despite my annoyances with Raif, I find this novel to be quite beautiful. It depicts a relationship where both parties are striving for authentic recognition beyond the constraints of gender, ethnicity, and normalities. Maria, at the end of the day, is a lesbian. Raif, at the end of the day, has twink tendencies. But these present themselves as second-hand in their connection as it's not rooted on the basis of these facts. Modern critics may deem it a "situationship," and I'm right there with them.
The yearning from Raif is annoying but also fucking gorgeous. The concept of a meaningless existence without the presence of "the one" is something we all secretly love to see in romance. Specifically if the one committing the yearning is a man or if it's a woman yearning for another woman. A woman yearning after a man just doesn't hit the same and above all feels sad. I wonder what this is all about ?
In sum, everyone read this novel. It's short, impactful, poetic, and well-intentioned. A solid 9/10.
January 12, 2026
never have i ever want to hurl a book across the room so bad... until this book. i mean it in a good way, though, as the story perfectly encapsulates how fate always have such a strange turn and it satisfactorily narrates what a person in confusion of their own identity, their own feelings, can foolishly navigate their lives to the brink of their own collapse.
here is a perfect example of why supposition is, as what eileen chang said in jasmine tea, "a sweet but ultimately tragic fruit of human desire and self-deception".
here is a perfect example of why supposition is, as what eileen chang said in jasmine tea, "a sweet but ultimately tragic fruit of human desire and self-deception".
February 6, 2026
Gorgeous woman tells man from the start she won't be able to love him like he wants her to.
They become friends.
She doesn't love her like he wants him to.
He has the immediate urge to shoot himself in the head while on the phone with her to traumatize her and prove how much she must truly care about him.
Otherwise a fantastic book, but the main character is genuinely nutzo sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2026
This was phenomenal.
January 27, 2026
devastatingly sorrowful and beautiful
February 2, 2026
Ohhh I loved this book so much this book had me crying and I miss reading it
February 17, 2026
QUITE the love story. I’ve never disliked a book just because I dislike the main character- this book is an example of that. I love Turkey
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews