Istanbul Noir

by Mustafa Ziyalan (Editor), Amy Spangler (Editor), İsmail Güzelsoy (Contributor)

"The authors do an excellent job introducing readers to a city unknown to many American readers, exploring the many issues of religion and culture that face modern Istanbul. Landscape is essential to these stories, all of which convince the reader that they couldn't possibly have been set anywhere other than Istanbul."
-- Booklist

"Istanbul straddles the divide of Europe and Asia, and its polyglot population of 12 million seethes with political, religious, and sexual tensions, as shown in the 16 stories in this strong entry in Akashic's noir anthology series...a welcome complement to the mostly historical mysteries set in Istanbul." -- Publishers Weekly

Launched by the summer -04 award-winning best-seller Brooklyn Noir , Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.

Brand-new stories by : Müge Iplikçi, Behçet Çelik, Ismail Güzelsoy, Lydia Lunch, Hikmet Hükümenoglu, Riza Kiraç, Sadik Yemni, Baris Müstecaplioglu, Yasemin Aydinoglu, Feryal Tilmaç, Mehmet Bilâl, Inan Çetin, Mustafa Ziyalan, Jessica Lutz, Tarkan Barlas, Algan Sezgintüredi, and others.

Surrounded by two seas, split by the Bosphorus Strait, and pierced by the Golden Horn, Istanbul stretches between Europe and Asia. A city at once ancient and modern, it is the quintessential postcard-perfect metropolis. But don't let the alluring vistas fool you--beneath its veneer of a beautiful meeting place of cultures, religions, and ethnicities lies a heart of darkness seething with suppressed desire, boiling with frustration, and burning with a fervor for vengeance. If there is a city with its own unique brew of noir, Istanbul is it.

From the pitch-black and the ephemeral to the realistic and the surreal, from the open-hearted and the fanatic to the malicious and sadistic, from the butcher out for meat to the lamb who wants to live, these stories rip away the enchanting façade to reveal the shadowy side of Istanbul's soul.

Comprised of entirely new stories by some of Turkey's most exciting authors--some still up-and-coming, others well-established and critically acclaimed in their homeland--as well as by a couple of "outsiders" temporarily held hostage in the city's vice, Istanbul Noir introduces a whole new breed of talent. As you succumb to the wiles of the city's storytellers, however, be warned--their narrators are notoriously unreliable, and their readers even more so.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Mystery, Noir, Crime, Anthologies, Turkish

300 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

About the author

Mustafa Ziyalan is a writer and poet.
He was born in 1959 in Zonguldak, at the Black Sea coast of Turkey, as the only child of Fatma Süzme Afyonlu, a poet and painter, and Nihat Ziyalan, a poet, writer and actor. He is graduated from the German High School of Istanbul and Istanbul Medical School of University of Istanbul. He lived in Vienna, Austria, and Mainz, Germany. He worked as a general practitioner and coroner in a rural Anatolian village and started his residency training in psychiatry at Bakirköy Hospital for Mental and Neurological Diseases in Istanbul. He worked with torture victims, prison inmates, children abusing volatile substances and pathological gamblers. He had psychoanalytical psychotherapy training in Los Angeles and completed his residency training in psychiatry at New York University. He works as a psychiatrist in New York. He has done research on schizophrenia and been working with persons with AIDS and developmental disorders. He has two children. He lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
His poetry, short fiction, essays and poetry translations (from Paul Auster, Ingeborg Bachmann, Erich Fried and Anna Akhmatova, among others) have appeared in many literary periodicals, anthologies and in book form since 1983.

Works:

Gülümsemeler Ülkesi / Land of Smiles, bilingual collection of poems; 2009
Manhattan'da Şiir Konuşmaları (Poetry Talks in Manhattan), essays; 2009
İstanbul Noir, an anthology co-edited with Amy Spangler, Akashic Books, New York; 2008
Bucaksız (No Quarter), poems; 2008
Kızıl Kanca Şiirleri (Red Hook Poems), poems; 2007
Yakılacak Kentlerden (From Cities Slated to Burn), with photography by Murat Eyüboğlu, essays and travel writing; 2007
Su Kedileri (Water Cats), short fiction; 2005
New York'un Arabı (Nigger of New York), poems; 1998
Dünle Yarın Arasında (Between a Yesterday and a Tomorrow), poems; 1990.

Reviews

[pattrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the often disappointing (ahem, Baltimore) Noir series from Akashic. In general, I've noticed that the cities outside of the United States are better represented than those within, perhaps because the series usually covers only one city per non-U.S. country, thereby drawing from all of the writers from that country. Hence, I found Moscow Noir and Mexico City Noir to be much stronger than, for example, Detroit or New Orleans Noir. And don't get me started on the weaknesses of Baltimore Noir, with its mostly white line-up of writers for stories set in a majority-Black city. Ah, but this is supposed to be a positive review. So, let me say, again: This one is the best of the bunch so far. The settings are evocative, the writing is often superlative, and the stories themselves aren't half bad.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely not my favorite of the Akashic Noir books I have read to date. That last story was well written, but heartbreaking and brutal, and I can’t help but wish I’d never read it. I found the majority of the stories to be boring or nonsensical. Some were downright offensive, but the ones that I thought were good, were really good. I think inconsistent is probably a good word to describe this collection, and as a whole, disappointing. 2 1/2 stars

[Milan]

"Istanbul noar" je zbirka priča u kojoj turski autori i autorke pokušavaju da prikažu mračnu stranu grada koji se nalazi na dva kontinenta i čiju obalu zapljuskuju talasi dva mora... Egzotika za ljubitelje noara. Više o ovoj zbirci, ali i celoj ediciji možete pročitati na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/istanbul-noar-m...

[Rogue Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why or how Istanbul caught my interest and attention, but Akashic's Istanbul Noir certainly fit the bill. No stranger to the Noir series, I looked forward to learning the neighborhoods, traditions and history of the city and its peoples through the short stories and was not disappointed. Filled with despair, revenge, bitterness and of course murder, recent politics and nationalism touch almost every story and drive plot much more thoroughily than sex, religion or greed - though there are those elements too. The minds of the people seem as tortured as their bodies and their nation. There's such a tangible sense of loss in these stories, not only from those who left their homeland after the turmoil, but also from those who stayed. Somehow, I have a hard time thinking of this collection as fiction.

Love Akashic's Noir series and collect all of them! www.AkashicBooks.com

[Лазар Симић · Rating 4 out of 5]

Занимљиво и врло често гадно. Још гаднији буде „афтертејст” кад схватиш да ово није научна фантастика него нешто се дешава. У овом свету.

[Tuxlie]

"The authors do an excellent job introducing readers to a city unknown to many American readers, exploring the many issues of religion and culture that face modern Istanbul. Landscape is essential to these stories, all of which convince the reader that they couldn't possibly have been set anywhere other than Istanbul." --Booklist "Istanbul straddles the divide of Europe and Asia, and its polyglot population of 12 million seethes with political, religious, and sexual tensions, as shown in the 16 stories in this strong entry in Akashic's noir anthology series...a welcome complement to the mostly historical mysteries set in Istanbul." --Publishers Weekly Launched by the summer -04 award-winning best-seller Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book. Brand-new stories by: Müge Iplikçi, Behçet Çelik, Ismail Güzelsoy, Lydia Lunch, Hikmet Hükümenoglu, Riza Kiraç, Sadik Yemni, Baris Müstecaplioglu, Yasemin Aydinoglu, Feryal Tilmaç, Mehmet Bilâl, Inan Çetin, Mustafa Ziyalan, Jessica Lutz, Tarkan Barlas, Algan Sezgintüredi, and others. Surrounded by two seas, split by the Bosphorus Strait, and pierced by the Golden Horn, Istanbul stretches between Europe and Asia. A city at once ancient and modern, it is the quintessential postcard-perfect metropolis. But don't let the alluring vistas fool you--beneath its veneer of a beautiful meeting place of cultures, religions, and ethnicities lies a heart of darkness seething with suppressed desire, boiling with frustration, and burning with a fervor for vengeance. If there is a city with its own unique brew of noir, Istanbul is it. From the pitch-black and the ephemeral to the realistic and the surreal, from the open-hearted and the fanatic to the malicious and sadistic, from the butcher out for meat to the lamb who wants to live, these stories rip away the enchanting façade to reveal the shadowy side of Istanbul's soul. Comprised of entirely new stories by some of Turkey's most exciting authors--some still up-and-coming, others well-established and critically acclaimed in their homeland--as well as by a couple of "outsiders" temporarily held hostage in the city's vice, Istanbul Noir introduces a whole new breed of talent. As you succumb to the wiles of the city's storytellers, however, be warned--their narrators are notoriously unreliable, and their readers even more so.

[Katie Nadworny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series in general, so it wasn't a big surprise that I loved this book too. I'd actually read it previously before I moved to Istanbul, but it was much richer for me now that I know the city well.

[Cheree Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read a couple of the short stories - it was too noir for me.

[Linda Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection, but definitely 'noir.'

[Nihal Vrana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I read in the "Noir" series; maybe Istanbul is the one I know the best, this appealed to me the most. Some of the stories were what you would come up with first when you write about Istanbul; but then there are some very subtle ones, that captured more hidden facades of the city. As far as this kind of compilation goes, the stories are of good quality and well balanced; it is a well-edited compilation. My favourite story was that of Baris Mustecaplioglu's (I didn't like his fantasy work back in the day, but he handled the Noir story perfectly, it would make a great movie).

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up as something to read while travelling in Istanbul. Some of the stories were interesting and it was cool to look up where in Istanbul the stories were taking place and learn a little about some loca neighbourhoods. However, this type of fiction is not really my style hence the low rating. I did like reading a few of the stories even if they were very dark or gory but some of them just made absolutely no sense to me. Pretty much every story in the second to last section (part 4, I think?) seemed to be written with a very specific audience in mind who had a lot more background knowledge than I did.

[Gabriela Galescu · Rating 1 out of 5]

As an enthusiastic reader of Akashik Noirs, I expected some "noir" in this storty collection. However, I found too many stories excedingly dark and violent without any other redeeming qualities.

Unlike other Noir cities, I found that Istanbul did not receive the place it deserves. Lots and lots of (detailed and sometimes even poetic) descriptions of the city, one cannot help but know things are happening in Istanbul. Unfortunately, more often than not, the story itself has such a simplistic plot line that the location becomes insignificant, not at all part of the identity of the characters.

[Rachna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a nice collection of short stories ranging from morbid and gruesome to thought-provoking and different perspectives. Each tale has a twist at the end. Some are murder mysteries; while others are dark scenarios, the author pulls us into.
The vivid descriptions of the city and the Bosphorus, political and social issues, human nature, and philosophy are some of the themes that connect all the stories, even though they differ in style and content.
It makes for a good read or listen during a flight or as an in-between books book.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim at the library. I like mystery/detective novels, so I thought this would be a fun read, but I've never really read "noir" before. Most of the stories were pretty interesting, but even the best of them were darker than I usually like. "Around Here, Somewhere" may have been my favorite story, but "An Extra Body" also stood out. There were lots of good ones though. Glad I got a taste for the genre, but I'll probably go back to my lighter Sherlock Holmes type mysteries in the future.

[Rory Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid. I felt Istanbul come through the pages in an organic way. The noir itself felt more forced. Certain stories read really well, but didn't have much to do with noir, and then the author seemed to remember that, so they jammed in a fantastic ending that seemed a bit contrived. Some really good stories and writing though. Strangely the parts were greater than the whole. Still worth a read if traveling to the great city of Istanbul.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αναμφισβήτηκα το καλύτερο της σειράς που ��χω διαβάσει έως τώρα, σίγουρα παίζει μεγάλο ρόλο και η πόλη. Αν έχετε πάει, καταλαβαίνετε και χωρίς να το έχετε διαβάσει. Έκλπηξη οι αρκετές αναφορές στα γεγονότα του '55. Η Κωνσταντινούπολη στο μεταίχμιο του χρόνου, του χώρου, του πόνου.

[Teoman TURKOGLU · Rating 2 out of 5]

İki hikaye etkileyiciydi.

[Alex Stender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book I read before visiting a city.

[Δήμος Καραχάλιος · Rating 5 out of 5]

πολύ καλή και άκρως ενδιαφέρουσα συλλογή από τουρκικές αστυνομικές ιστορίες. Δεν είναι όλες τόσο δυνατές και καλογραμμένες, όλες όμως έχουν κάτι να αποκαλύψουν για τις αντιφάσεις της Πόλης.

[Ferhat Elmas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it for Istanbul, stayed for the atmosphere. The stories pulse with the city’s soul and keep the tension taut, but the plots are banal pushovers, more filler than substance.

[Erik Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is to be expected with noir fiction, this book was proactive, riveting, and disturbing.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gritty narratives with a strong sense of location and socio-political context. But overall, there wasn't enough variation in the tone between these stories and none of the authors caught my attention enough to make me want to seek out more of their work.
If you want to read good contemporary Turkish literature, read almost anything by Orhan Pamuk.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most like books in this series, the stories are hit and miss, though one unifying theme (that could be chalked up to translation) is the lush language throughout each story. If this indicative of a larger trend in Turkish writing, I think I am a fan.

[Baklavahalva · Rating 3 out of 5]

More detective froth, some of it exciting, some baffling. I like when Ghosts of History turn up in a murder mystery. Spangler and Ziyalan do a great job translating (only two tales were not originally written in Turkish, it seems).

[Kirk Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the Brooklyn Book Fair this past Sunday and was blown away by the first story, The Tongue of the Flame. Wow. A dark and haunting tale of revenge that has me hungry for more.

[Emin · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://sarapci.com/kara-istanbul/

[Jml067 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A random library find. Weird, definitely dark but good short stories.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far more fun for its overarching sense of place than for any of the stories themselves.

[Ellen Herbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this burned me out on the series - really dark and well executed, but I need a different genre for a bit. Will return to the series, just moving on for now.

[Yanik · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice collection of short stories