Veda: Esir Şehirde Bir Konak

by Ayşe Kulin

Ayşe Kulin'in en sevilen ve çok satan romanlarından biri olan Veda, Cemil Cahit Yavuz'un çizgileriyle bir kez daha okurlarıyla buluşuyor. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun son günlerinde, işgal altındaki İstanbul'da bir konakta yaşananları dile getiren bu roman, bir yandan son Maliye Nazırı ve ailesi aracılığıyla o dönemi çizerken bir yandan da çökmekte olan bir tarih ile yeni bir gelecek arayan Milliciler arasında sıkışan Osmanlı aydınının portresini çiziyor.

Çizgi roman olarak başka bir düzleme taşınan Veda - Esir Şehirde Bir Konak,bu kez farklı bir okuma macerasına sürükleyecek herkesi.

Edebiyatın lezzetiyle çizginin macerasını birlikte tatmak isteyenler için elinizde tuttuğunuz bu kitap tam bir şölen olacak.

Genres: Turkish Literature, Historical Fiction, Turkish, Fiction, Roman, Romance, Historical

390 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Ayşe Kulin is a Turkish contemporary novelist and columnist.
Kulin graduated in literature from the American College for Girls in Arnavutköy. She released a collection of short stories titled Güneşe Dön Yüzünü in 1984. A short story from this called Gülizar was made into a film titled Kırık Bebek in 1986, for which she won a screenplay award from the Turkish culture ministry. Kulin worked as a screen writer, cinematographer and producer for many films, television series and advertisements. In 1986, she won the Best Cinematographer Award from the Theatre Writers association for her work in the television series Ayaşlı ve Kiracıları.

In 1996, she wrote a biography of Münir Nureddin Selçuk titled Bir Tatlı Huzur. With a short story called Foto Sabah Resimleri she won the Haldun Taner Short Story Award the same year and the Sait Faik Story Prize the next year. In 1997, she was chosen as the "Writer of the year" by the İstanbul Communication Faculty for her biographical novel Adı Aylin, She won the same award the next year for her short story Geniş Zamanlar. In November 1999, she wrote a novel called Sevdalinka about the Bosnian Civil War and in 2000, a biographical novel called Füreyya. In June 2001, she put out a novel titled Köprü about drama in Turkey's eastern provinces and how they shaped the republic's early history.

In May 2002, Kulin wrote a novel titled Nefes Nefes'e about the Turkish diplomats who saved in the lives of Jews during the holocaust in World War 2.

She has married twice, her latest novels Hayat and Huzun describe her life with her spouses, Mehmet Sarper and Eren Kemahli. Both ended in divorce but she bore 4 sons from the marriages.

Reviews

[Ayça Şahin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film izlercesine akıp gidiyor.Ailesinin hayatını gayet güzel bir şekilde dönemin şartlarını,yaşananlarını,zorluklarını ve işgal altındaki İstanbulu çok başarılı anlatmış okurken birçok bilgi edinebileceğiniz bir kitap.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a tear-jerker for me. I feel like I learned so much about Turkish culture and history, while engaging in a beautiful love story full of tragedy and hope. I was moved not only by the romantic love between Kemal and Mehpare but also the love of family and one's country. The characters in the book are torn between two worlds, as the Ottoman Empire slowly meets its demise and a more modern Turkey begins to emerge. Despite the changes that are taking place and the uncertainty of the future, the Turks remain strong and never lose faith. This is a beautiful story that will leave the reader connected to the city of Istanbul and its people. (Note: some of the Turkish words are a bit difficult to pronounce and the pronunciation guide in the front of the book is not very helpful)

[Zeynepx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beklediğimden daha aşk romanıydı. Ben biraz daha askeri ve siyasi şeyler beklemiştim. Mehpare içimi çok baydı ama en sonunda üzdü de 😿

[Mira Margitta · Rating 4 out of 5]

U početku sam mislila da će se sve svoditi na političku situaciju u Turskoj i da će mi knjiga biti dosadna.Ali isprepliću se tu i topli porodični odnosi,pa zato ocjena 4.

[Esra Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çok hüzünlü ve güzel bir hikayeydi. Bu tarz gerçeğe dayanan hikayeleri ve sağlam kalemleri seviyorum.

[Meltem17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serinin ilk okuduğum kitabı umut,karakterler çok yabancı değildi o yüzden. Kitapta ayşe kulin, kulin sülalesini kalem almış. Kurgu olarak,tarihi olaylarları güzel aktarmış, ama çok özele girmekten de çekinmemiş. Beni rahatsız etti, ama kitap kurgusu müthiş,okunmaya değer diye düşünüyorum. Gerek tarihi göndermeler, gerekse detaylar ile kurtuluş savaşının nasıl zor şartlarda kazanıldığını,sarıkamış faciasının kurguda yer etmesi,vatan sevgisini çoşkulu bir üslubla dile getirmesi beni mutlu etti.

[Natasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Farewell” is a sympathetic, semi-fictional chronicle of the struggles of a circle of well-to-do, urbane and politically active Turks, during the turbulent, often violent post-WWI transition from Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic, enlivened by the humanity and individuality of the principal characters. Even though it is a fiction- I enjoyed learning about the customs, food, and dress.

[Simdineokuyorum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayşe Kulin’in eski kitaplarını bugüne dek okumamış olmanın ne büyük bir eksiklik olduğunu Veda’ya başladığımda anladım.
Kitabı elime aldığım anda sayfalar su gibi akıp gitti; kendimi bir anda İstanbul’daki o görkemli konağın içinde, tarihin nefes aldığı günlerde buldum.

İşgal altındaki Türkiye’yi, bu milletin bağımsızlık uğruna yaşadığı zorlukları öyle incelikle işlemiş ki yazar, okurken hem hüzünlendim hem de hayran kaldım.
Eserdeki eski dil kullanımı da son derece yerinde; hiç zorlanmadan, aksine zevkle okudum.

Karakterlerin yazarın kendi ailesinden esinlenmiş olması ve buna rağmen böylesine güçlü bir kurgu yaratabilmesi ise gerçekten takdire şayan.

Veda’yı büyük bir keyifle okudum ve serinin devamını sabırsızlıkla bekliyorum.
Kesinlikle herkese tavsiye ederim.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veda is a successful novel, a family saga, a historic moment analyzed through the lens of personal tragedies and triumphs. Nestled at ridge defining the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic, the novel follows a web of characters around the inhabitants of an old Istanbul house. The family of the finance minister of the falling Ottoman Empire, Ahmet Res(h)at, live through some turbulent and rough times as the city is under siege, the Muslims under the abusive control of ex-Ottoman minorities as well as foreigners. Ahmet Reshat Bey walks a thin line between his loyalty to the sultan and helping the emerging resistance against the British-lead foreign forces, birthed in Anatolia under the leadership of the charismatic general, Mustafa Kemal. We all know how the story ends, in a way. But what Kulin manages so deftly is to tell us the story of the every day life of people whose lives are invariably affected by the war and siege, but have to eat, sleep, give birth, fall in love, struggle for domestic authority, grow up to become teenagers and wives... She weaves in the emerging modernization of gender roles (an early version of feminism,) the ever-important power dynamics between a woman and her mother-in-law, the relationship between the elite and the serving class along with a sweeping love story that is sure to make some cry for a while.

All in all, the plot and character development, the language flow, the historic perspective are very well executed. Perhaps my only problem with the book is that some events seem a bit too contrived, and some a bit too emotional. But these are Turks, who are known to be emotional, and the times are rough, so nothing seems out of place.

[Shams Alizada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kalpte bir sızı hissetmeden bu kitabı okumak mümkün değil. Hele son kısımları muazzam.
Yaşananların gerçek olduğunu bilerek okumak ise ayrı bir yük oluyor omuzlarda.

[SWZIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farewell: A Mansion in Occupied Istanbul.

I found following the lives of the inhabitants, who lived in the mansion, very compelling. The full effects of the last days of the Ottoman Empire, leading to its collapse, were better deduced through the eyes of one family. The main characters, a Turkish family, had fled from Thessalonica to Turkey, after the Ottoman Empire had surrendered to the Greek Army - and the combined forces of Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria. Their existence had become perilous. The Greeks were abusing them, and becoming increasingly intimidating. The exodus must have been such a traumatic experience for the Turks leaving Greece, for it to have resulted in Behice Hanim’s miscarriage and her subsequent aversion to crowded places.

At the mansion, where the family settled, there was non stop intrigue: Kemal, who belonged to the underground resistance, was being hidden like a fugitive in the attic, after contracting tuberculosis. Ahmet Resat, his uncle, was a government cabinet minister, so harbouring Kemal had therefore placed him in a precarious position. Kemal belonged to a National Movement that was resisting the occupation of foreign forces. Although Ahmet Resat considered the Sultan’s pro-English stance to be folly, he still remained devoted to him. But Resat must have been torn between his loyalty for the Sultan, who had made a pact with the British administration, and his nephew, who he treated like his own son. The English had planned to establish a Kurdish state under a puppet government, on lands seized from the Ottoman Empire. However, Resat began covertly supporting Kemal’s fight by pledging financial assistance.

I loved the dominant matriarch of the family, Saraylihanim. She got to know everything that was going on in the family, and her strong intuitions were usually proved to be right. She wanted to match Kemal to a suitable girl from a good family, but she was outmanoeuvred by Mehpare with ironic consequences. Mehpare had nursed Kemal through his illness and a relationship ensued, which resulted in a pregnancy. Mehpare was an orphaned distant relative, who assumed menial household duties. She was contrary to what Saralihanim had in mind for Kemal. By the time Saraylihanim’s suspicions were aroused it was too late. But it seemed destined that Mehpare had a son to carry on Kemal’s memory, since there was not even a trace left of his body? It was sad that the demise of Kemal affected his grandmother’s mental faculties. Kemal was a martyr. The young man, once considered by the family to be a reckless rebel, was now embraced as a hero. It was men like him who saved Turkey from the hands of foreign troops: the British and the Greeks.

Saraylihanim had predicted that doctor Mahir was interested in Resat and Benice’s daughter, even though he was old enough to be her father. When Resat chose to go into exile, rather than face the consequences, it was very emotional. He was an honourable man in every way. He was simply guilty of remaining loyal to the wrong side. But Resat was comforted with the secure knowledge that the doctor, who had always been a family friend, would be caring for his family in his indefinite absence. This included Mehpare, whom he now regarded as his daughter - and Kemal’s son. But it was so sad to think how much he would miss his family - and grandchildren who he might never see.

When I read a story like this, knowing that my own country played a role in creating so much human pain and suffering, it fills me with shame. This passage hurt me to the core: “The Sultan had chosen to embrace a serpent in the form of the English, a nation whose ruthless design on the Ottoman Empire were matched by none.” I wonder if I can extricate my association, by declaring that I’m Welsh, not English.

[Spyridoula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ιδιαίτερα καλογραμμένο το βιβλίο της Ayşe Kulin, οδηγεί μέσα από τις σελίδες του τον αναγνώστη να παρακολουθήσει τα γεγονότα από την σκοπιά των ηττημένων Οθωμανών.
Αναφέρεται σε μια χρονική περίοδο ιδιαίτερα ταραγμένη ιστορικά, με γεγονότα που σημάδεψαν και συντάραξαν βαθιά την Τουρκία!
Το οθωμανικό κράτος όπως διαμορφώνονταν ως το 1922 περίπου καταρρέει και έρχεται το τέλος εποχής για μια μεγάλη αυτοκρατορία, αλλά και η απαρχή νέων και καινούριων αλλαγών και δεδομένων τόσο για το σουλτανάτο, όσο και για τον ίδιο τον λαό.
Παράλληλα με την ταραγμένη περίοδο κατοχής της Κωνσταντινούπολης από τους Άγγλους, παρακολουθούμε και την πορεία μιας οικογένειας και γνωρίζουμε κατ' επέκταση τον τρόπο ζωής, τις συνήθειες, τα έθιμα μιας ολόκληρης εποχής!
Ο δε κεντρικός ήρωας Αχμέτ Ρεσάτ σκιαγραφείται με μεγάλη επιτυχία και καθ'όλη την διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης παρακολουθούμε την εσωτερική του πάλη να παραμείνει πιστός στα ιδανικά που με τόση αυταπάρνηση υπηρέτησε. Από την άλλη η οξυδέρκειά του και η μεγάλη αγάπη για την πατρίδα δεν του αφήνουν καμιά αμφιβολία πως το καθ��στώς καταρρέει και κινδυνεύει εξαιτίας των επιλογών του Σουλτάνου και της κυβέρνησής του να συμπαρασύρει στον όλεθρο ολόκληρο το κράτος.
Συγκινητικές οι σχέσεις και οι δεσμοί που αναπτύσσονται εντός της οικογένειας! Πρωταρχικές, αδιαμφισβήτητες και πάντα σε πρώτο πλάνο, η αλληλεγγύη, η πίστη και ο αγώνας για την πατρίδα!!
Ως αναγνώστρια της άλλης πλευράς με ξένισαν κάποιες αναφορές στους Έλληνες, αλλά οφείλουμε να μην ξεχνάμε πως αυτό που αποκαλούμε ιστορία έχει έναν άξονα κοινό μεν, παρουσιάζεται με διαφορετικό και ανάλογο τρόπο στις πλευρές που εμπλέκονται δε!!

[Vasha7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excessive exposition may make for a graceless novel, but it's a fault I'm very glad of in this instance, since this book depends on the details of the events of the last year of the Ottoman Empire, 1920. The author's grandfather was the empire's final Finance Minister, and his story is the heart of the novel. On the one hand he simply can't imagine the end of the holy sultanate, but on the other he knows that the alternate government established in Ankara is doing much more to counter the imperial ambitions of the English occupiers than the sultan is. How can he help the cause of independence and still, somehow, be loyal to the sultan?

I did not find the other plots of the book so compelling; there is an overheated love story, domestic and marriage negotiations, discussion of the changing role of women in society (I ought to have found this interesting, but it just wasn't too well done); the young man in the story has some adventures fighting in the underground resistance, which the author takes as an opportunity to wave a patriotic flag, and which would be more exciting if the writing was better.

A painless read, and sometimes better than that. Congratulations are due to Kenneth J. Dakan for a smooth translation and helpful notes.

[Gulnar Najafova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Üniversitede küçük kütüphanede görmüştüm. Kütüphaneci bana defalarca çok sıkıcı kitap, oxuyamazsın faln filan demesine rağmen alıp okuduğum kitaplardandır. İyiki de alıp okudum. Ayşe Kulin olayları öyle bir anlatmış ki hayran kalmamak mümkün değil. Dönemin zorluklarını adeta hissettirmiş kitapta. Hele o Sarıkamıştan bahsettiği kısımlarda gerçekten soğuğu vücudumda hissettimdiye bilirim. Okuyucuya geçen, manalı ve tek nefeste bitirile bilecek bir kitap.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover

Citaat uit het hoofdstuk De witte dood:
over de doden, de sneeuw, de snoeiharde ijskou, de bevriezingen;
“er waren soldaten bij die uit de Arabische woestijn kwamen en nog hun dunne katoenen uniform droegen”

In het huis van het gezin van de onderminister Resat is niets wat onopgemerkt kan blijven. Een oude dame, geacht vanwege haar verdienste aan het hof van de sultan, heeft het gezag, niemand kan haar weerstaan. Al heel vreemde concepten voor mij uit een totaal andere cultuur maar desalniettemin toch zeker interessant.

In dit huis wordt Kamel verborgen gehouden vanwege zijn illegale activiteiten.
Het is de tijd(1920) waarin Istanbul bezet wordt door Engelse, Franse, Griekse mogendheden, de Russen op afstand worden gehouden en de Christenen meer macht krijgen.

Hier ontstaat een vurige relatie tussen Kamel, die als een van de weinige het slagveld bij Sarikamis heeft overleefd en geplaagd wordt door heftige nachtmerries, en de bediende Mehpare. Even Wikipedia bekeken waar deze slag over ging. Vergrote mijn inzicht en lees genot.

Dit is de achtergrond van het langzaam verteld verhaal, er is dus geduld nodig om de formeel geschreven roman uit te lezen.

Ik heb het uitgelezen vanwege dat ene aangrijpende gedeelte, de historische achtergrond, die ene zin, het tragische lot van geliefden en de ontzettend mooie cover.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

My preferred method of discovering a new place is to go there with as little advance information as possible, form my impressions, and read about it afterwards - which is what I did with Istanbul. I was assisted in this effort by finding an English-language bookstore in Sultanahmet with an engaging proprietor who was pleased to make book recommendations. 'Farewell A Mansion in Occupied Istanbul,' the second of the three books I selected, describes the daily family of a Turkish family during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, lovingly constructed from letters the author's great grandfather wrote in exile. Written in Turkish, the English translator provided footnoted explanations that go well beyond mere translation. A wonderful read, I had the sense of getting an insider's view of daily life as a Muslim during the period just after WWI when the Allies arrived. My bookstore guide promised that by the time I finish my third selection, "Portrait of a Turkish Family," I will understand the political background of the current political conflict that is playing out in Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park.

[Shawn Eccles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did a good job of taking the reader to another place and time, though I was not as emotionally attached to the characters as I have been with other books. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much and I learned a lot about WWI, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkish culture. I love historical fiction novels! A great book by a Turkish author, translated to English! Learning about history and another culture in a well written novel, what could be bad.

[Michelle Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book when I was traveling in Istanbul. Always surprised and wondered how Turkey had survived the tragical aftermath of WWI treaties, and more so, took Istanbul back in control from the West after the civil war - led Mustafa Kemal and his army! Well, look at Turks in this book, so brave and fearless in defending their country!

[Ozlembozkurt89 · Rating 3 out of 5]

1920-24 arası geçen bir romandaki dil kullanımının beklediğim gibi olmayabileceğini biliyordum ama okurken çoğu yerde anlamını bilmediğim kerimelere bakmaktan kitabı sürekli bir yerlere bırakıp bir daha okumamak istedim. Bence günümüzde yazılmış modern bir edebiyat ürününün bu kadar eski zamanlarda geçen kelimelerdeki yer vermesi hiç hoş değil EVET o roman eski zamanlarda kurgulansa dahi. Kendimi İngilizce veya Almanca herhangi bir roman okurken bile daha az sözlüğe bakar buldum bu kitaba göre ahahahahaha o derece sinirimi bozdu ki normalde okuduğum kitaplara sadece puan veririm geçerim ama bu kitap ayrı sinirimi bozdu bu konu itibariyle 🙂 bu konu haricinde verdiğim 3 puan tamamen kitabın sonlarına doğru olan hadiseler dokunaklıydı gerçekten ve okunması dediğim gibi sürekli benim elimde sözlükle gezmeme neden olacak kimi kelimelerle bezeli olmasına rağmen kolay sayılabilirdi olaylar dizi izler gibi akıyor 🥲 1 Mart 2024 tarihinde gideceğim Veda tiyatrosu için öncesinden okumak istedim hadi bakalım 💐 bu arada Ayşe Kulin’in okuduğum ilk kitabıydı ve yukarıda sitem ettiğim olay dışında yazım stilini pek beğenmedim elimde başka kitapları da var ama öncelik vereceğimi hiç sanmıyorum.

[Büşra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kolay okunan, kısmen otobiyografik bir aile romanı. Yüzyıl önce bu topraklarda ne büyük sancılar yaşadığımızı -benim için az da olsa tarafgir bir şekilde- anlatmış Ayşe Kulin.

Kitaptan bağımsız birden fazla dilde yorum görmek hoşuma gitti. Darısı Türkçe edebiyatın diğer kitaplarına.

[Dolf Patijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek van Ayşe Kulin gaat over de laatste stuiptrekkingen van het Osmaanse rijk en hoe dit wordt ervaren door de familie van de minister van financieën van het Sultanaat. Het verhaal speelt zich af in Istanbul, beginnend in 1920 en eindigend met een brief uit 1924. Het is zeker geen slecht verhaal maar - en dat had ik ook met haar boek "Last train to Istanbul" - haar stijl ligt me minder dan bijvoorbeeld Elif Shafak's stijl van schrijven. Dit is het eerste boek van Kulin dat ik in Nederlandse vertaling heb gelezen maar dit viel me dus ook al op bij de Engelse vertaling dus het zal wel niet aan de vertalers liggen alhoewel vertalers ook hun eigen stijl hebben, waarbij sommigen dicht bij de originele tekst blijven en anderen wat vrijer vertalen. Elif Shafak heeft trouwens ook een aantal boeken in het Engels geschreven, die ik dus in de originele taal kan lezen, doch dit terzijde. Het is al erg fijn dat Turkse boeken naar het Nederlands worden vertaald en dat moet vooral zo blijven.

Maar goed om weer op dit boek terug te komen: heel plezierig vind ik dat de vertalers bepaalde woorden en uitdrukkingen in het Turks met voetnoten hebben gehandhaafd. De voetnoten geven de benodigde vertaling en informatie. Daarnaast is een pagina opgenomen met de uitspraak van letters in het Turks. Erg fijn.

Al met al kan ik zeggen dat het interessant is om boeken over deze, voor mij minder bekende periode in de Turkse geschiedenis te lezen. Kulin heeft dit doormiddel van een familieroman gedaan waarbij niet teveel wordt ingegaan op achtergronden. Zo is het begrijpelijk dat Grieken en Armeniërs deel uitmaakten van de bezettingsmacht na wat ze in de Eerste Wereldoorlog door de Osmanen was aangedaan. Kulin verwijst alleen (op blz 297 van mijn boek) naar de Armeniërs wanneer de minister, Ahmet Reşat, zijn neef voor het verzet helpt waarbij hij een Armeense kapitein benadert die de nationalistische zaak ook helpt en hij daarover mijmert dat dus niet alle Armeniërs de bezetter helpen. Tegen degenen die dit boek willen lezen kan ik dan ook zeggen dat je deze roman voornamelijk moet lezen als een familieroman tegen een historische achtergrond waarbij de politieke verwikkelingen alleen worden gebracht zoals ze gezien worden door deze familie en de mensen met wie ze te maken hebben.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intimate story of one family's experiences during the the epic history of the Turkish civil war. It's 1920, and the old Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Istanbul is occupied by British forces in concert with the Greeks and French. What will become the new Turkish state has retreated to Ankara to reclaim Turkey from the western forces who would rather break it into pieces.

Against this background, Ahmet Resat, a civil servant to the last Sultan, must maintain his loyalty to the crown. But family matters intervene: He is harboring his injured nephew Kemal, an agent for the Turkish alliance. Typical epic complications ensue: Kemal falls in love with Resat's niece, who works as a servant in his mansion. Resat's wife becomes pregnant, and Kemal's cousin, Azra, feels a need to join the rebels as well.

Kulin's story is tight and well told, as much a historical lesson as a forceful melodrama, and it rates an 8.5 on the meh-to-weepy scale (10 being Ole Yeller). Every character faces a satisfyingly resolved moral dilemma; the end is fittingly bittersweet. For those interested in historical family-oriented fiction in exotic lands, this is a highly recommended read.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautifully-produced book. That must be said first. The dust jacket just made me want to read it because it so exquisitely evoked Istanbul.

This historical fiction novel, describing the uncertainty of upper-class family life at the end of the Ottoman Empire, is delightfully readable. The author makes it easy to understand the characters and their natures in reaction to the challenges of the times. The book is written from the Turkish point-of-view, which is probably an underrepresented point-of-view in Western education.

"Farewell" had a particularly strong finish. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because I noticed about 50 pages from the finish, how many English-language idiomatic clichés were in the text. In one paragraph that caused me to stop reading, I counted 11. I wish I had noted that page number.

Reading this book has made me want to read everything else Ms. Kulin has written. It also made we want to immediately go see all of the sites involved in the book. I would like to recommend this title to my Western friends because many have probably never read a Turkish novel or assumed they were difficult reading based on one attempt at Orhan Pamuk.

[Hadeel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book provided a useful historical account of the Ottoman Empire's last year, accompanied by a real day-by-day description of a privileged family life and their response to political and economic changes around them. It was exciting to experience the duplicity between duty and treason lived by the Caliphate's last cabinet minister; Ahmed Rashat's struggle between patriotism and duty, additionally, look at how other actors during that era such as the Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, Caliph Vadettin... were perceived in his mind. The book encouraged me to do further readings on the treaties and the history of the period whilst reading, and the translator does a great job in providing extra information in the footnotes. However, the book often falls into extensive and somewhat tedious monologues, especially those of Mehpare, that did not draw me closer to the characters. On the other hand, Some characters were better developed than others.

[Glenna Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book touched on a part of turkey's history i've never thought much about.. the european occupation following world war I. the story accomplishes this well through the lens of one family - and you do get a real sense of the characters, and start to care about them (some more than others). thankfully the women in the novel are more than 2-dimensional caricatures, some bucking convention while others remain steadfast in their traditional views. overall a memorable story that helps convey a turbulent time.

[Zeynep Sömek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sevdiğim bir kaç Türk yazardan biri Ayşe Kulin.Kitaplarını bana göre çok akıcı bir şekilde yazıyor okurken sıkılmıyorum.Özellikle bu kitabında yarattığı ortam,verdiği duygular mükemmeldi.Okurken insanın yüreğine ulaşıyor kitap.Çok fazla şey dememe gerek yok gerçekten mükemmel bir kitap serisi.okumayan kalmamalı.

[Patricia Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Other Side

Ayse Kulin reveals the overriding humanity of all peoples. Though her characters abide by traditions that may seem foreign to a western mind, their practice and acceptance become part of the setting, and the reader is soon embroiled in the struggles of one family's survival during the final days of a great empire.

[Dilek Geçit · Rating 4 out of 5]

İstanbul'un işgal yıllarını anlatıyor! yüz yıl geçmiş değişen bir şey yok! Uzun bir yorum yazdım temize çekince burada paylaşacağım.

Belki beş yıldız bile verilebilir, kitaba. Gerçekten çok akıcı, gerçek bilgilerle ve sürükleyici bir dille yazıyor Ayşe Kulin.

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book suffered from its singularity of purpose, which was redeeming the author’s traitor great-grandfather within the rigid framework of the turkish national founding myth. all countries have one, but they don’t usually make for great literature! and this was certainly no exception

[Songül Çember · Rating 4 out of 5]

eğer ayşe kulin gibi bir hayatım olsaydı ve bunu yazmasaydım kendimi kınardım.diğerleri de veda kadar güzel..