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Today, "Bella Ciao Istanbul (reissue)" by Pierre Fréha published on January 9, 2023 by Éditions Most.
Thibaut "LecturesB", contributor to the 20 Minutes Books reading group, recommends "Bella Ciao Istanbul (augmented reissue)" by Pierre Fréha, published on January 9, 2023 by Éditions Most.
His favorite quote:
The people of this town have misled me.
They are so lost in their identity that they do this without thinking of harm.
Often they dream of running away.
They manipulate, put into practice the teachings of the homeland.
They were taught to be Turks.
Why this book?
Because this novel, written in the first person
by an expatriate narrator in Istanbul, denounces the excesses linked to freedom of opinion and expression in Turkey.
Because this book is written in an
accessible, sometimes shocking, but authentic style, by a traveling author who himself lived in Turkey.
Because the author dares to tackle
unconventional subjects that are little treated in the French-speaking literary world, and which allow him to develop his own critical spirit.
Because the author is republishing his book
a few months after a first edition in order to better stick to the news of the hundredth anniversary of the advent of the Turkish Republic on October 13, 1923.
The essentials in 2 minutes
The plot.
A main character who makes strong remarks by telephone against Turkey and its past, understands that his words go back to the authorities of the country... Threatened in this country where repression is in order, he will have to face many episodes.
Characters.
Danilo Brankovic, the narrator.
He speaks in the first person and lives in the historic district of Fatih in Istanbul.
A French expatriate of Serbian origin, he fears for his life and his freedom.
Burak Bey, the man who reported Danilo to the authorities.
Hakan, Despina and his sisters, Murat.
Places.
Istanbul, the only city located on two continents, the first largest city in Turkey and the cradle of multiple civilizations.
Tourist destination par excellence, it is crossed by the Bosphorus.
Formerly known as Constantinople, the heart of Byzantium.
The time.
2020, coronavirus pandemic.
The author.
Pierre Fréha was born in Algeria and moved to France with his family in the 1960s. This French activist artist has been a teacher, journalist and has led writing workshops.
He is the author of ten books.
A globetrotter who loves to travel.
This book was read with
a constant feeling of oppression.
Faced with the treatment suffered by the narrator, the experience of a foreigner living in Istanbul sends shivers down the spine.
A text that denounces and dares to face up to the vices of a corrupt system.
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Book sheet 20 Minutes
Books
Story
Turkey
Republic
Freedom of expression