Susan Bernofsky's Recommendation
This „Sommer Book“ recommendation is from Susan Bernofsky, translator of German-language literature, author and currently Professor at the Columbia University. ☀️ Her book tip is "Dschinns" by Fatma Aydemir (Hanser Verlag, 2022).
"This amazing family novel breaks with tradition to show us the richly imagined, often quite funny, but eventually heart-breaking story of a Turkish-Kurdish family in Germany and Istanbul. Whereas most family novels are secretly all about the triumph of the younger generation, a rising above the limitations of the past, Aydemir centers the parental perspective in her story even as she splits her narration - in a stunning structural feat - between six different narrators in the book’s six chapters, including four children of the Yilmaz family, the oldest of whom is a mother herself. The narrative arcs sweep back and forth across the novel, sometimes with a Rashomon effect, as Aydemir takes on an impressive array of topics while creating richly delineated characters who really come alive on the page. The “lost child” subplot is particularly moving - and surprising - and I predict you will involuntarily exclaim with delight, as I did, when the meaning of the title is revealed. Aydemir’s writing is sharp and moving, her perspective fresh and full of surprises. Definitely the most fascinating and enjoyable book I’ve read this year."
Book Synopsis:
Dreißig Jahre hat Hüseyin in Deutschland gearbeitet, nun erfüllt er sich endlich seinen Traum: eine Eigentumswohnung in Istanbul. Nur um am Tag des Einzugs an einem Herzinfarkt zu sterben. Zur Beerdigung reist ihm seine Familie aus Deutschland nach. Fatma Aydemirs großer Gesellschaftsroman erzählt von sechs grundverschiedenen Menschen, die zufällig miteinander verwandt sind. Alle haben sie ihr eigenes Gepäck dabei: Geheimnisse, Wünsche, Wunden. Was sie jedoch vereint: das Gefühl, dass sie in Hüseyins Wohnung jemand beobachtet. Voller Wucht und Schönheit fragt „Dschinns“ nach dem Gebilde Familie, den Blick tief hineingerichtet in die Geschichte der vergangenen Jahrzehnte und weit voraus. (Hanser Verlag, 2022)