The Prisoner of Ankara

Dervis (In the Shadow of the Yali), who died in 1972, chronicles a Turkish man’s release from prison after serving 12 years for murder in this uneven novel, which was originally published in 1957. Vasfi, now in his 30s, wanders homeless on the streets of Ankara. In flashbacks, Dervis recounts Vasfi’s poor upbringing and tragic downfall in Istanbul, where his widowed mother sacrificed everything in hope of her only son becoming a doctor. At 22, Vasfi falls under the spell of Zeynep, a beautiful but coarse country girl who plays with his emotions. When Zeynep’s mother promises her to Vasfi’s wealthy old uncle Sakir, Vasfi is unconsolable, as is his cousin, Nuri, who hoped to inherit Sakir’s wealth. Nuri disparages his uncle’s bride-to-be, prompting a drunken Vasfi to kill him. In Ankara, a stranger gives him half of her cheese sandwich, but he’s dirty, unable to find work, and reduced to sleeping at a table in an all-night coffee shop. There is a sense of redemption when he returns to Istanbul to seek out Zeynep, but while Vasfi’s brokenness is palpable, his self-pity wears on the reader, as does the slow pacing. This one doesn’t quite hold up. Agent: Meriç Güleç, Onk Agency. (Dec.)