Mavi Boncuk |The newest book by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk hits bookstores on Tuesday, marking the Nobel Literature Prize-winner's 10th novel.
“Kırmızı Saçlı Kadın” (The Red-Haired Woman), published by Yapı Kredi Publishing and currently available only in its original Turkish, is set in mid-1980s İstanbul, the author's trademark setting.
It follows a well-digger named Mahmut and his apprentice as they look for water on barren land, using ancient methods to dig new wells.
“This is the tale of their back-breaking struggle, but it is also an exploration … of ideas about fathers and sons, authoritarianism and individuality, state and freedom, reading and seeing,” according to a recent announcement of the book on Pamuk's official website.
The website described the novel as “at once a realist text investigating a murder[1] which took place 30 years ago near İstanbul, and a fictional inquiry into the literary foundations of civilizations.”
At 204 pages, “The Red-Haired Woman” is among Pamuk's shorter novels. There is currently no information as to the release date for the book's English translation. One of Turkey's bestselling authors internationally, Pamuk's novels have been translated into more than 60 languages worldwide.
[1] Symbolically connected to the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab which forms part of the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. It tells the tragic story of the heroes Rostam and his son, Sohrab[*].
[*] Rostam lived in Sistan, Iran (also known as Persia), hero and one of the favorites of King Kaykavous. Once, following the traces of his lost horse, he enters the kingdom of Samangan where he becomes the guest of the king during the search for his horse. There, Rostam meets princess Tahmina. She admires Rostam and knows of his reputation. She goes into his room at night and asks if he will give her a child and in return, she will bring his horse. Rostam leaves after he seals the deal with Tahmina and his horse is returned. Before he leaves, he gives her two tokens. If she has a girl, she is to take the jewel and plait it in her hair. If she has a boy, she is to take the seal and bind it on his arm. Nine months later, she bears his child—a son, whom she later names Sohrab. Years go by before Rostam and Sohrab meet again. Finally, a new war between Persia and Turan is on the horizon. The two armies face each other and prepare for the imminent battle. By then, Sohrab has become known as the best fighter of Turan army. But Rostam's legend precedes him and the Turan army cowers before the hero. No one else dares to fight Rostam, so Sohrab is sent to wrestle with the legendary Khurasaan hero. Though Sohrab knows his father's name, he is unaware that the man before him is Rostam. On the battlefield, Rostam and Sohrab fight for what seems like an eternity, neither knowing the true name of his opponent.After a very long and heavy bout of wrestling, Rostam feels weak and, fearing for his reputation, he stabs his son in the heart. It is then that he notices the necklace that he once gave Tahmina who gave it to her son to keep him safe during the war. Tahmina, who comes to the field to save them from bloodshed, arrives too late and finds Sohrab lying dead in his mourning father's arms.