Cevdet Bey and His Sons

Description

“Cevdet Bey and His Sons” is an epic novel that chronicles the political, economic, and social transformations that Turkey underwent during the 20th century. It follows three successive generations of the Cevdet Bey family, beginning with the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the birth of the Turkish Republic, and the death of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The narrative concludes with the 1970s, marked by coups and subsequent political turmoil. Pamuk skillfully transports us to the lives of Turkish neighborhoods and streets across different eras, exploring the characters’ relationship to their surroundings, the whispered conversations and intrigues of the women, and the lives of large families who once lived together as a unified community. Over time, however, the family fragments, moving from their traditional wooden house to scattered residences.