A Mind at Peace
A Mind at Peace
A conflict between new and ancient
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar who is one of the most talented modern novelists of Turkey wrote Huzur-A mind at Peace- in 1946.
The whole novel takes place in just 24 hours. A day before the second world war. It goes back and forth in the time. The characters are also all lost between the past and future. Memories of a summer are narrated by the four main characters of the novel.
Mumtaz, a well educated young man felt in love with Nuran, a divorced, older woman with a child. They lived that summer in Istanbul, strolls trough Beyoğlu, Breakfast in Price Island, a romantic trysts in Caiques in Emirgan,and peeking into historic mosques and markets.
Istanbul becomes as effective as a main character in this love affair.
Tanpınar is a master of time. Influenced by Proust, he and his characters have a longing for the past glorious days. New republic and western manners are also compered with the old traditions, tastes, ways of living.
He uses metaphors masterly. Sufism, music, paintings are all elements of his writing.
The Destiny Of Turks
We, Turks are in between the West and East. Our culture, way of living, habits, thinking system are always in between.
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar is one of the best writes who thinks about this fact.
In "A Mind At peace" main character Mümtaz thinks ; “To admire Debussy and Wagner yet to live the ‘Song in Mahur’ was the fate of being a Turk."
What love is- qoatation from the book
Our bodies are what we can most easly give to each other; the real challange is sharing our lives. For a love to be genuine, two people must enter into a mirror and emerge as one soul.
Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival
About the Autor
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar was a poet, writer, translator, teacher and politician.
He was born at the end of 19th century. He observed the changes when the East oriented Ottoman Empire collapsed and Western oriented Turkish Republic was established.
His first novel Huzur - A Mind At Peace was published as a newspaper series. His masterly use of stream of consciousness, the structure is admired greatly. The novel is about searching mind peace.
His second novel The time Regulation Institute, is a political satire which questions the basic of modernism. This novel is translated to English.
Every year in Istanbul Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Festival is organized, where many writers from various countries come together for literature.
