The New Life (novel)

The protagonist, Osman, first notices the book in the university canteen when a female student, Janan, sets a copy down for a moment on his table. He later buys his own copy at a bookstall and is so thrilled by this novel that he sets off in search of the new life it promises. Janan introduces Osman to her lover Mehmet who had also read the book and been to the world it describes. Osman, who at this point is enchanted by Janan, witnesses Mehmet gunned down at a bus stop, but the injured man mysteriously disappears and can't be traced at any hospital. The two embark on surreal bus journeys in search of Mehmet. One of the buses has a road accident which results in fatalities, however, they emerge alive, expropriating wallets and identities of two dead passengers. They continue the journey and encounter Dr. Fine, Mehmet's father. It turns out that he had sent spies to keep watch on his rebellious son and to murder other readers of the book. Janan herself vanishes and Osman goes on more surreal and violent bus journeys. It later appears that a deceased friend of Osman's father, Uncle Rifki, may actually be the author of the book.

The novel was met with negative feedback from reviewers and readers alike, with many finding it incomprehensible.[3] Following the release of the English version, D. M. Thomas gave the novel a mixed review in The New York Times[4] and Gabriel Josipovici in his negative review for The Independent called the book "unreadable" and described its references to Dante and Rilke as "embarrassing".[5]

In contrast to negative reviews, The New Life has reportedly become the fastest selling book in Turkish history at the time of its release. It sold 164,000 copies in a year[6] and by 1997 that figure had exceeded 200,000.[7]