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Cold Nights of Childhood

By Tezer Özlü
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.85 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 7,975 ratings, 824 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Cold Nights of Childhood by Tezer Özlü is a poignant exploration of a woman's journey through memories of her troubled childhood, grappling with a sense of belonging and identity. The narrative delves into personal struggles, reflections on mental health, and a quest for freedom and understanding within the constraints of societal norms. This evocative work offers insight into the universal themes of loneliness, longing, and self-discovery.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are drawn to evocative narratives capturing the complexities of inner turmoil and existential reflection. With its lyrical prose and introspective insights, it offers a poignant exploration of identity, memory, and the quest for meaning, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate deeply personal and reflective fiction.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A lyrical autofictional account of the author's fight to survive depression and carve out her own path in 1950s and 60s Istanbul

A lyrical autofictional account of the author's fight to survive depression and carve out her own path in 1950s and 60s Istanbul

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The narrator of Cold Nights of Childhood grows up in a rapidly changing Turkey, where the atmosphere is nationalist, patriarchal, and technocratic. As a misfit in search of freedom, love, and happiness, she escapes to Berlin, becomes overcome by depression on her return, and is trapped in a psychiatry clinic for five years.

After electroshock therapy and inhumane treatment, she is released into the care of friends and family, making tentative steps in a halting journey towards recovery.

In her unique, unstructured style, Tezer Özlü explores the extremity of her inner life and the painful pleasures of memory. Translated into English for the first time by Maureen Freely, this novel is a classic akin to The Bell Jar and Good Morning, Midnight.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Cold Nights of Childhood is praised for its powerful exploration of mental breakdown and recovery, with Maureen Freely noted for her adept translation capturing the beauty of Özlü's prose. The novel's dreamlike, lyrical style is highlighted, offering a clear voice that resonates with both past and present experiences, especially poignant for women seeking their place in a challenging society. Its virtuosic and fragmentary narrative strikes as both fierce and affecting, balancing sharp emotional depth with wit.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788168717

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Serpent's Tail

Edition: Main - Classic Edition

Contributors:

  • Translated by Maureen Freely
  • Translated by Maureen Freely
  • Translated by Maureen Freely

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 85g

Pages: 96

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Tezer Özlü

About the Author

Tezer Ozlu (1943-1986) lived in Turkey, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul, Berlin and Zurich. Cold Nights of Childhood is her first novel translated into English.

Maureen Freely is a writer, translator and Professor of English and Comparative Literary Studies and a member of English PEN.

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