Dying is Easier than Loving

The novel centers on the story of Nizam’s tormented love affair with a Russian pianist, Anya, and is told against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire’s tumultuous history in the years leading up to WWI.

Underlying the novel’s tale of war and love and Altan’s absorbing exploration of the inner lives of a vast cast of characters, is a fierce criticism of masculinity and of its degeneration into violence against women, nationalism, and authoritarianism.