From the internationally bestselling author of Disquiet, a brilliant political allegory that vividly illustrates how capitalism and authoritarianism harm us and the environment.
Having failed to hold onto power after an ironfisted first term, the former President moves to a secluded island and decides to rid it of what he sees as its “anarchic” components. The island, described by its close-knit community as a utopia, the last peaceful resort for humankind, morphs into dystopia when the President, in the hope of bringing order to island life, begins to act more and more like a dictator. The first ones to revolt against him are the seagulls.
Originally written in 2008 as a condemnation of the authoritarian Turkish regime, The Last Island has only grown more relevant, foreshadowing the events and aftermath of Istanbul’s bloody Gezi Park/Taksim Square political protests of 2013, as well as the protest movements of our time.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Having failed to hold onto power after an ironfisted first term, the former President moves to a secluded island and decides to rid it of what he sees as its “anarchic” components. The island, described by its close-knit community as a utopia, the last peaceful resort for humankind, morphs into dystopia when the President, in the hope of bringing order to island life, begins to act more and more like a dictator. The first ones to revolt against him are the seagulls.
Originally written in 2008 as a condemnation of the authoritarian Turkish regime, The Last Island has only grown more relevant, foreshadowing the events and aftermath of Istanbul’s bloody Gezi Park/Taksim Square political protests of 2013, as well as the protest movements of our time.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"With this novel Livaneli has entered through the grand gates of literature." - Yashar Kemal
"This haunting fable of a President's war against seagulls feels all the more relevant to our times in its absurdity and heartbreak. Livaneli has written a lucid account of a community's shattering alongside natural devastation. A wise and piercing book." - Ayşegül Savaş
"Urgent and allegorical, Livaneli is masterful in his depiction of how authoritarian power destroys a community's people and environment. The Last Island is a stunning novel that will stay with me for a long time." - Mina Seçkin
"This haunting fable of a President's war against seagulls feels all the more relevant to our times in its absurdity and heartbreak. Livaneli has written a lucid account of a community's shattering alongside natural devastation. A wise and piercing book." - Ayşegül Savaş
"Urgent and allegorical, Livaneli is masterful in his depiction of how authoritarian power destroys a community's people and environment. The Last Island is a stunning novel that will stay with me for a long time." - Mina Seçkin
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