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  THE STONE BUILDING / / 1.1.2016
  THE STONE BUILDING

”The Stone Building”, holder of Sait Faik Prize 2010, the most prestigious literary prize in Turkey, is a demanding book, emotionally, intellectually and morally. Not only it confronts ’heavy’ themes as torture, betrayal and madness, but also its style and form try to stretch the limits of literary narration. It is intended to be a journey into the ’Night Eternal’, a groping, painful journey into the basements, cellars, un—trodden paths of the memory, the obscure corners, labyrinthine corridors, dungeons and cells of the ’human soul’, the tragedy of the world is accumulated and closed within. The language is intense, poetic and metaphorical, at times stormy, at times piercing, ruthless, at others lyrical and tender. Imagery, obscurity, shades, echoes and undertones are the main elements as well as rhythm and vibration. The entire structure is in fact built a musical composition, with polyphony and counterpoint. Texts, passages, sentences repeat and echo one other, flow in circles, loops or in fugue form, almost as leitmotifs or tunes sang by different voices, sometimes simultaneously. Conscious emission of linearity, a plot, a time axis or even fully developed characters to carry the story; shrinking and expanding of time and space; mixing of dreams with reality and madness, various shifts and the continuous transformation of the subject, first person ’I’... All are implemented to probe the limits of narration, to tell the untenable, the irreversible split of the ’human soul’ and the ultimate loss of ’self under the blows of reality.

Although this is an exceptionally hard story on torture, at no point, there is an actual depiction of a torture scene, ’pornography’ of pain and blood is strictly avoided. The difficult task of translation was successfully undertaken by Jean Descat(French), Ulla Lundstrom(Swedish) and Gunvald Ims(Norwegian). Actes Sud, Gyldendal and Ramus editions more or less simultaneously appeared at the end of 2012, with overwhelming reviews in all three countries. Especially in France, ”The Stone Building” was a major turning point for the author.

”Oratorio for one victim of torture” (Le Monde, France)

”An elegy for victims of terror” (Le Temps, France)

”A sublime poem—novel: Loss of self under blows” (Politis, France)

” Overwhelming, breath taking language, endless stream of metaphors, narration that pulls you in a maelstrom.... As if you are at the center of a maelstrom, when you think you are lost, the waters suddenly calm down, perhaps you have arrived at the eye of the storm.” (Arbetarsbladet,

”The Stone Building” is a musical composition, with loops, repetitions, voices that flow into each other and heard simultaneously, composed by rules polyphony and counterpoint.” (Kristianbladet,

”With her magical language, Asli Erdogan tells us the story of an angel that falls amongst human beings and loses his wings... His vision or gaze left to us ... The chorus of tortured children... She tells us about the strongest and the most fragile things on earth.” ( Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden)

”Asli Erdogan is not a writer of compromises. What she starts up, she finishes. This leads to an illuminated text, the light comes from both her commitment and her anger, her willingness to empathize. Often the images supersede one another, in an inward moving pattern, almost until an abstraction is reached —when the human brutality suddenly appears, again— kept together by the night as a gloomy paste. (NRK, Norway)

”Erdogan dwells on the suffering, the physical torture, the wounds, the aching and the swellings, the sorrow and the pain, but she does this in a caring, devoted way, and in an uniquely lyrical and musical language that contrasts the suffering she describes, with the effect, strangely enough, of strengthening the suffering.” (Stavanger Aftenblad, Norway)

Brief Description

The most innovative aspect of the novel is its usage of 1st person, ’I’ and the second person ’you’. The subject, the traditional narrator is used more as a frame through which characters temporarily appear and disappear, giving it volume and heat, or as a musical instrument through which different voices ’sing’, sometimes simultaneously. It is left open for interpretation which story belongs to whom.

The story is divided into 7 parts: The Beginning, The Humans, The Stones, The Dreams, The Roaring Laughter, The Stories and The Endings (three finales were written for the book). In ”The Beginning”, we hear our first narrator and through his/her eyes, meet the protagonist: A tramp, a mad man living on the streets, sidewalks and rooftops, simply named as ”A”, the anonymous. His face is divided into two unequal parts with a huge, hideous scar. A. is continuously talking, narrating seemingly incoherent stories, telling the indecipherable truth about the Stone Building, sometimes giving sermons to mankind, sometimes confessing to sea gulls, and very often roaring with laughter. As we approach step by step towards the Stone Building, the narrator is transformed into the inner voice of A.

The Stone Building, architecturally resembling the notorious police headquarters of Istanbul in the70’s, is in fact a timeless, abstract building —some readers have interpreted it as a prison, concentration camp or lunatic asylum. It is not only a metaphor for oppression and oppressive institutions, but more it stands for the inner world, the human ”heart” or ”soul”, and at the end, turns into the metaphor of semi—told, uncompleted story, the novel itself, or any human destiny.. Once we cross the point of no return and enter the building, different voices will reach us from behind the solid and bare walls, dim corridors. Voices of the prisoners of the stone building: A young girl waiting to be interrogated, the quire of the tortured street children, the betrayed and the betrayer, voices that speak to us of maddening fear, despair, passion, grief, suicide, and an anonymous scream... Each one of the victims will slowly, painfully crawl on his/her belly on the cold

stones to arrive, one by one, at the core of the labyrinth, simply an empty room, a dirty window... Each will contribute his/her part for the story of the actual protagonist of the novel: The Angel.

An angel has come down to live among humans and is now waiting in one of the torture chambers, with his face scarred into the unequal parts. In fact, the story or fate of the angel, even his existence will never be confirmed, since he is d from the substance of dreams and recollected images, but his tragic end is for certain.

”The Stone Building” is essentially constructed from oppositions and counterparts: The mad man and the angel, a scream and a tune, the dying and the survivor, the betrayed and the betrayer, the survivors and the missing...The opposites split and come together, in the same voice, same fate, same sentence... Sacred and profane stand side by side, as tragic with the most ordinary and dirty, violence with poetry. Lyricism is woven into the harshest reality, even at times ironically: The quire of the tortured street children, the missing tune and the roaring laughter of the angel, the rooftops opening into the sky as well as the 5th floor ( torture chambers are located), the call of the wind into ”The Last Free Country”, into suicide...

The novel has three different endings: The Finale of the Survivors, The Farewell of A. and the epilogue of the author, as she comes out as her real ’self’ to assume all the characters and voices of the ”Stone Building”. Now the stone building has been transformed into an uncompleted story, through which her split selves tried to speak. There is someone in her who has died, someone else within has survived a thousand times, there is one who has betrayed and another who has been betrayed, one of her faces is turned towards the oppressor while the other towards the victim, but all these selves or rather the conditions of being human are no longer able to hear each other. In fact, the Human Story, Life itself, is never ’completed’, someone or something, perhaps a word, perhaps a tune, is forever lost and will remain forever missing.

.........

Le je perdu des reclus

Asli Erdogan nous livre un sublime roman—poeme sur le systeme carceral en Turquiea verite dialogue avec les ombres.» Avec son charme sobre autant qu’evocateur, sa charge critique bien dissimulee sous une strate d’onirisme, cette formule quasi proverbiale pose des la premiere page du Bdtiment de pierre la coexistence de deux mveaux de texte dans le roman d’Asli Erdogan. Elle dit aussi que c’est dans le rapport entre ces deux entites, dans leur etrange comple— mentarite, que reside toute la force du court recit Dialectique entre une face visible faite d’une musicalite et d’une imagerie d’une grande purete poetique, etunsous—texteeminem— ment politique. Bdtiment de pierre exprime l’horreur turque avec une belle pudeur. Avec une douceur, meme, qui paradoxalement dit mieux que toute aprete la violence d’un systeme carceral. Issu d’une nerrutriee sans ram a la psychologie trouble et au corps detraque, le prodigieux flot de paroles qui constitue le roman—poeme se deploie a partir d’un point precis. Un « bdtiment de pierre » dont la neutralite du nom contraste avec l’horreur qui y regne. Une prison fourre—tout ou intellectuels, militants politiques et voleurs de rien du tout sont soumis a la torture, reduits a l’etat de loques humaines incapables de s’exprimer a la premiere personne. Passee par cette epreuve de deshu— manisation, la narratrice tente de reconquerir son «je ». Elle soumet sa memoire fragmentee a un exer— dce de coherence, entreprend une composition poetique susceptible de lui redonner gout a la vie. Cette urgence prend le pas sur la description du sordide carceral. Celui—ci, pourtant, n’est pas seu— lement le point de depart du recit hallucine d’Ash Erdogan, connue dans son pays aussi bien comme militante des droits de l’homme que comme ecrivain. Jamais, tout au long de son parcours introspectif pour le moins sinueux, coq—a—l’ane morbide ponctue d’idees fixes, l’ancienne prisonniere ne perd de vue la realite bien concrete du bati— ment de pierre. Les constantes de la litterature carcerale sont d’ail— leurs bien presentes dans son monologue. La cohabitation avec les voisins de cellule, Pautorite des gardiens, la crasse qui colie a la peau et aux murs... Tout est la, rien n’est exhibe. Au contraire, ces elements reposent derriere une enveloppe metaphorique plus fas— cinante qu’effroyable. Mui detenu Sianafo.TMB en bete cruelle, dans la poesie de la resca— pee, mais un homme qui meurt en lui«laissantsesyeux cariln’avait personne a me dormer », Un choeur d’enfants edopes, aussi, qui« chan— taitpour exister, avec passion, au nom de la vie, en exhibant le peu qu’ils possedaient encore...». En se focalisant sur quelques victoires de la grace et de Pamour sur l’indiffe— rence et l’oubli, Asli Erdogan donne au cachot un visage profondement humain. Plus humain meme que le monde exterieur, Comme si, soumis a {’injustice d’un gouvernement jamais nomme et pourtant accuse sans reserves, la narratrice et ses compagnons d’infortune faisaient de leur dignite une arme contre Pinvasion de la cruaute. Lorsqu’un ange aux « bras charges, les poches pleines de lettres sau— poudrees de poussiere d’etoiles » fait irruption dans cet univers reen— chante, on saisit combien la lutte entreprise est mortelle. Si la narratrice n’est pas encore passee de l’autre cote, elle a les pieds ici, la tete ailieurs, sans doute aux cotes de l’homme qui lui fit don de ses yeux. Son verbe est l’expression de cet entre—deux. II file souvent vers des sommets d’abstraction, avant de s’arreter net. Son auteure le ramene a une altitude plus raisonnable, lui imposant ainsi de rester parmi les vivants. Sa langue est un ange d6chu, tout comme la narratrice et Pensemble du personnel romanesque. Le Bdtiment de pierre est un poeme subversif au parfum entetant.

Ana’is Heluin


.........

De fortrampades vittne

TORTYR Ash Erdogan anvander aldrig valdet till sin lordel. Hennes roman om varldens helvetiska fangelser har en omhet for det starkaste och det skoraste, skriver Elisabeth Hjorth.

30 oktober 2012 kl 01:00 Prosa Stenbyggnaden Ash Erdogan 110 s. Ramus Overs: Ulla Lundstrom

Vad innebar det att vittna fran samtiden? Ash Erdogan skriver vittneslitteratur ffan varldens botten. Med ’’Stenbyggnaden” staller hon aterigen lasaren infor saval pagaende outhardliga sanningar som en fortarande skonhet vilken tycks handla om ren overlevnad.

De tva bockema av Erdogan som firms pa svenska sedan tidigare ar ’’Staden i den roda kappan” och ”Den mirakulose mandarinen”. Den som last henne vet att hon ar en av de absolut ffamsta. Hennes romaner absorberar varlden med en karlek som gransar till vanvett, dess vandrande gest far sina granser nedtrampade och genomkorsade pa ett satt som gor spraket nytt och aldrig for ett ogonblick lamnar solidariteten med en nedtrampad varld.

’’Stenbyggnaden” ar en bok om varldens alia helvetiska fangelser, en bok om vald, och darmed riskabel. Den tortyr som heist fortrangs ur helskinnade medvetanden ar frestande att forvandla till litteratur, men svar att inte komprometteras av. Erdogan har aldrig vant valdet till sin fordel.

I slutet av September i ar skriver hon pa Svenska Pens ’’Dissidentbloggen” om de manga massgravar som hittats i Turkiet. Helt nyligen upptacktes ett gruvschakt dar ihjaltorterade och branda tonaringar

kastats ner och tackts av stenar.

En blalila bamkropp som identifieras av de anhoriga.

I ’’Stenbyggnaden” ekar dessa roster. Det ar en marklig byggnad som Erdogan har rest, dar varje sten ar knadad till skimrande hardhet och fogad till nasta och nasta i en sadan tathet att jag tappar andan, gar vilse, blir staende i en mening en lang stund som paralyserad.

Den lyriska labyrinten ar full av formuleringar att citera. ”Jag stoppar stjaman, som fallit just den har natten som ar min, i fickan, jag skrubbar den ren, och lindrar dess sar genom att smeka den itimmar.” Det enastaende spraket gors rattvisa av Ulla Lundstroms omsorgsfulla oversattning.

Erdogan skildrar den fysiska tortyren, smartan utan omskrivningar, kroppens sar och bulnader, arr som aldrig forsvinner. (Alla dessa spar som ju firms overallt, ocksa har, i kroppar pa tunnelbanan, vid lekplatsen, i mataffaren.) Hon skriver om att befinna sig i en varld av askgra sten dar klockoma ”var alldeles blodfyllda efter att ha piskats framat i det oandliga, de maktade inte langre med uppgiften att bara alia bordor, de orkade inte ta ett enda steg till.” Tiden star stilla i ett fruktansvart nu.

Det enda sattet att utharda i det nuet ar att dela sig, att klyvas och leva vidare med olika jag, lika splittrad som de omkringkastade orden. Forsoken att surra fast sig sjalv, fanga det skingrade och sonderslagna jaget tillhor bokens centrala teman och gestaltar tbljdema av att berova en manniska det enda hon har som ar hennes sarskilda, egna existens.

Asli Erdogan skriver ocksa magiskt vackert om angeln som kom for att leva bland manniskoma, men fick vingama avhuggna och bara lamnade blicken kvar. Hon skriver om sadana som blivit darar av tortyren, om bamfangar som sjunger en overjordisk sang. Genom allt drojer en uppmarksam omhet vid det allra starkaste och skoraste pa j orden.

........

Bysrerr og varmt menneskelig

Fire aye ieksier fra Asli Erdogan gar siadlg longer inn i den poliiiske mishandlingens og iorturens svarte virkclighct — avbilder dem som ma talc.

® LeifEfde leif.ekle(a)nrk.no 11.02.2013 12:04.

Asli Erdogan er ingen kompromissenes forfaiter. Der hun begynner, fullferer hun. Del forer til tekst som lyser av sa vel engasjement som harme, av vilje til innlevelse. Ol’te silk at de spraklige biidene avi0ser h verandre: sladig innover, nesten til abstraksjonen er nadd — lor menneskenes bruiaie virkdighei med err star der igjen — med natten som dvsiert bindemiddel.

«Stc—lnbygnf ngen». den nye, kortfattede tekstsamlingen fra Asti Erdogan, er pnbiisert i Gyldendals XS—serie og inneholder lire ibriellinger; ire korie og den iengre liiielibriellingen. I varierende grad har de aile en patrengende aura av menneskelig brutalitet —tortur, mishandling. Den loper under teksten I det usagte og preger handtingen direkte som minne og konsekvens for de menneskene som har mattei uthoide, leve med.

Til reft tld

Den Ibrsie ibrlellingen er bare li—tolv sider lang, men kanskje mesi foruroligende av dem alle. Jeg— personens eksistens i et hus for itvnvandrere 1 en nordisk byer— sa forutstgelig at til og med doden — ikke bare trikken — kommer nar den skal, til rett tid. Slik du kan stole pa at morketiden kommer med sen hosiers. Rommel bans tar uvegerlig preg av den cellahan aldri kan bli kvitt. En ubuden gjesl ibrteller enda en gang orn steutbygningea og om lorturisten som hver kveld tar pa seg nystroken dress for a ga til arbeid.

Variasjon i stenaning

Jeg sa at historiene har et betydelig innbyrdes siektskap. Samtidig er spennet til stedet. Lysest i tone, halvt absurd og nesten vakker, cr bcrctnnigcn fra et tubcrkulosc—sykchus i Tyskland, der en sammensatt forsamling kvinner, biant dem to tidiigere poliiiske banger, begir seg at i skogen for en heii spesiell oppleveise.

Inslsterende Erdogau

Asli Hrdogans insistcrcndc teknikk, saarfig slik den kommer til irttiykk i den langc tittdforfcilingcn, er som allerede aniydet krevende leaning. En sieiden gang bender det ogsa at biidene som folger etter og pa bverandre blir for mange, at teksten truer med a ga vili i seg selv. Kjemeberetningen om A. — bildet pa det knekte menneske er uansett imponerende uttrykksftill 1 sin gjentagende boring.

Og; i siste instans, lar den oss forsta at alt, tross alt dreier seg om iiv — pa tyrkisk havat.

Gunvak! Andreas Inis’ oversettelse fbmiklier godt intensiteten 1 disse tekstene. leg kommer aliikevel ikke forbi at et svaert bredsporet — eller radikalt — bokmal forstyrrer lesingen i perioder da del ligger sa liter nynorsk at jeg ubevisst vil fullfbre selningene i den formen. Med pa lasset Mger en lbs else av muntlighet som ikke hell kler disse dystre tekstene.

My translation:

«AsIi Erdogau is not a writer of compromises. What she starts up, she finishes. This leads to an illuminated text, the light comes from both her commitment and her anger, from

her willingness to empathize. Often the images supersede one another, in an inward moving pattern, almost until an abstraction is reached — when the human brutal reality suddenly appears, again — kept together hy the night as a gloomy paste,»

Leif Ekle, NRK, Norwegian Public Radio, February 2013, on Steinbygningen, Gyldendal 2013, (Tas Bina)

THE START IS PARTS OF YOUR STORY AS YOU CAN SEE.

Mangetydig skrivekunst

i )i StClnhygniilgCri utkijiTi i 2009, blc AsO Erdogan (f. 1967) belonnet med ’Syrkias hoyest hengende h’Uersere pris. I tjor arresterte imidlertid tyrkisk politi fisrti av medarbeideme i den opposisionelle avisen Ozgur Gundem, der Erdogan bl.a. bar bidratt med artikSer om kurdemes situasjon. Na lever

De tyrkiske myndi ghetcncs press mot ytringsfriheten virker tiltakende. Erdogan har i intervjuer omlaU liislanden som iiysiexisk nasjonailsrue og pekt pa at regjeringen synes a dromme om ibrdums ottomansk storftet. Vi minnes tiltalen som blc tati tit inOt Orhan Parmik i 2005 tor tbmsermeiser mot del tyrkiske folk, etter at ban i et intervju nevnte undertrykkelsen av kurdeme og folkemordet pa

Steinbygningen spoiler dcnnc virkclighctcn. Dot or on bok om fcngsling, tartar, niorkc og lidclse. Som i andre boker ulibrsker Erdogan isolasjonen, melankolien, ensornhelen og sosiai ulsterting, men aivorct virker mer iremtredende hen Boken bestar av fire ibrtcilinger. som i mangel av bedre betegnelser kan leses som en roman og temaiisk er bundet sammen av en sorg som hadde oppstati

Her er asvimottaket eiier innvandrerboligen i en eller annen kald og forblast nordisk kysihy, lungeavdelingen pa et sanatorium i Scbwarzwaid, et ordinaert fengsel og altsa Steinbygningen, torturkammerel uten noen hesiemi geograiisk plassering, Det kan vasre hvor som heist. Men

pa det iabyrimiske bvet de niaiic rom et menneske Icari forvilie

seg inn i, og den er et biide pa sprakeis grenser og et forsok pa a naerme seg disse grensene, hva sprak og ord egentiig kan uttrybke.

Erdogan riveter ved iiaelsen. den fvsiske lorturen. arrene. verken og heveisene. sorgen og smerten.

mm hfp§,gjor drt omt og r*g Ikke m.imt i et |yrj|fog.mnsikalsk

anpL som kontrasterer Jett nddoeo bon bcYkver og derned ogsa merkellg fcoi ibrsterker den. Men om’Erdogan synes a vibe dypt inn som maiig 1 de? *er*t mennsskeMge aspsktet ved

enbver liislane og siunsmE, kan boLen ogsa godi loses 5 t A ankiagesknft ssmef NsjB—lanJ som

dH sssip afel har tcngslet sine oppastGoncUc samtKlig *»m dot bar hanke* p£ Fit— dor Frdogan

detinioi kaikr pa— det nienneakelige, pa eaistendighel og ; adigjbcL omsorg og besnaasise. Nek en gang har dei biitt et stykke beniesft’isfesveniig skri vekunsi av det.;

”ERDOGAN DWELLS ON THE SUFFERING, THE PHYSICAL TORTURE, THE WOUNDS, THE ACHING AND THE SWELLINGS, THE SORROW AND THE PAIN, BUT SHE DOES THIS IN A CARING AND DEVOTED WAY AND , NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN. IN AN UNIQUELY LYRICAL AND MUSICAL LANGUAGE THAT CONTRASTS THE SUFFERING SHE DESCRIBES, WITH THE EFFECT, STRANGELY ENOUGH, OF STRENGHTENING THE SUFFERING.)...) THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STATEMENT AGAINST A NATO— MEMBER—COUNTRY THAT THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS JAILED ITS OPOSITION MEMBERS AND AT THE SAME TIME HAS KNOCKED ON EU’S DOOR. ERDOGAN ON THE OTHER SIDE CALLS OUT FOR THE HUMAN ASPECT. FOR DECENCY. DIGNITY CARE AND RESTRAINT. ONCE AGAIN THIS RESULTS IN A PIECE OF REMARKABLE WRITING.”

SIGMUND JENSEN, STAVANGER AFTENBLAD. March 4th, 2013

 


 

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