Madonna in a Fur Coat

Sabahattin Ali
43 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Adult
Published in 1943

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

Sabahattin Ali

Madonna in a Fur Coat

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1943
Book Details
Pages

176

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Classic Fiction

•

Romance

•

Historical Fiction
Setting

Berlin, Germany • 1920s

Theme
Love

•

Loneliness

•

Regret
First Publication Year

1943

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali follows a young Turkish man in 1920s Berlin who encounters an intriguing woman and experiences profound change. The novel explores themes of love, loneliness, and self-discovery. Ali's narrative delves into the complexities of human emotions and relationships, set against a backdrop of cultural and personal upheaval.

Melancholic

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali is celebrated for its emotional depth and evocative prose. Readers appreciate its exploration of love, identity, and isolation. Some critique its pacing as slow, yet others find this enhances the introspective narrative. Overall, the novel resonates with its poignant portrayal of human connection.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Madonna in a Fur Coat?

Readers who appreciate nuanced explorations of love, identity, and isolation, akin to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, would enjoy Sabahattin Ali's Madonna in a Fur Coat. Its lyrical prose and deep emotional resonance captivate those drawn to introspective, character-driven narratives.

Character List

A quiet, unassuming translator in Ankara, whose hidden past reveals a deeply passionate and artistic soul, reflected in the black notebook he keeps secret.

An independent and intellectual artist living in 1920s Berlin, known for her strong presence and rejection of societal norms, who forms a unique connection with Raif.

An aspiring writer who initially sees Raif as unremarkable but grows to uncover and appreciate the depth of Raif’s life and story.

A former classmate of the narrator and a bureaucratic figure in Ankara, embodying the pragmatic and materialistic values of the society around him.

Comprised of his wife, children, and in-laws, they collectively view Raif with condescension and largely treat him as a means of financial support.

A character first encountered in Berlin with flirtatious intentions, later returning in Ankara with crucial information that impacts Raif’s understanding of his past.

Book Details
Pages

176

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Classic Fiction

•

Romance

•

Historical Fiction
Setting

Berlin, Germany • 1920s

Theme
Love

•

Loneliness

•

Regret
First Publication Year

1943

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

16+ years

Buy This Book

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 10,950+ additional titles.