The Devil Inside Us by Sabahattin Ali follows the impulsive affair of Ömer and Macide in 1930s Istanbul. Both very different characters, and struggling to study, make a living and survive, this story follows the challenges throughout their relationships and Ömer’s many monologues about the devil inside of him that makes him do things that aren’t conducive to his happiness or helpful to his situation.
This story is translated from Turkish and was initially published in the 1940s by Sabahattin Ali. The translation by Bill Welsh is strong and maintains the key concepts of the original while also creating a character driven literary story. ‘The Devil Inside Us’ is heavily focused on the characters as opposed to dramatic events or action to drive the plot forward. I felt this allows for a traditionally literary feel to the novel as it exposes and explores the human condition at length. The most powerful part of the book for me was Ömer’s acceptance “The devil inside us is a means to excuse ourselves from not being all that shrewd […] the custom of avoiding seeing the truth”, a statement that I as a reader found quite obvious while I was reading, but seeing Ömer reach this moment and the shift following still seemed quite poignant.
It’s great to have the opportunity to read good translations of literary classics from other countries and The Devil Inside Us, even though it’s set against the backdrop of Istanbul in the 1930s, has themes that are still relevant and spark introspection from the modern reader. A good recommendation for anyone looking for a classic literary read.
In this dark novel, Sabahattin Ali (author of Madonna in a Fur Coat) explores the theme of hopelessness as experienced by an individual who cannot realise his talents. It follows the doomed relationship between a young man Ömer who has to leave his university philosophy degree course and now works in a dead-end job in the Post Office, and a young woman Macide who is attending the Conservatoire in Istanbul studying piano. Ömer resents his lack of money and prospects, and his mental state deteriorates throughout the book. He believes he has a 'devil inside him' which makes him do things he would otherwise not choose to do. He also becomes involved with a right-wing political group through his friend Nihat but has no actual attraction to its beliefs. It appears to be his personal devil which is driving this involvement, and it leads to his betraying a close colleague at his office in order to obtain money to fund the group.
When Macide's former music teacher at her high school Bedri reappears, everything changes.
Acting as a backdrop to the affair of Ömer and Macide is the milieu of writers and intellectuals active in Istanbul in the late 1930s in which they mixed, and of whom the author pens a scathing criticism.
The Devil Inside Us portrays the deep observations on human nature and social constructs of a great writer who, in the words of As?m Besirci ‘bore honest, courageous and masterful witness to his age and environment.’
