Last Island

Last Island

The novel called Son Ada, written by Zülfü Livaneli's pen, tells about a peaceful world consisting of forty houses. This work, published in 2008, won the Orhan Kemal Novel Award in 2009. The novel, which is among the sea-themed books consisting of 185 pages, conveys environmental and political messages with fictional events. It is said that the island was bought by a very wealthy businessman years ago. A beautiful mansion is built here. 

The rich man decides to spend his later years there. As time progresses, he gets bored alone. He makes suggestions for his relatives to build a house on this island. Over time, the number of households on the island increases to forty. On this island, which has become a small city, everyone is addressed with their home numbers. 

People are not called by names. Our writer, who is the narrator of the novel, lives in house number thirty-six. It has no known name. His best friend, Yazar, continues his life in house number seven. Seagulls are the main owners of the island. The seagulls that settled here many years ago did not go when people came. People and seagulls live in peace as if an unwritten agreement was made. The former put schist president, who was dismissed, settles on this island. When this person comes to the island, the peaceful environment prevailing in the region deteriorates. The president makes various arrangements on the island. He says that people need a manager. Although they do not have such a need, the number of believers in this president increases over time. 

As time progresses, the president raises the idea that the seagulls should be kicked off the island. He tells that if the seagulls are sent, luxury hotels will be built and the islanders will make money. The people are convinced that seagulls are their enemies. The fox is brought to the island to eat the seagull eggs. When the seagulls decrease, the snakes increase. 

It starts to damage homes. Cyanide meat is used to destroy these snakes. However, carnivorous animals also eat this meat. The whole ecological balance is disturbed. As the novel progresses, the former presidential candidate is forced to leave. Livaneli uses a method starting from the piece to reach the whole in her novel Son Ada. The suppression of the majority in the face of authority and power is explained. The style of the novel is very fluent. It has also been observed that the consciousness of nature has developed in the people who read it.