I Will Never See the World Again: The Memoir of an Imprisoned Writer

This book contains the memoirs of a Turkish author while he was in prison. The present oppressive regime is famous for imprisoning the writers and all other free-thinkers when what they say can cross its agenda. Such a practice found enough reason to go after anyone that voiced a contrary opinion against a tyrant and his repressive government after a coup d’état attempt on July 15, 2016, which failed anyway. It seems being accused of anti-government crimes and thrown into jail for insubstantial reasons ran in the Altan family. The author of this book is Ahmet Altan, the brother of Mehmet Altan, and their father was Çetin Altan. Ahmet Altan was accused of the flimsiest of crimes. He had appeared on a TV program before the coup, and later, was accused of giving subliminal messages favoring the uprising. This was enough reason for being sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on February 16, 2016. Politics and fake, fanatic religion when glued together can create deadly poisons as this book proves. The book contains memoir pieces and essays and reads like poetry. The lines and words of the author is heart-rending, lyrical, expressive, and profound. Since I read the book from its English translation, I believe applauding the translator Yasemin Çongar is appropriate, here. In the book, from the filthy oppressive cell-life to being deprived of books, this author still didn’t buckle down but wrote longhand what he observed, felt, and thought. His words are a boon to every writer in the world. “You can imprison me but you cannot keep me here. Because like all writers, I have magic. I can pass through your walls with ease.” The author talks about several aspects of prison life. As an example, one thing that affected him was the absence of mirrors anywhere. The author says, “The mirror shows you to you, it confirms your being.” To him and other prisoners, not seeing one’s own image in a mirror felt as if being denied of their personhood. Then, although there were three others in his cell, there was this huge loneliness, which the author marks with, “Everyone took refuge in his own loneliness.” And in his loneliness, his words, “Wherever you lock me up I will travel the world with the wings of my infinite mind,” comes through to show the readers the wisdom, the intelligence, and the kind of enviable education that empowered this author. At the end, I wondered what happened to this author and if he ever could get out of jail. After a Google search, I learned that the papers he wrote his priceless words were smuggled out of prison through his lawyers and were sent abroad to be published. This must have made thirty-eight Nobel laureates condemn his incarceration, and he was released at the end of 2019. That alone shows the power of his pen, and I hope those puppets of that government do not come up with other trumped up charges against this author and those like him, again. To wrap it up, this is one of the most powerful books about prison life that I have read, and it even tops my once favorite one, Notes from a Dead House, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

This would not ordinarily be a book I thought I would ever choose to read. I am certainly glad I did. This man, despite being wrongfully imprisoned, writes so eloquently about what he is going through and makes you stop and think about how lucky we, as Americans, really are despite our current political atmosphere. As a political prisoner in Turkey, Ahmet Altan goes through the process of being tried and convicted without a chance to defend himself and is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. And yet he continues to write, hope and dream. Truly amazing.

I Will Never See the World Again” is one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve ever read. Ahmet Altan writes from a Turkish prison with such clarity, beauty, and quiet defiance that you almost forget he is describing some of the darkest years of his life. His reflections on freedom, imagination, injustice, and the power of words stayed with me long after I finished the book. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful, and deeply human – a book I’ll keep recommending to friends.

thx

The author is sentenced to life in prison in Turkey on trumped up charges, that really make no sense. He writes about the humiliation he feels, missing and worrying about his family, and the realization that he will never experience many things, or see many people again. Yet through all this, he is able to imagine and visualize having all sorts of experiences which keep him sane. While this is an interesting topic, what makes the book outstanding is the writing--almost poetic in his descriptions.

In a voice with the clarity and poetry of Akhmatova, this memoir reminds us that to write is to live. It's a book about living and writing as much as about imprisonment and persecution in countries that jail their writers. This is protest with the majesty of words as weapon and as shields. As I was finishing the book, Ahmet Altan was released from prison. In that moment I felt connected to him and to all writers who have continued to write, through and beyond the darkness. A book for all time and for all people.

Ahmet When “I shall never see the world again” arrived this week, months after I clicked the “pre-order button” my first thought was “Oh, no, another one of my impulse purchases....” and nearly tossed it in the pile of things I should really be reading instead of binge-watching the latest escapist TV series. All of this in self-medication of the inevitable anxiety of navigating pre-retirement planning of “too many years at the end of the money”. Then I read the Ahmet Altah’s first page: “I knew one day they would come for me. Now they had. I had even prepared a set of clothes in an overnight bag so that I would be ready for the police raid and what would follow”. This book is all the help I will ever need to live each moment of the rest of my life. Buy it. Read it. Read it again. Give copies to 5 friends. Thank you Ahmet. What I do is me. It Is for this I came. Dwana M Bush MD Atlanta, Georgia. USA.

You're probably thinking, what could be so special about a memoir? Well, this memoir is very powerful and his ideologies that he expresses throughout allude to philosophies about life. I was deeply moved by Atlan's words.

▪️I am not even sure where to start with writing a review for this one... I have found myself noting quotes from the pages for fear of forgetting. ▪️Ahmet Altan personifies his incarceration in a way like no other. He refrains from the commonly used style of producing a gruesome tale of injustice and focuses his efforts on using his intellect to write about the way in which his mind can not be imprisoned.▪️▪️ The details of his dreamweaving and attention to the miniscule glimpses of beauty creates an ambiguous and contrasted feeling of escapism. Hope is not needed when your mind remains free.▪️ ▪️I can only thank this man for his written capabilities and for sharing a journey, that I have read many times but never ever in a way such as this.

Everyone who wish to learn "Turkey is what a Law country it is?" Should read. Everyone who wish to read " perfect describes of feelings " with an attention like a criminal Novel story, should read this.

Ahmet Altan’s “I Will Never See the World Again” is a poignant and gripping memoir that transcends the confines of prison walls. Written after Altan’s arrest and imprisonment following the failed coup in Turkey, the book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of the written word. Altan’s prose is both lyrical and unflinching as he reflects on his experiences, the nature of freedom, and the role of a writer in society. Despite the harsh realities of his confinement, his narrative is infused with a profound sense of hope and an unyielding belief in the transformative power of imagination. The book oscillates between moments of deep introspection and sharp commentary on the political landscape, offering readers a deeply personal yet universally relevant exploration of what it means to be truly free. The strength of Altan’s writing lies in his ability to find beauty and meaning in the darkest of circumstances, making I Will Never See the World Again a moving and inspiring read. It is a powerful reminder that while physical freedom can be taken away, the freedom of thought and expression remains inviolable. This memoir is not just a story of imprisonment but a celebration of the unbreakable human spirit.

A must red to understand past and current Turkish politics culture.

Gute Leben Erfahrung.