In Güney Sokullu’s The Shudder, Berlin’s gritty streets and dazzling lights set the stage for an intricate exploration of fate, soul, freedom, and morality. Through the life of Sandra Lija—a gifted dancer balancing ambition, motherhood, and a tangled web of relationships—the novel dives deep into the human condition, posing questions that linger long after the final page.
Sandra’s story is a compelling choreography of choices. Fate leads her to Berlin’s prestigious art scene, where her talent dazzles juries and earns her accolades. Yet, fate also strikes with cruel precision—a phone call, a hospital visit, and the haunting truth that her son lies in a coma. At every turn, Sandra wrestles with her belief in destiny versus her role as its agent. Are her struggles inevitable, or is she free to shape her path?
Beneath the surface, the novel probes the soul. Sandra’s artistry—her every pirouette, leap, and breath—is an expression of something deeply internal. Yet her soul feels fragmented, divided between her role as a mother, her memories of past lovers, and her relentless pursuit of perfection. In moments of stillness, she questions whether the soul is something innate or forged in the fires of experience.
Freedom pulses through the narrative like the beats of Sandra’s choreography. Whether it’s her decision to leave the comfort of domestic life in Munich or her choice to reclaim an old Berlin home, Sandra’s actions reflect a yearning to break free from societal expectations. However, freedom, as The Shudder poignantly illustrates, is never absolute. It’s tethered to morality, and Sandra’s choices often carry unintended consequences that ripple through her life and the lives of those she loves.
Morality looms like a shadow in Sandra’s world. Her relationship with Dillon, a man whose criminal past and conflicted soul add layers of tension, forces her to confront ethical questions. Similarly, her return to Berlin, while thrilling, requires sacrifices that leave her questioning what she owes to herself versus what she owes to others.
Sokullu’s novel isn’t just a tale of personal transformation—it’s a philosophical meditation. Each scene, from Sandra’s electrifying audition to her quiet reflections in Berlin’s parks, carries the weight of existential inquiry. What does it mean to live authentically? How do we reconcile our desires with our duties?
The Shudder dances on the edge of the profound and the relatable, inviting readers to ponder the threads of fate, the depths of the soul, the bounds of freedom, and the demands of morality. It’s a story as much about the steps we take on stage as the unseen forces that guide—or haunt—us off it.