Red Dog Running on the Seashore

The Wild Dog Running on the Seashore is Cengiz Aytmatov's novel where mythology and daily life are brought together and one of the greatest virtues of humanity is fortitude and strength. It is a story that tells in a unique style how important sacrifice is in our tragic lives. This story, which saddens and impresses the reader, takes place not in a steppe, but in the middle of the sea, unlike Aytmatov's other stories. The story, which begins with a creation myth, tells about a father giving up his life for his child. In fact, the story of not only a father but also three men dying so that a little child, Kirisk, could live is told in a way that touches your heart. “It was a terrible thing to die of thirst in the middle of a huge sea. Everything he had once boasted about was gone and death was not far away anymore. But his heart in his chest was still beating with the desires and passion of his youth, and his heart was not growing big. What a disaster it was for the heart to never grow old! Because, when the heart does not grow old, its dreams and thoughts do not change either. And man was free and immortal only in dreams and thoughts..."

(From the Promotional Bulletin)

Illustrated by: Zafer Yılmaz