Reviews - Madonna in a Fur Coat

3.03k reviews for:

Madonna in a Fur Coat

Sabahattin Ali

4.17 AVERAGE

doncko13's review against another edition

4.0

emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sycamoretrees's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

careyblankenshipkramer's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

miem1004's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful reflective sad

ahuang222's review against another edition

4.25

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

YEARNING

vodaas's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Madonna in a Fur Coat was my first translated novel, and it pains me to admit that I didn’t love it—especially because the writing itself often felt like poetry on the page.

This short book reads more like a study on the meaning of love and life than a traditional story. It is deeply melancholic, almost meditative, and far more a character study than a novel with a driving plot. At only 160 pages, the prose felt heavy and drawn out, which left me struggling to stay invested.

Raif, our main character, is quiet, unremarkable, and largely uninspired. He is a dreamer with no real fight in him—someone who passively accepts his circumstances and allows others to define his life. At first, I thought this flatness was a flaw, but I began to wonder if Ali crafted him this way intentionally: to make Maria, the enigmatic “Madonna in a Fur Coat,” burn brighter as a vivid, colorful figure beside his dull gray. Still, I found myself frustrated with Raif’s resignation. If this was truly love, why didn’t he fight harder—for her, or for anything at all?

The novel reflects deeply on the idea of soul mates, one of its most poetic themes:

“If people are meant for one another, if they are soul mates, it doesn’t matter whether they meet sooner or later. They will meet anyway.”

Lines like this show the depth and elegance of Ali’s writing, and it’s no wonder this book has endured for generations.

Yet for all its beauty, the love story never fully convinced me. The dynamic felt one-sided, and at times Maria’s affection for Raif read more familial than romantic. I even found myself questioning whether Ali was hinting at something more complex in Maria’s character, perhaps a struggle with her own mental health.

By the end, what lingered with me most was the sadness—the story of a man whose life never amounted to much, told in tones so melancholy that they nearly drowned out the meaning behind it.

I had hoped to love this one more, but I suspect this is more of a “me” problem than a flaw in the book itself. For readers who enjoy poetic, slow, and introspective character studies, Madonna in a Fur Coat will likely resonate deeply. For me, however, it fell short.