The Winter Sleep of Memory

In Belleğin Kış Uykusu (2006, The Winter Sleep of Memory) Eroğlu tells the story of Mr. M. The M stands for Mazi (Past)—who cannot remember his name, and his fantastic quest for his lost memory. Awaking without identity and memory, the protagonist remembers—faintly—just an association with the letter M. In a yellow envelope on his luggage he finds a train ticket with only a date and time on it. He goes to the station and boards this train, traveling with Mr. G.—the G stands for Gelecek (Future)—who does not remember his name, either, and other passengers whom M. remembers vaguely from somewhere. The train stops at a station, which represents a pain free but dull paradise, populated by only happy people, who find tears strange as they do not understand crying. They have no newspaper and no books, except comedy books, and have no conception of drama. While the train plunges into a timeless night, M. both gets younger and remembers his past by gathering his memories and dreams from the passengers he comes across, and by walking after the woman he loves. At the last station M. tries to answer these questions: Is a pain free life worth living? Does love have a reason?