''2 Girls'' (''İki Genç Kızın Romanı'' in Turkish) is a

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Turkish writer Perihan Mağden, first published in 2002. The novel tells the story of two teenager girls with polar characteristics drawn into each other, forming an intense friendship in milieu of man-dominated, materialistic, and oppressive pressures. The novel was translated in English by Brendan Freely and published in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 2005. The novel was hailed by ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' by the following remark, "Not since Salinger’s '' Catcher in the Rye'' has a writer animated adolescent anguish so vividly and compellingly."

Plot summary

Bodies of several murdered men are found in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and the oppressive air is evident in the city. Meanwhile Behiye, rebellious, full of teenage angst, oppressed by her conservative family, achieves well in her university entrance exams and gets the chance to enter prestigious

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...

. This, however, does not take her angst away, but oppressions endure. Behiye's life, longing to get rid of her angst is changed drastically when she meets Handan, a beautiful and naive girl of her age who lives with her beautiful

call girl A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who (unlike a street prostitution, street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by ...

mother. In short time, Behiye becomes attached to Handan and moves into their apartment. The girls form and intense and unidentifiable relationship which has both romantic and sisterly implications. Their uniting relationship has to face social problems and is damaged by peer boys, academic expectations, economic difficulties, and most of all different cultural backgrounds. The story continues as step by step Handan painfully realizes the impossibility of their relationship.

Film adaptation

The novel was adopted into film by

Kutluğ Ataman Kutluğ Ataman (born 1961 in Istanbul Turkey) is an acclaimed Turkish-American contemporary artist and feature filmmaker. Ataman's films are known for their strong characterization and humanity. His early art works examine the ways in which peo ...

in 2005 as '' İki Genç Kız'' and starred Feride Çetin as Behiye, Vildan Atasever as Handan, and

Hülya Avşar Hülya Avşar (born 10 October 1963) is a Turkish-Kurdish actress, singer, businesswoman and former beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for numerous films and hit revenge series "Kadın İsterse". Her international roles include Safiye ...

as Leman, Handan's mother. The movie won three prizes in 2005 (Best Actress for Vildan Atasever, Best Cinematography for Emre Erkmen, and Best Director for Kutluğ Ataman) at

Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (), known for a few years from 2015 as Antalya International Film Festival, is a film festival, held annually since 1963 in Antalya, and is the second most important film festival in Turkey. Since 2009, t ...

which gives out the most prestigious film awards in Turkey. Kutluğ Ataman was also awarded the Best Director in

Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul Film Festival () is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey. As mentioned in its reg ...

with this film.

Footnotes

2002 novels Turkish LGBTQ novels Novels set in Istanbul Novels about lesbian topics Turkish novels adapted into films Serpent's Tail books {{2000s-LGBT-novel-stub