Institute for Setting Clocks (Book)

The protagonist of the novel, Hayri İrdal, is an ordinary man born during the Ottoman period who becomes entangled in the modernization process of the Republic. From childhood, Hayri shows an interest in the concept of time, and he grows up as an apprentice to Nuri Efendi, a repairman of clocks. However, his life changes when he meets Halit Ayarcı, who embodies the process of Westernization.

Halit Ayarcı establishes the Institute for Setting Clocks, an institution with no real societal purpose but which persists due to bureaucratic order. This institute is preoccupied with the task of ensuring that clocks are properly set. In reality, this institution is a critique of unnecessary bureaucracy and artificial modernization projects. Hayri eventually attains a position within the institute, but when he realizes how absurd the work truly is, he finds himself trapped in a void.

1. Time and Modernization

Tanpınar treats the concept of time not through clocks themselves, but through societal transformation and the individual’s struggle to adapt to this change. The novel explores the identity crisis experienced by individuals during the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic and their evolving relationship with time.

2. East-West Conflict

The novel contrasts the traditional structure of the Roman with the modernization ideology of the East, highlighting Türkiye’s entrapment between these two identities. Halit Ayarcı represents the West, while Nuri Efendi represents the East.

3. Bureaucracy and Absurdity

An institution like the Institute for Setting Clocks critiques artificial and display modernization efforts in Türkiye. System is more focused on sustaining its own existence than on producing meaningful outcomes.

4. The Individual’s Place in Society

The experiences of Hayri İrdal illustrate how individuals are shaped by systems and sometimes dragged in directions contrary to their own will.

Tanpınar’s style is woven with satire and ironic narration. The novel’s language is rich and its narrative layered. Events are recounted from Hayri İrdal’s perspective, through his memories and internal monologues.