Derviš i smrt
"The Dervish and Death (1966) is a poetic-psychological novel, set in the 18th century in a Bosnian town under the Ottomans. The narrator, dervish Ahmed Nurudin, sheikh of a Mevlevi tekke, writes a confession before his death, searching for the meaning of
Divided into two parts with 16 chapters, each with a quote from the Qur'an, symbolizing the cycle of life and death. In the first part, Ahmed, isolated in the tekke of faith in justice, learns that brother Harun, the scribe of the kadi, is imprisoned for revealing corruption. He stepped out into a world of chaos: corruption, betrayal and power. Visits of the benefactor Alija Džanić, whose son-in-law Kadi Ajni-efendi issued the order. He negotiates with Hasan, Džanić's son, about renouncing his property for Harun's release.
In the garden of the tekke, he witnesses the escape of Ishak, the symbol of the rebellion, whom he hides, but thinks about betrayal. He meets his father and the chief without success. Hasan discovers Harun's secret documents. Ahmed begs the kadi, but is resisted. Warned by a stranger, he hears from Hafiz Muhammad that Harun has been dead for three days. He gives a speech in the mosque, then is beaten and taken to a dungeon where he hallucinates about Harun's suffering. After ten days he was released, changed.
In the second part, through memories: youth in the army, friendship with Yusuf whose mother was killed by soldiers, first love broken, leading him to dervishism. He realizes that Yusuf betrayed Harun for a reward; Yusuf repents and attempts suicide. Ahmed feeds the prisoners, burying his brother, and writes about Hasan's unhappy love.
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