Fan Casting Kéraban the Inflexible

The story of the novel begins in the Turkish city of Istanbul, located on both banks of the Bosphorus, which separates Europe from Asia. A rich tobacco trader, Kéraban, lives here. His house is located in the Asian district of Scutari, his office is in the European part, so he has to use the ferry every day. Kéraban is visited by a business partner from Rotterdam, Jan Van Mitten, and a servant, Bruno. He decides to invite Van Mitten to his house for dinner. When everyone wants to travel across the strait, Kéraban finds out that this transport has been burdened by a new tax. Kerraban is very angry, he doesn't want to pay. He decides to take a 700km trip around the Black Sea. The problem with the trip is that he has to return to Istanbul within six weeks to arrange Ahmet's nephew's wedding to the girl Amasia, who has to marry by her 17th birthday, otherwise he will not inherit one hundred thousand Turkish pounds. in Odessa, Ahmet and Amasia joins, followed by a wild boar attack, then big problems arise due to hired bandits who are trying to prevent the wedding. Then the Russian Cossacks, pirates, and Kurds, and abduction of Amasia. They get back to Istanbul. Ahmet's wedding to Amasia can be only in the European part of the city, where Kéraban can´t get without paying that ferry fee. A well-known artist intends to cross the Bosphorus on a rope that is 1,300 meters long stretched between its two banks. Kéraban lets himself be transported on a rope in a wheelbarrow.