The Second Story That Tells Nothing (Book)

This is the second book by Güray Süngü, first published in 2012. The collection of eleven stories shares thematic similarities with the author’s first story collection, Deli Gömleği. The stories in Hiçbir Şey Anlatmayan Hikâyelerin İkincisi won the 2014 Necip Fazıl Story Award in the story category.

The book consists of eleven stories: “Hiçbir Şey Anlatmayan Hikâyelerin Birincisi”, “Biliyorum, Life Yeniler Kendini”, “Circle”, “Duvara Bakan Adama Bakan Adamlar”, “İstanbul Hatırası-2009”, “Toprağın Üstünde”, “Kılık”, “Wound Kabuğu”, “Rüzgargülü”, “En Beautiful Yüzün”, and “K…”. The story titled “K…” is the most prominent and thematically the most distinct among the stories.

Güray Süngü’s book exhibits substantial similarities in content and theme to his first story collection, Deli Gömleği. The book explores loneliness, alienation, despair, pessimism, indifference, numbness, death and, in short, the crisis of the modern world.

A sense of existential emptiness permeates the stories in the work. The characters are ultimately solitary, unhappy, and alienated individuals. Modern characters, narrative styles, and techniques are employed throughout. In addition, the author frequently expresses critiques of modernity and contemporary society. He conveys these critiques indirectly through characters, subtle allusions, and ironic tone.

All the stories in Hiçbir Şey Anlatmayan Hikâyelerin İkincisi are set in the present day, reflecting the pace and consumerism of modern life. Although no explicit time frame is provided, the themes and critiques presented lead us to conclude that the events take place in the 21st century. Although the author rarely names the location outright, it is consistently implied or described that the stories unfold in Istanbul.