Valor: Stories

by Murathan Mungan, Aron Aji (Translator), David Gramling (Translator)

Winner of the 2021 Global Humanities Translation Prize



Among Murathan Mungan’s signature works, Cenk Hikâyeleri ( Stories) has long been considered a milestone of twentieth-century Turkish literature. The six short stories in the collection reflect the author’s multiethnic background (which includes Kurdish, Arab, and Turkish heritage) and represent his lush poetics, literary breadth, and sociopolitical commitments.  

 

Valor reimagines Shahmaran, a mythical half‑human, half‑snake figure that commonly appears in the folklore of Turkey’s southeastern provinces. Legend interweaves with the contemporary realities of ethnicity, religious dogma, gender, and sexuality. Uncovering hidden narratives within a rich and complicated culture, Mungan’s stories depict self-realization and sexual awakening as they showcase one of Turkey’s most popular literary voices. 

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

21 Nisan 1955 tarihinde İstanbul'da dünyaya geldi. Mardinli bir ailenin çocuğudur. Babası avukat İsmail Mungan, annesi Habibe Mungan'dır. İlk, orta ve lise yılları Mardin'de geçti; Mardin Lisesi'nden mezun oldu. Mardin eserlerinde sıkça kullandığı mekanlardan birisi oldu. Bu çevrenin taşıdığı farklı kültürel yapıyı, insan olgusunu eserlerine başarılı bir şekilde yansıttı. Yazar, 1972'de Ankara'ya yerleşti. Lisans ve yüksek lisansını Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Tiyatro Bölümü’nde tamamladıktan sonra başladığı doktora çalışmasını yarım bıraktı, Ankara Devlet Tiyatroları’nda altı yıl, İstanbul Şehir Tiyatroları’nda üç yıl dramaturg olarak çalıştı. Gazete ve dergilerdeki ilk yazılarını 1975’te yayımlayan Mungan; yazı hayatı boyunca şiir, öykü, roman, deneme, tiyatro oyunu, sinema yazısı, senaryo, masal, şarkı sözü gibi farklı türlere ait eserler verdi.

Reviews

[Esar ايثار · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

It’s got everything you want from a fairytale/myth-like collection of stories: obsession, tragedy, beautiful prose and of course homoerotic tension, among other things~~

[Robert Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction explains that the first five stories in this collection are a group, organized around the theme of "valor". Set in the author's home region of south-east Turkey, the tales are mythic; the stories are mostly timeless, the narrative structure is non-linear, viewpoints shift between characters in jump-cut fashion, and the action moves back and forth between the mythic and mundane planes. Most of the stories deal with the conflict between personal desires and the community rituals that shape and direct each member's life - (male) friendships/loves are forced into competition and worse.

But these are modern myths. There is none of the opacity of legends - character's interior lives are the major part of the book, as the heroes agonize over the impossible choices they must make. The writing is urgent and lyrical, with gorgeous descriptions of the natural world.

Highly recommended.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Valor: Stories, was described as a milestone of twentieth-century Turkish literature and wow does it earn that praise. This collection is comprised of six stories that center themes such as tradition/custom, ethnicity, and identity, that are just as relevant now was they were when Mungan wrote them in the late 1970s/early 1980s. As with most collections, some stories will work better for each reader than others. In particular, I adored the opening story "Shahmaran's Legs" and the final two, "Ensar and Jivan" and "The Serpent and the Deer".

These stories draw on myth and legend and in several cases mimic that traditional storytelling. For some of the stories this made it a little hard for me to follow the narrative switches and time jumps; however, Mungan's prose was so beautiful that I had no problem just going along for the ride.

I highly recommend this collection! It was beautiful and heart wrenching and I know that some of it went over my head but I look forward to coming back to this work after learning more about the cultural context.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good, and may be best for the serious lit readers. It doesn't seem like mainstream fiction. The author has serious writing chops, and the stories are not happy or realistic. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!