Sait Faik Abasiyanik wrote 12 books of short stories, two novels and a book of poetry. Many stories are loosely autobiographical and deal with his frustration with social convention, the relentless pace of westernisation, and the slow but steady ethnic cleansing of his city. His fluid surfaces might seem to be in keeping with restrictions that the architects of the new Republic placed on language and culture, but the truth lies in their dark undercurrents. He is still greatly revered and this collection brings together some of his greatest works.