We Are Not Idle Men Either (Book)

We Are Not Idle Men Either (Biz de Boş Adam Değiliz) is the debut novella by Erhan Genç. Published in September 2023 as part of Dergâh Yayınları’s Turkish Literature series, the work is 112 pages long.

Subject

The novel narrates the rise of a young, idealistic activist character within an association and his confrontation with the institutional corruption he encounters during this process. Erhan Genç, referencing the Don Quixote motif, explores the conflict between idealism and reality through the individual’s desire for self-assertion.

Themes

• Idealism and Institutional Corruption: The disillusionments that the young idealist experiences within institutional structures are addressed.
• The Search for Individual Identity: The internal motivations of the individual who wishes to rise in a given space are explained.
• The Don Quixote Figure: An idealistic epic calling and a tragic irony are attributed to the protagonist.
• Social Belonging: The transformation of the individual's perception of belonging within institutional ties is discussed.

Narration and Style

The author's language is supported by the characters’ inner monologues and environmental descriptions. While the plot progresses linearly, it carefully presents spatial and psychological transformations. Expressions uttered by the character, such as "we are at the point of saying alright to many things," strengthen the text’s connection to everyday discourse.