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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed the story of young Paša, his first love Zari, his beautiful friendship with Ahmed and the tragic events that marked his life. I learned a lot about the political situation in Iran in the last century and I had no idea what Persians went through during the dictatorship of their king.
This book celebrates the invincibility of the human spirit, the power of love and friendship, the strength of the family. It show us that no matter what we go through in life, those three things are the columns of our lives and they can get us out of the deepest miseries.
It's a warm and beautifully written story and I recommend it with my whole heart!
This book celebrates the invincibility of the human spirit, the power of love and friendship, the strength of the family. It show us that no matter what we go through in life, those three things are the columns of our lives and they can get us out of the deepest miseries.
It's a warm and beautifully written story and I recommend it with my whole heart!
My favorite thing about Rooftops of Tehran was all the humorous bits the narrator shares as he reveals his story, which is dramatic and heart-wrenching as heck. There are many books about Iran, fiction and not, that are just depressing, so honestly I did not open the book expecting to like it as much as I did; it was a welcome breath of fresh air to have this story which propels you along with it like real life: the good, absurd, and defeating side by side. It's told in present tense, yet there is foreshadowing and suspense through a careful plot and timelining.
A moving plot-line with themes that transcend caste, color, creed and race, Rooftops of Tehran is one of the books with That, a quality that is beyond explanation. At the crux of it is the love that Zari and the protagonist, Pasha share, but the book goes beyond that and gives the reader an insight into life before the Islamic Revolution. A superbly written book with likable characters, Rooftops is one of those books that once you start, cannot afford to put down.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was excited to win this book from Goodreads. It was an amazing book. Once I started it I could not put it down. It was very interesting to learn about some of the customs of Iran and its people. The characters were so vivid. I laughed at times, and other times I just wanted to cry. I finished the book wanting more!
Pasha Shahed has a secret. He's in love. That alone is something that seems like it should be kept a secret in 1973 Iran, but the real kicker is that the girl he's in love with, Zari, has been engaged to another man, Doctor, since birth. Pasha even likes this man--everyone does. He's intelligent and an outspoken thinker, especially in their mid-class Tehran neighbourhood.
None of this means that they can't be friends, though. And so begins the summer of 1973, filled with nights in which Pasha and Ahmed sit on their roofs and name stars for those they love--the bigger and brighter the star, the better the person it belongs to. They talk about the government and school and above all, the girls they love. Ahmed has sworn he will marry his love, Faheemeh, and that he will help Pasha marry Zari. Faheemeh swears Zari loves him as well. Soon the four become the best of friends, spending long afternoons in Zari's yard, wondering what will happen when Doctor returns from his mysterious trip into the north of Iran.
One night, he does return--followed by the Shah's secret police. Everything falls apart, and the event leads to Zari's daring decision that will change all of their lives... perhaps permanently.
Absolutely amazing. Seraji's narrative is stunning, simple but quick. Every now and then there is a moment of purely poetic nature, loveliness matched only by the characters themselves. There's no "unexpected" romances--it's out on the table, not falsely tagged as "plot-twists" as in some other books. The two story lines running simultaneously through the beginning of the book could potentially be hard to follow, but I didn't find it so bad. The novel is in turn hilarious and heartbreaking, beautifully written. The vocabulary isn't terribly advanced or poetic on average, easily forgivable considering the author had to learn English on his own when he moved to the United States. It goes without saying, I'm very glad he chose to write this novel in English rather than any other language!
Utterly genuine, passionate, heartbreaking and gripping, Rooftops of Tehran is a stunning portrait of life in a nation on the brink of revolution.
(Reviewed for my blog, accessible here.)
None of this means that they can't be friends, though. And so begins the summer of 1973, filled with nights in which Pasha and Ahmed sit on their roofs and name stars for those they love--the bigger and brighter the star, the better the person it belongs to. They talk about the government and school and above all, the girls they love. Ahmed has sworn he will marry his love, Faheemeh, and that he will help Pasha marry Zari. Faheemeh swears Zari loves him as well. Soon the four become the best of friends, spending long afternoons in Zari's yard, wondering what will happen when Doctor returns from his mysterious trip into the north of Iran.
One night, he does return--followed by the Shah's secret police. Everything falls apart, and the event leads to Zari's daring decision that will change all of their lives... perhaps permanently.
Absolutely amazing. Seraji's narrative is stunning, simple but quick. Every now and then there is a moment of purely poetic nature, loveliness matched only by the characters themselves. There's no "unexpected" romances--it's out on the table, not falsely tagged as "plot-twists" as in some other books. The two story lines running simultaneously through the beginning of the book could potentially be hard to follow, but I didn't find it so bad. The novel is in turn hilarious and heartbreaking, beautifully written. The vocabulary isn't terribly advanced or poetic on average, easily forgivable considering the author had to learn English on his own when he moved to the United States. It goes without saying, I'm very glad he chose to write this novel in English rather than any other language!
Utterly genuine, passionate, heartbreaking and gripping, Rooftops of Tehran is a stunning portrait of life in a nation on the brink of revolution.
(Reviewed for my blog, accessible here.)
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
