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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Was it a good book? Certainly. Did I enjoy it? Not so much. I spent the first third of the book feeling horror over how Masoumeh was treated by her brothers. She was intelligent, a good student and in love. They destroyed all that and forced her to marry a man she had never seen. Hamid turned out to be a revolutianary. He had blisfully modern ideas, but left his family alone a lot to pursue his own ideals.
This book was certainly an eye-opener. I have read very few books in an islamic setting. The book doesn't explain the events of the revolution or the Iran-Iraq war in the 80's. It's expected the reader would know. I remember the Iran-Iraq war from my childhood - particularly Saddam's use of nerve gas - but I have no recollection as to what the conflict was actually about.
While the book certainly made me count my blessings and took me through a very strenuous week, by the last half I mostly wished it would be over soon.
This book was certainly an eye-opener. I have read very few books in an islamic setting. The book doesn't explain the events of the revolution or the Iran-Iraq war in the 80's. It's expected the reader would know. I remember the Iran-Iraq war from my childhood - particularly Saddam's use of nerve gas - but I have no recollection as to what the conflict was actually about.
While the book certainly made me count my blessings and took me through a very strenuous week, by the last half I mostly wished it would be over soon.
Interesting story that I probably wouldn't have read were it not for the book group I am in (we're exploring Middle Eastern writers). I didn't find the writing particularly strong, but the story Massoumeh and all that happens around her in Iran is quite fascinating. I'll admit I became critical of her choices and what I perceived as her passivity, though I know this is because I read the book with a Western perspective. My heart just broke for Massoumeh a million times over.
Spanning 50 years in the life of an Iranian woman, The Book of Fate managed to get banned twice in the author’s country of origin and gained a fulminating international success. It tells the story of Massoumeh, a woman who suffered abuse and repression her entire life, all on the turbulent political background of a country on the brink of war.
Arranged marriages, religious fanatism, domestic abuse and persecution on political grounds are just some of the themes of the novel. I have read several books centered on the lives of Muslim women in countries such as Iran, Turkey, or Afghanistan in the last years because I somehow find myself drawn to the power these persecuted women display, in a way that seems unfathomable to someone Western-born. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi, The Bastard of Istanbul and Honour by Elif Shafak, Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini all had a powerful impact on me, and The Book of Fate has been everything I could expect from a book with this theme.
Massoumeh is a young girl who’s a bit too ambitious and open-minded for her own good in a country where women are expected to shut up, get married, produce babies, and serve their husband until the day they die. Her family moved to Tehran from a small town, and she dreams of going to the University. This is well before the Iranian revolution, in a time when women could technically still pursue academic careers. Her father is actually supportive of Massoumeh and lets her get away with things such not wearing the chador and going to school accompanied only by her good friend Parvaneh.
So, unlike other stories of Muslim girls with broken dreams, the father is not the source of the problem. Her mother and her three very abusive brothers are the ones who want to see Massoumeh married as soon as possible so as not to compromise the family’s “honour.” When she makes the mistake of falling in love with a young pharmacist, she suffers tremendous beatings and emotional abuse from her family, followed by a forced marriage to a man she meets the day of the wedding.
From here, Massoumeh’s life unravels at a rapid pace, mostly because her new husband is someone deeply implicated in planning the Revolution. I won’t give away too much, but suffice to say Massoumeh is in for a ride, not necessarily a pleasant one. When the book ends in a way that was just a tad too painful to read, she is a changed woman who bears little resemblance to the starry-eyed teenager she once was.
Besides being an account of Massoumeh’s life, The Book of Fate offers an intimate insight into the life of an Iranian family and does so with disconcerting candor. It also goes to prove the lengths a woman can go to protect her children, sometimes paying for it with her own wellbeing and happiness.
Massoumeh takes selflessness to the next level, one that in my opinion is a bit too much, and those who feel like me are going to be disappointed with the book’s ending. All in all, it’s one of those stories that you don’t want to end even if you think that the main character could definitely use a break.
Arranged marriages, religious fanatism, domestic abuse and persecution on political grounds are just some of the themes of the novel. I have read several books centered on the lives of Muslim women in countries such as Iran, Turkey, or Afghanistan in the last years because I somehow find myself drawn to the power these persecuted women display, in a way that seems unfathomable to someone Western-born. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi, The Bastard of Istanbul and Honour by Elif Shafak, Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini all had a powerful impact on me, and The Book of Fate has been everything I could expect from a book with this theme.
Massoumeh is a young girl who’s a bit too ambitious and open-minded for her own good in a country where women are expected to shut up, get married, produce babies, and serve their husband until the day they die. Her family moved to Tehran from a small town, and she dreams of going to the University. This is well before the Iranian revolution, in a time when women could technically still pursue academic careers. Her father is actually supportive of Massoumeh and lets her get away with things such not wearing the chador and going to school accompanied only by her good friend Parvaneh.
So, unlike other stories of Muslim girls with broken dreams, the father is not the source of the problem. Her mother and her three very abusive brothers are the ones who want to see Massoumeh married as soon as possible so as not to compromise the family’s “honour.” When she makes the mistake of falling in love with a young pharmacist, she suffers tremendous beatings and emotional abuse from her family, followed by a forced marriage to a man she meets the day of the wedding.
From here, Massoumeh’s life unravels at a rapid pace, mostly because her new husband is someone deeply implicated in planning the Revolution. I won’t give away too much, but suffice to say Massoumeh is in for a ride, not necessarily a pleasant one. When the book ends in a way that was just a tad too painful to read, she is a changed woman who bears little resemblance to the starry-eyed teenager she once was.
Besides being an account of Massoumeh’s life, The Book of Fate offers an intimate insight into the life of an Iranian family and does so with disconcerting candor. It also goes to prove the lengths a woman can go to protect her children, sometimes paying for it with her own wellbeing and happiness.
Massoumeh takes selflessness to the next level, one that in my opinion is a bit too much, and those who feel like me are going to be disappointed with the book’s ending. All in all, it’s one of those stories that you don’t want to end even if you think that the main character could definitely use a break.
excellent book! could not put it down. Not a happy book.....very sad tale but not one that I cried about:)
I read 'I Hid My Voice' by the same author and thought it was poorly written. Most of the praise for her writing was concerned with this book so I decided to give it a shot.
Despite its size, this book is a surprisingly easy read. I finished it fairly quickly and didn't lose track even when I took a break from reading it.
The prose is also quite lovely, for the most part. You actually forget that it is translated which is not something I can say about her other book. The story is coherent and logical and there aren't any annoying or convenient plot devices that take you out of the book.
However, a major flaw in this book is its assumption that the reader will have prior knowledge of Iranian history and particularly the political turmoil of the 60s and 70s. I really don't know how someone without that knowledge would have understood the events in this book. It is very much a book written for Iranians.
I also struggled with her characters. Aside from the protagonist, we get very little understanding of the motivations behind the other characters' actions. They mostly look like cardboard cutouts. This was an issue that was exacerbated in the other book I had read.
I deeply dislike the woman as martyr trope that is the basis of this book. The protagonist Massoumeh sacrifices everything for her father, her brothers, her husband and her sons for absolutely no reward and little thanks. Note how none of her sacrifices are for her female relatives, even though she has plenty of those.
The sexism in this book is not just textual. The author herself falls into sexist tropes while writing it and reinforces, through her characters, some rather bizarre and arcane notions. I would not have been surprised if this book had been written a few decades ago but it wasn't!
It's frustrating to read about a damsel in distress with so little agency. She constantly needs to be rescued by men and only gets through life because of the kindness of men. She is yet another female character who had life done to her rather than taking life by the horns. I don't want to read about that in a book written in modern times, no matter what the setting.
A number of people have complained about the ending and I too found it very disappointing. However, it seems that the author has a love for bringing her characters' lives full circle, because the same thing happens in the other book I read.
I really wanted to enjoy this book but having read a couple of other Iran-based female-led books, I was disappointed in this one. I really don't like spending time with characters I don't like and not seeing any growth in them as the story progresses. Also, if you've asked the reader to go through this journey with your protagonist, you need to give us a good pay-off and this book does the exact opposite.
Despite its size, this book is a surprisingly easy read. I finished it fairly quickly and didn't lose track even when I took a break from reading it.
The prose is also quite lovely, for the most part. You actually forget that it is translated which is not something I can say about her other book. The story is coherent and logical and there aren't any annoying or convenient plot devices that take you out of the book.
However, a major flaw in this book is its assumption that the reader will have prior knowledge of Iranian history and particularly the political turmoil of the 60s and 70s. I really don't know how someone without that knowledge would have understood the events in this book. It is very much a book written for Iranians.
I also struggled with her characters. Aside from the protagonist, we get very little understanding of the motivations behind the other characters' actions. They mostly look like cardboard cutouts. This was an issue that was exacerbated in the other book I had read.
I deeply dislike the woman as martyr trope that is the basis of this book. The protagonist Massoumeh sacrifices everything for her father, her brothers, her husband and her sons for absolutely no reward and little thanks. Note how none of her sacrifices are for her female relatives, even though she has plenty of those.
The sexism in this book is not just textual. The author herself falls into sexist tropes while writing it and reinforces, through her characters, some rather bizarre and arcane notions. I would not have been surprised if this book had been written a few decades ago but it wasn't!
It's frustrating to read about a damsel in distress with so little agency. She constantly needs to be rescued by men and only gets through life because of the kindness of men. She is yet another female character who had life done to her rather than taking life by the horns. I don't want to read about that in a book written in modern times, no matter what the setting.
A number of people have complained about the ending and I too found it very disappointing. However, it seems that the author has a love for bringing her characters' lives full circle, because the same thing happens in the other book I read.
I really wanted to enjoy this book but having read a couple of other Iran-based female-led books, I was disappointed in this one. I really don't like spending time with characters I don't like and not seeing any growth in them as the story progresses. Also, if you've asked the reader to go through this journey with your protagonist, you need to give us a good pay-off and this book does the exact opposite.
Fascinating look of a life in Iran during my lifetime. The writing was hard at times and I hated the ending. But glad I read it and will make for a good discussion at book club
Wonderful read! A view of Iranian politics during the revolution as told by one woman. We see how political trends move and change, and how these uprisings impacted family life. I feel like this is a rare book - and one that I wish was written for a number of conflicts. So much I could say - but read this for yourself.
A sweeping history of modern Iran told from the perspective of a young girl from a traditional family. As Massoumeh grows up, Iran changes around her. This book was fascinating as a way to indirectly learn Iranian history, as well as a beautiful story of growing into one's own self. The ending, in particular, is sad and touching.
https://bookjellyfish.blogspot.com/2020/12/blog-post.html
„Моята орис“ е книга за борбата, силата на духа, свободата и правото на избор. Това е история за суровия живот на една жена от ислямските държави, години наред унижавана, пренебрегвана и лишавана от елементарни човешки права в свят, в който религиозните ритуали и опазването на семейната чест са по-важни от щастието.
„Моята орис“ е книга за борбата, силата на духа, свободата и правото на избор. Това е история за суровия живот на една жена от ислямските държави, години наред унижавана, пренебрегвана и лишавана от елементарни човешки права в свят, в който религиозните ритуали и опазването на семейната чест са по-важни от щастието.
Cartea asta nu merita doar 5 (* * * * *) stele. Si 10 ar fi putine. Minunata!