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bookmama1980's review against another edition
I absolutely love this book and recommend it to everyone. I will be viewing the film this weekend and hope that i am not disappointed as I usually am with film adaptations. What I really loved the most is that the title felt more like a sarcastic rhetoric, maybe a shot at Hemingway. There is just much one can do with this very short text.
winniewinwin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
annaboe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
mpho3's review against another edition
3.0
Parsipur was imprisoned for writing this book, which makes me want to give it five stars right off the bat, but I try to keep my ratings "honest" based on a combination of the writing itself and how it affects me. While Women Without Men is certain affecting and skillfully rendered, I can't help feeling that some of the nuances were lost on me, either by way of it being a translated work (no affront to the translator) or more likely, my lack of knowledge about Persian/Iranian culture. I'm certainly glad to have read it, though.
From the Author's Note (2011):
"Becoming a poet has become a common practice in Iran. People, without knowing anything about the rules of poetry, put words together abruptly and, using weird thoughts, believe they are creating poetry.
For example, 'Light's affection is running in electric wires,' or 'The scream coming to the surface of existence was violet in color,' or 'Earth's Red told the Blue of Presence: I don't like destiny.' And so on. Some of these poems are interesting, but they become ridiculous when, in order to cover their own illiteracy, some poets claim that the grammatical conventions in poetry are nonsense and have to be discarded altogether.
Is this desire to throw out the old the reason why millions of people poured into the streets and kicked the Shah out without understanding what could happen next? The new government turned on them and their loved ones, executing hundreds of thousands, even their own teenagers, who wanted to create a new government."
3.5
From the Author's Note (2011):
"Becoming a poet has become a common practice in Iran. People, without knowing anything about the rules of poetry, put words together abruptly and, using weird thoughts, believe they are creating poetry.
For example, 'Light's affection is running in electric wires,' or 'The scream coming to the surface of existence was violet in color,' or 'Earth's Red told the Blue of Presence: I don't like destiny.' And so on. Some of these poems are interesting, but they become ridiculous when, in order to cover their own illiteracy, some poets claim that the grammatical conventions in poetry are nonsense and have to be discarded altogether.
Is this desire to throw out the old the reason why millions of people poured into the streets and kicked the Shah out without understanding what could happen next? The new government turned on them and their loved ones, executing hundreds of thousands, even their own teenagers, who wanted to create a new government."
3.5
sarahhelenejoergensen's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
carol87veloso's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lilibuus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This blew me away! Read it twice. I really enjoy reading magic-realism and this book was just absolutely beautiful and poetic and strange in the best way. I found out this book was actually turned into a movie, which I want to watch as well. Also immediatly bought Parsipur's other book, Touba.
elena_stani's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
val_halla's review against another edition
5.0
At first, this seems like a collection of short stories, but by the end of the book, each woman's life has been interwoven with the others'. The mystical atmosphere of some of the tales, combined with the documentary points about Iran, make for a truly inspiring read.
thereserubner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0