Scan barcode
lucyblack's review
2.0
Ugh I am so sick of books like this. Why do authors think that to be 'literary' you have to write unlikeably characters who live grimey lives that go nowhere? This is the story of a feral child who is 'saved' and taken to New York. He grows up into an unlikeable man who treats the good people in his life like shit and has fucked up relationships with fucked up people. Some readers will like this cos at least the characters arent 'normal', I guesss some will like it just cos it's set in New York' and some might like the slow paced, forwards and backwards plot. Not me. I didn't like it. I'm giving it 1 and a half stars.
alixgb's review
3.0
It was weird and I like it. It moved quickly and had an interesting premise. There were some awkward moments, but I think most of them were fairly purposeful.
sheilabmcc's review against another edition
2.0
*2.5*
Ugh. I'm really torn on this book. I really liked it in the beginning. The writing style is different and a little disjointed, but it worked for me. I like the modern spin on old mythology. But then about a third of the way through it just started to drag for me. I still liked the writing but it felt repetitive and I found the characters to be frustrating. Also I don't think the inclusion of 9/11 or the way it was portrayed was particularly well done.
Ugh. I'm really torn on this book. I really liked it in the beginning. The writing style is different and a little disjointed, but it worked for me. I like the modern spin on old mythology. But then about a third of the way through it just started to drag for me. I still liked the writing but it felt repetitive and I found the characters to be frustrating. Also I don't think the inclusion of 9/11 or the way it was portrayed was particularly well done.
suvata's review
5.0
A post-911 novel based on a Persian myth.
I really need to ignore the “average rating” number on Goodreads. I like to pick my next read based on many different sorts of my TBR list (currently 214 books). A few days ago, I decided to pick the book with the lowest average rating (3.40) which was The Last Illusion. Needless to say, it was a 5-star book in my opinion. This has happened to me more than once. Apparently, my taste in literature is beyond the norm. 🤓
Zal is a character I will never forget.
I really need to ignore the “average rating” number on Goodreads. I like to pick my next read based on many different sorts of my TBR list (currently 214 books). A few days ago, I decided to pick the book with the lowest average rating (3.40) which was The Last Illusion. Needless to say, it was a 5-star book in my opinion. This has happened to me more than once. Apparently, my taste in literature is beyond the norm. 🤓
Zal is a character I will never forget.
bunny_boy's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
greeniezona's review against another edition
4.0
This book introduces us to Zal, an Iranian albino child born to a superstitious mother, who interprets his odd coloration as demonic. Not interested in more children anyway, she wants to spend her time now with her birds, so she decides to raise Zal as a bird, installing him in a cage on her veranda, her aviary. It is years before Zal is discovered and rescued, receiving some international attention as the latest in a tragic series of feral children -- children raised by animals -- with no native human language. Zal is adopted by an American psychologist who specializes in feral children, one whose deceased wife was also Iranian, and who used to read to him from a book of legends, including the story of Zal's namesake, also an albino, also raised by an (enormous) bird, who eventually becomes a great warrior. Got it? There is a lot going on in this book. And that was all the first chapter.
Once we're all in New York, it isn't long before the long shadow of September 11 hangs over us. The main action of the book happens in 1999-2001, and it quickly becomes clear that September 11 will be the conclusion of the book. Will it be the version of 9/11 that we know, or some fictional version? If it is the version we know, how will the characters be involved in the actions of that day? I suspect for most American readers of this novel, your brain will spend as much time engaged with these questions as the actual text. And given your personal level of investment in that day, you may not be able to see this text at all.
Which would be a shame, because Khakpour has done some good work here. I really adored Zal, even as his actions sometimes baffled me. His well-meaning father and therapist, his odd, doomsday-foreseeing girlfriend and her dysfunctional family, the drama-loving illusionist, all were intriguing characters.
But for an American audience, what most opinions and reviews come down to is, did Khakpour pull off the ending? I'm not going to spoil the ending here, but for me, the answer was: mostly. Or maybe a better answer would be: enough. It worked well enough, given my level of engagement with the characters, to not leave a bad taste in my mouth.
September 11 is such a large event in American consciousness. I think we are ready, on average, for September 11 to appear in fiction. But I think fewer of us are ready for it to be a metaphor. Khakpour was very ambitious with this novel.
Once we're all in New York, it isn't long before the long shadow of September 11 hangs over us. The main action of the book happens in 1999-2001, and it quickly becomes clear that September 11 will be the conclusion of the book. Will it be the version of 9/11 that we know, or some fictional version? If it is the version we know, how will the characters be involved in the actions of that day? I suspect for most American readers of this novel, your brain will spend as much time engaged with these questions as the actual text. And given your personal level of investment in that day, you may not be able to see this text at all.
Which would be a shame, because Khakpour has done some good work here. I really adored Zal, even as his actions sometimes baffled me. His well-meaning father and therapist, his odd, doomsday-foreseeing girlfriend and her dysfunctional family, the drama-loving illusionist, all were intriguing characters.
But for an American audience, what most opinions and reviews come down to is, did Khakpour pull off the ending? I'm not going to spoil the ending here, but for me, the answer was: mostly. Or maybe a better answer would be: enough. It worked well enough, given my level of engagement with the characters, to not leave a bad taste in my mouth.
September 11 is such a large event in American consciousness. I think we are ready, on average, for September 11 to appear in fiction. But I think fewer of us are ready for it to be a metaphor. Khakpour was very ambitious with this novel.
msoblong's review against another edition
4.0
*GoodReads First Reads Book**
It has been a very long time since I have read such a lyrical, beautifully written novel. I will admit that the author lost me a little towards the end of the book but her style of writing kept me going.
It has been a very long time since I have read such a lyrical, beautifully written novel. I will admit that the author lost me a little towards the end of the book but her style of writing kept me going.
elisendemeter's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful mingling of poetry and myth. Porochista Khakpour's The Last Illusion is so much more than just a coming of age tale: it is a stunning picture of what it means to be human. The backdrop of 9/11 New York does not overshadow the fact that the narrative serves to critique beauty within our species, what relationships (both romantic and otherwise) hinge upon to aim toward success, and the ability of an individual to rebound after tragedy dominates their life. The Last Illusion functions as more than just an encapsulated work of fiction. It is a wonderful gateway into Iranian mythology. It is eye-opening. It is powerful. It is magical.