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shaelinsan's review against another edition
3.0
Good book that introduces me to Iranian culture.
Women on this book mainly just as a side characters. Some stories made me amused, Shahriar wrote it beautifully (or is it the translator that makes it more flawless?)
Women on this book mainly just as a side characters. Some stories made me amused, Shahriar wrote it beautifully (or is it the translator that makes it more flawless?)
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of short stories written by Iranian author Shahriar Mandanipour and translated by Sara Khalili. Although the author had to leave Iran and now lives in California, the stories are set in Iran during and after the Iran-Iraq war, a war Shahriar served in. The stories range in tone from sad to angry and all reference a loss of some sort.
The story that most sticks in my mind is King of the Graveyard, about the parents of a dead man searching for his grave in a waste field, always worried about being seen by those in the cemetery. There's also The Color of Midday Fire, where after a child is killed by a leopard and her father, a veteran of the war, reluctantly goes to hunt it down. There's a melancholy feel to these stories, of broken men and a country in which everyone is suspicious of everyone else.
It was harder for me to get into these stories than ones written by Americans, but that was kind of the point of reading them. I was pulled into a world I have no reference points for, although the language of loss and despair is a universal one.
The story that most sticks in my mind is King of the Graveyard, about the parents of a dead man searching for his grave in a waste field, always worried about being seen by those in the cemetery. There's also The Color of Midday Fire, where after a child is killed by a leopard and her father, a veteran of the war, reluctantly goes to hunt it down. There's a melancholy feel to these stories, of broken men and a country in which everyone is suspicious of everyone else.
It was harder for me to get into these stories than ones written by Americans, but that was kind of the point of reading them. I was pulled into a world I have no reference points for, although the language of loss and despair is a universal one.
boygirlparty's review against another edition
Very intrigued by this collection & enjoyed the several i read, but it was due back at the library
zellm's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe this is just too smart for me, but I felt like the stories were dense and pretty dull. The prose style didn't do anything for me.
allisonreadsabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
freakysappho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a collection i was not expecting to like but i ended up loving a lot; some stories are less accessible/more highbrow than others, but the whole book is a reflective experience, and as you get in the rhythm of understanding these stories you look back and think ok, what did i miss.. so stuff kind of ends up coming together. gripping & haunting, definitely worth a read, once i sat down with it in earnest i couldn't put it down
my favorite story was 100% "Shatter the Stone Tooth", tied only with "The Color of Midday Fire"; "Seven Captains" was great too
my favorite story was 100% "Shatter the Stone Tooth", tied only with "The Color of Midday Fire"; "Seven Captains" was great too
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
gypsynyx91's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25