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annaresti's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
A very weird book, but also a really wonderful book. Worth a re-read soon.
caramay's review against another edition
DNF @ 59%
Found myself putting the book down often and not inclined to pick up and read more than a few pages at a time.
Additionally, I don’t think I was understanding what was going on; too disjointed and magical realism heavy to comprehend what the author was trying to convey.
Found myself putting the book down often and not inclined to pick up and read more than a few pages at a time.
Additionally, I don’t think I was understanding what was going on; too disjointed and magical realism heavy to comprehend what the author was trying to convey.
scarletohhara's review against another edition
4.0
Very lyrical storytelling, beautiful considering the sad premise of the book. I LOVED the chapter that reimagines the last few days of Khomeini and gathered that is why the translator is anonymous.
Sad, triggering book. But it is a good read if you like mythical storytelling and if you want to learn how the few years post the revolution in Iran were.
Sad, triggering book. But it is a good read if you like mythical storytelling and if you want to learn how the few years post the revolution in Iran were.
abitters's review against another edition
4.0
A book I will sit with for some time. It was challenging at times to wade through some of the magical digressions and keep the stories straight. I will say if you begin reading this book and find it challenging as I did, stick with it. The end is both jarring and beautiful. Glad I read it.
baneen__'s review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the writing style and prose. It helped maintain the tone of the book when Azar discussed heavy things. This book is an ode to Persia.
samantha_shain's review against another edition
5.0
This book was nothing short of phenomenal. I loved how the story jumped between time and perspectives and incorporated Persian myths and mythical creatures!!! The writing and translation was fantastic. The author oscillated between sobering political critique and whimsical magical realism, all with round, complex characters. It was a treasure and will come highly recommended!
bexrecca's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really beautiful. I'm glad I knew so little about it before going in because the surprises were worth it.
pearloz's review against another edition
5.0
Another novel centered around what is becoming a favorite topic of mine--the cultural revolution of Iran. This one differs from the rest due to the amount of magical realism (our narrator is a ghost girl, killed when a group of hyper-religious fanatics set fire to her house with her in it; her sister becomes a mermaid, there are curses and djinns scattered throughout). It was a tough novel, our main family suffers a significant amount of trauma and grief, as mother abandons the family but comes back, the children all die, dad is arrested and tortured for years. I think the magical realism of it all makes the severity and trauma of the cultural revolution stick more, gives it more of a gut punch. The writing is exquisite throughout.
geve_'s review against another edition
2.0
I really didn't get this book. Maybe it was the translation, I just didn't enjoy this or get much from it. It felt like a real oversimplification of the pretty complex situation, but it is also told by a girl. Am I to read it as if it's a child with a child's understanding? I dunno, I'm still an adult and it was presumably written for an adult audience.
I had a hard time following the story, it really meandered without ever being interesting or deep or complex. The characters felt pretty superficial.
Also, this felt a little bit like an intentional work. Not like an idea that just had to be written, but like something that was written in the framework of several other famous works, but with its creator failing to realize what made those books special.
I had a hard time following the story, it really meandered without ever being interesting or deep or complex. The characters felt pretty superficial.
Also, this felt a little bit like an intentional work. Not like an idea that just had to be written, but like something that was written in the framework of several other famous works, but with its creator failing to realize what made those books special.