Reviews

Uppljómun í Eðalplómutrénu by Shokoofeh Azar

audreypalz's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.5

An interesting, sad, and layered book. There were parts I loved where the writing really shone and the author's emotional intelligence and grief were immediately apparent, but other times where I got a little lost. I'd recommend it, especially to anyone interested in the history of Iran, but it is, at many points, a tough read. 

ang_2's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

reggiethebird's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

p_scale's review against another edition

3.5

This was a strange read. I wasn't sure I was going to finish it untill about chapter 10, I'm not sure what changed or if I just started to grasp the writing style but it really was quite a change in that chapter.

There were still alot of things I didn't really connect with and broke the world of the story for me somewhat but this could be due to cultural differences as well. 

By the end I felt really connected to the characters though, I liked how the story flowed from different perspectives everyones wants and needs felt very unique to them and their character. 

I wouldn't say this is a necessary read but if you end up reading it I would give it a chance, definitely something unique and indefinable about this book.

sarahelanany's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

5.0

wereallinthegutter's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

thebobsphere's review against another edition

4.0

 

One thing I like about the International Booker is that I’m exposed to quite a few interesting books. Never would I have believed that one day I would be reviewing a Persian Magical Realist novel.

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree breaks a lot of rules. First of all the narrator is dead. Secondly the book goes into some detail about the Iranian revolutions and there’s some scenes which guarantee a bit of chair squirming.

The narrator is Bahar and she is a ghost floating in and out of her family’s lives. Throughout the book she documents her family’s background, how she became a ghost and the destinies of her brother and sister. One is quite brutal and the other is surreal.

As this is a novel which focuses on magical realism, a lot of strange things occur : Black snow which kills all life, the narrator’s mother sitting on a tree for three days, underground glass palaces and mermaids ( imagine my delight when I read that passage)

Leaving the weird bits aside .. Greengage Tree is a political novel. Shookoofeh Azar writes about the kidnappings, torture, the cruel imprisonments, the book burnings (the book related sections are an absolute joy to read) and censorship.The thing is that no matter how bizarre these acts were, they actually happened.

I guess that’s the ironic aspect of this novel. Magical realism and the more cruel aspects of history can be blurred. By the end of the novel it’s difficult to distinguish between the two.

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree did take me by surprise. There were passages which I read greedily, while there were others which filled me a sense of unease. Not too many books can play with your emotions like that. 

essjay1's review against another edition

3.0

A difficult book to read, yet one that lingers in the mind. It feels like an autobiographical story embedded in the style of magical realism. The tragedy of Iran is on every page, heartbreaking and infuriating in equal parts. I don’t know enough about Persian storytelling but it seems to me this book is rooted in those traditions while also using satire and myth to tell this miserable tale.

One of my favourite lines was towards the end, when Rosa is trying to label everything so that she doesn’t forget her words & not knowing where else to put some words (after having already labelled the vase, table, refrigerator etc): “Over her heart, she had sewn: love, heartsickness, lovemaking, sorrow, God and hope”.

mislaid_circus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I found this book really educating at times, and because of the rich mysticism and cultural references behind it, i would love to say i really enjoyed it, and i've really been thinking about writing this review, but i just found myself getting lost so many times. it could be because of course i needed time to reflect on the tragedies i had just read, but sometimes the fantasy was too much, and i wasn't able to connect all the plot. i especially found the ending a bit weird, i just didn't expect

the dad to be going to jail all of a sudden, though i guess that just explains how awful de iranian situation is.

overall, i'd say there's many things to learn from this book, but focus is highly required and therefore i might reread it in the future.

diego_duguo's review

4.0

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