Scan barcode
belindab's review against another edition
5.0
Tired of writing "dark and bitter" stories, an Iranian writer sets out to write a love story. Unfortunately, a publishing permit isn't easy to acquire and practically impossible for a narrative that could tempt or titillate readers with forbidden images, however subtly implied. That includes virtually any contact between unrelated men and women. So, with Mr. Petrovich from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance looking over his shoulder, our author commences his tale. At first his young lovers behave as he tells them to, but soon they begin asserting themselves in their own story. The author is forced to step in himself on occasion to nudge events into safer directions, even as he dreams of the passages he's forbidden to write. The writing process is detailed in text, the narrative in bold and the passages that would annoy Mr. Petrovich are dutifully struck through.
I loved this book. Mandanipour is alternately amused, exasperated, terrified and heartbroken by the regime in his beloved country. I wish I could read Farsi, because I'm certain there is even more word play and symbolism that didn't survive translation.
It's hard to describe, because there are so many asides and digressions. Mandanipour talks about how movies are edited in Iran (Stands with a Fist and Dances with Wolves are turned into long lost brother and sister, and of course any scene showing a woman below the chin is censored). About how the agent tapping your phone, over time, becomes a confidant. He talks about the symbolism used in Iranian poetry to avoid actually naming men and women, their body parts or the joining thereof:
"The garden trekking, zoo traveling, fruit picking and scuba diving of the two lovers takes an entire day and a night, and then the two sleep for an entire day and night... I hope that after this rather lengthy example, you have come to understand why censorship is so complicated in Iran and why Iranian literature, which is quite rich, is so difficult to translate and to read."
All this is woven around his actual story of lovesick Dara and Sara. As the novel progresses, the line between the author's life and his creation blurs - it's like watching the action through a heat wave, you recognize the actors but can't quite tell who is who. Seen one way, the story is true. Seen another, the story is also true, but means something else entirely. Then Mr. Petrovich blunders in, and there's the recurring problem of the hunchback midget. So you see, a concise description is nearly impossible.
I loved this book. Mandanipour is alternately amused, exasperated, terrified and heartbroken by the regime in his beloved country. I wish I could read Farsi, because I'm certain there is even more word play and symbolism that didn't survive translation.
It's hard to describe, because there are so many asides and digressions. Mandanipour talks about how movies are edited in Iran (Stands with a Fist and Dances with Wolves are turned into long lost brother and sister, and of course any scene showing a woman below the chin is censored). About how the agent tapping your phone, over time, becomes a confidant. He talks about the symbolism used in Iranian poetry to avoid actually naming men and women, their body parts or the joining thereof:
"The garden trekking, zoo traveling, fruit picking and scuba diving of the two lovers takes an entire day and a night, and then the two sleep for an entire day and night... I hope that after this rather lengthy example, you have come to understand why censorship is so complicated in Iran and why Iranian literature, which is quite rich, is so difficult to translate and to read."
All this is woven around his actual story of lovesick Dara and Sara. As the novel progresses, the line between the author's life and his creation blurs - it's like watching the action through a heat wave, you recognize the actors but can't quite tell who is who. Seen one way, the story is true. Seen another, the story is also true, but means something else entirely. Then Mr. Petrovich blunders in, and there's the recurring problem of the hunchback midget. So you see, a concise description is nearly impossible.
fed42's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
bettinathenomad's review against another edition
4.0
Innovative and interesting, this novel takes you into a culture very foreign to many of us. But the love story behind it failed to capture me entirely. Read the full review here: http://wp.me/p1gPfH-P
buttermellow's review against another edition
2.0
The author writes beautifully. His sentences are shaped together so artfully. The descriptions are clear yet very poetic.
It's also quite funny at times. The use of language, and the translation between English and Farsi is well done; the humor and laughter and irony is well captured.
Overall though, the story didn't capture me, and I was often bored reading it.
It's also quite funny at times. The use of language, and the translation between English and Farsi is well done; the humor and laughter and irony is well captured.
Overall though, the story didn't capture me, and I was often bored reading it.
abookishtype's review against another edition
5.0
The metaphor of diving into a book like diving into water has never seemed so apt to me as it is now that I’ve finished reading Shahriar Mandanipour’s stimulating novel, Censoring an Iranian Love Story. Getting into the book felt a bit like swimming against the current. By the end, though, coming back to the real world was like surfacing from the depths. I hope this sounds like a compliment, because it is. This novel engaged all of my brain with a multi-layered story that fights back against censorship with all of the unnamed narrator’s ingenuity...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
alexandrarose's review against another edition
5.0
Aside from the thematic poignancy, the innovative narrative technique is unparalleled. I can not recommend this book enough.
bucket's review against another edition
5.0
While there were aspects of this book that were disappointing, I ultimately really enjoyed it. And I think that my disappointment, especially at the ending, was purposeful. After all, if the narrator had been successful in writing a strictly censored love story, it would almost be an endorsement of censorship as a practice. I loved the way the narrator faded in and out of the love story and became as much a player in it as Sara and Dara. I also enjoyed seeing his perspective on how he chose to write different pieces of the story and the historical information he imparted - like what music and poetry in Iran used to be like, and how writers use fruit and plant items to describe parts of the anatomy that they can't name. There were a few twists in the story that felt a little too easy or convenient, and I'm not sure if these can be justified by the fact that the narrator is doing whatever he can to get this story to be approved by Mr. Petrovich.
Themes: censorship, Iran, literature, love, culture, fear, morality, magical realism, writing
Themes: censorship, Iran, literature, love, culture, fear, morality, magical realism, writing
ldv's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to pin down my thought on this book. I recognize I am very unfamiliar with real Iranian literature, so it's difficult to distinguish between cultural characteristics and the author's style.
It is a metanarrative, in which the narrator explains why certain choices are made in the love story (the internal story) and explains a lot of the Iranian culture as it relates to literature. This dialogue is really interesting (even though it gets tedious in the middle, it picks up again) to help a Westerner like myself. It also adds humour to the novel because of the absurdity of some traditions and conventions. As the book progresses, the narrative and internal story crisscross, which is more challenging to wrap my mind around -- the lines between the two stories really blurs. Overall the interaction between the narrator and his story is intriguing from a writer's perspective and that of a storyteller.
I don't actually like Sara; she is coquettish but stubborn and arrogant...? I don't really know how to describe her, but I didn't really empathize with her. I think that's alright, though, because Dara and the narrator are the main characters, and they're more likeable.
The most similar author to which I can liken this book is [a:Thomas King|25892|Thomas King|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]. His [b:Green Grass Running Water|46277|Green Grass, Running Water|Thomas King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320433170s/46277.jpg|45411] blurs the lines between the metanarrative and narrative and also subtlely and artistically points out absurdities in (native Canadian) culture. Actually, I can see an interesting comparison study being possible between these two stories.
It is a metanarrative, in which the narrator explains why certain choices are made in the love story (the internal story) and explains a lot of the Iranian culture as it relates to literature. This dialogue is really interesting (even though it gets tedious in the middle, it picks up again) to help a Westerner like myself. It also adds humour to the novel because of the absurdity of some traditions and conventions. As the book progresses, the narrative and internal story crisscross, which is more challenging to wrap my mind around -- the lines between the two stories really blurs. Overall the interaction between the narrator and his story is intriguing from a writer's perspective and that of a storyteller.
I don't actually like Sara; she is coquettish but stubborn and arrogant...? I don't really know how to describe her, but I didn't really empathize with her. I think that's alright, though, because Dara and the narrator are the main characters, and they're more likeable.
The most similar author to which I can liken this book is [a:Thomas King|25892|Thomas King|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]. His [b:Green Grass Running Water|46277|Green Grass, Running Water|Thomas King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320433170s/46277.jpg|45411] blurs the lines between the metanarrative and narrative and also subtlely and artistically points out absurdities in (native Canadian) culture. Actually, I can see an interesting comparison study being possible between these two stories.
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 en fait.
J'ai beaucoup aimé l'idée, les références et la façon d'utiliser l'humour pour parler de la situation dans son pays natal. Toutefois, le procédé m'a paru un peu lourd par moments.
J'ai beaucoup aimé l'idée, les références et la façon d'utiliser l'humour pour parler de la situation dans son pays natal. Toutefois, le procédé m'a paru un peu lourd par moments.
abookishaffair's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's very unique in that it's a fictional account of Iranian author trying to put together a moving love story while still maintaining the standards of Iranian censorship, an obviously hard line to walk. It was very interesting to see the kinds of things that an author in Iran would have to put up with in order to get passed censors.