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leahkrason's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Meh writing but it was translated so it’s hard to say. Just couldn’t connect or invest in the characters because of it. Sort of predictable one-sided stories too. Some moments were great!
baguettekelly's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Rape
Minor: Abortion
ninahorne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All of these stories are somehow both whimsical and poignant. There is a touch of magical realism that I really enjoyed. The stories were humorous and captivating and the characters were lovable and relatable. I enjoyed getting to learn of multiple perspectives and experiences in Iran and the diaspora.
snowmaiden's review against another edition
2.0
It often takes me a while to read a story collection, since I usually dip into the stories between other books I'm reading, but the fact that it took me four months to finish this book shows just how disinterested I was in it. Maybe I'm just not a member of the target audience, although I'd kind of thought I was. My favorite professor in college was an expert in Middle Eastern literature, and when I went through the usual phase where I wanted to read everything he'd ever written, I read a lot of his literary criticism, which prompted me to read the books he was writing about. Then in graduate school I became friends with an Iranian man (although he was always very careful to introduce himself to strangers as Persian). In short, although I'm not Iranian, I know more about that country and its literature than most Americans. But that background didn't help me nearly as much as I thought it would. It seems that the stories in this collection were written by an Iranian exile for other Iranian exiles, and I was often mystified by a lot of the references that Taraghi was making.
There were other problems as well. The language in a lot of the stories was very clunky-feeling. Since I don't have access to the original versions and don't read Persian anyway, I can't tell if this is just the way that Taraghi writes, or if it's a problem with the translation we have here. I think it's the translation, but that might be just because I want to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Also, the setting and characters of many of the stories were very similar, as if Taraghi is just repeating the same stories with slight variations. I suspect these is because most of the stories are based on her real life. (Maybe she would have done better writing a straight-up memoir?)
There were, however, several stories that I found myself intrigued by. One was "In Another Place," which had a touch of magic realism to it that I appreciated. The title story, which ends the volume, started out slowly, but the ending punched me in the gut and will probably end up haunting me for quite some time.
To sum up, there were a few bright spots in this collection, but it didn't do anything for me as a whole. Unless you are an expert in Iranian culture and history, a lot of the finer points of the stories may well go over your head, as they did mine.
(Note: I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.)
There were other problems as well. The language in a lot of the stories was very clunky-feeling. Since I don't have access to the original versions and don't read Persian anyway, I can't tell if this is just the way that Taraghi writes, or if it's a problem with the translation we have here. I think it's the translation, but that might be just because I want to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Also, the setting and characters of many of the stories were very similar, as if Taraghi is just repeating the same stories with slight variations. I suspect these is because most of the stories are based on her real life. (Maybe she would have done better writing a straight-up memoir?)
There were, however, several stories that I found myself intrigued by. One was "In Another Place," which had a touch of magic realism to it that I appreciated. The title story, which ends the volume, started out slowly, but the ending punched me in the gut and will probably end up haunting me for quite some time.
To sum up, there were a few bright spots in this collection, but it didn't do anything for me as a whole. Unless you are an expert in Iranian culture and history, a lot of the finer points of the stories may well go over your head, as they did mine.
(Note: I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.)
acinthedc's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting collection of short stories set in Iran and following Iranian women who left during or following the revolution. Taraghi offers some insights into Iranian culture, especially during a tumultuous period. Some of the longer stories would have benefited from editing. Overall a satisfying read; 3 out of 5.
dreesreads's review against another edition
3.0
I collection of short stories, most of which take place in Tehran, with some including Paris.
The author herself fled Iran for Paris after the Ayatollah took power, and many of the characters face similar experiences. The fear of the revolution, and the confusion on coming back to visit. Many also look at pre-revolution life in Iran.
Amina's great journey was my favorite, about a young Indonesian second wife who comes to Tehran to work as a servant in a large home--at her husband's order. She goes back and forth, with little communication, before showing up at her employer's small apartment in Paris. Traces the changes in circumstance for a wealthy Iranian and for a very poor immigrant woman.
The author herself fled Iran for Paris after the Ayatollah took power, and many of the characters face similar experiences. The fear of the revolution, and the confusion on coming back to visit. Many also look at pre-revolution life in Iran.
Amina's great journey was my favorite, about a young Indonesian second wife who comes to Tehran to work as a servant in a large home--at her husband's order. She goes back and forth, with little communication, before showing up at her employer's small apartment in Paris. Traces the changes in circumstance for a wealthy Iranian and for a very poor immigrant woman.
bluepigeon's review
5.0
A great collection for shorts that are on the longish side. I find it puzzling that some people thought the stories were not collected with a theme in mind. Really? The stories all deal with characters trying to cope with the Islamic Revolution in Iran, whether it be in the newly strange homeland or in exile (Paris, which was a popular destination for any liberal Iranian who could afford it). The stories depict life after the sharp turn the whole country took, leaving most baffled and confused and scared, and allowing some to enjoy unprecedented power and freedom. Freedom here is used in its most adult meaning, that nobody is truly free, that to be free means to have power, but even those with power are bound by the rules of the game that provide them the power they have, and on and on (one can argue that the liberals, with their Francophilia and their strict connections to the Persian past, were as free or not as the uber-conservative Muslims who came to rule the new country... freedom is just an illusion...)
Taraghi's characters are alive and most of them are on the liberal spectrum, living in a daze and fear after the Revolution. They mourn the thousands of years of superior Persian culture that is so adamantly protected by the new government (taking out or even owning, in some cases, antiques are illegal, etc.) yet utterly undervalued as the remnants of a decadent past that does not fit with the new conservative way of life (though it does, doesn't it?) They mourn having to leave their country for a freer life elsewhere, and inevitably they are poorer and misunderstood in this elsewhere; they go from being highly cultured, well educated, relatively wealthy people to living as immigrants in European countries or the USA. There is plenty of pain and suffering in these pages, but there is also a lot of humor. The stories concerning flights (invariably between Tehran and Paris) are hilarious, as all who live in another country and have to travel back and forth with "their own kind" have experienced the frustration, difficulties, and the hilarity of these kinds of flights.
I am always hesitant to read works in translation, but Sara Khalili does an excellent job in translating the language as well as the feeling in the stories, which makes for a delightful read.
Highly recommended for short story fans, antique smugglers, and international jet setters.
Taraghi's characters are alive and most of them are on the liberal spectrum, living in a daze and fear after the Revolution. They mourn the thousands of years of superior Persian culture that is so adamantly protected by the new government (taking out or even owning, in some cases, antiques are illegal, etc.) yet utterly undervalued as the remnants of a decadent past that does not fit with the new conservative way of life (though it does, doesn't it?) They mourn having to leave their country for a freer life elsewhere, and inevitably they are poorer and misunderstood in this elsewhere; they go from being highly cultured, well educated, relatively wealthy people to living as immigrants in European countries or the USA. There is plenty of pain and suffering in these pages, but there is also a lot of humor. The stories concerning flights (invariably between Tehran and Paris) are hilarious, as all who live in another country and have to travel back and forth with "their own kind" have experienced the frustration, difficulties, and the hilarity of these kinds of flights.
I am always hesitant to read works in translation, but Sara Khalili does an excellent job in translating the language as well as the feeling in the stories, which makes for a delightful read.
Highly recommended for short story fans, antique smugglers, and international jet setters.
corey's review
4.0
Hit-and-miss from story to story, but there are certainly a few gems in here. The title story is especially original, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny. "The Neighbor" and "Amina's Great Journey" are also particularly memorable, and provide a unique insight into the emotional and psychological toll Iran's '79 revolution has taken on some of its people.
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