Scan barcode
A review by bookstolivewith
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
4.0
To see more, visit instagram.com/bookstolivewith
The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali has been on my TBR list since I first saw it – mostly because of its stunning cover! I was also intrigued by the plot, which sounded like a historical fiction romance that was right up in my alley. I got so much more than a romance story though!
There's a whirlwind of emotions that the plot takes you through, and there's so many time jumps, but I think it allows you to feel the chaos and heightened emotional state of the characters as they live and fall in love during "wartime" in Iran. Honestly, this book made me research much more deeply into 1950s Iran and the socio-political rupture that was happening at the time, which I only know vaguely about and that's why I read – to find out more, to learn more! Even fiction can help you learn if it inspires you to do further digging.
It is also not a romance story in a traditional sense, and there were many moments when I actually questioned who loved who, or how much love was exchanged, or if there was any love at all, but that's what made the book even more interesting! Love is seen as both a weapon and a medicine, as something to strive for and something to turn away from - it's all wrapped up in different cultural values and some reality show worthy plot twists and drama.
All that being said, I do wish that I'd gotten more deeply into the characters' minds, as everything felt very surface for some reason and the larger setting often felt more important than the individual, and that often made me dislike characters' choices, despite their backstories and rationale.
Could definitely recommend this for a book club read, as there is tons to discuss, or if you're into historical fiction!
The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali has been on my TBR list since I first saw it – mostly because of its stunning cover! I was also intrigued by the plot, which sounded like a historical fiction romance that was right up in my alley. I got so much more than a romance story though!
There's a whirlwind of emotions that the plot takes you through, and there's so many time jumps, but I think it allows you to feel the chaos and heightened emotional state of the characters as they live and fall in love during "wartime" in Iran. Honestly, this book made me research much more deeply into 1950s Iran and the socio-political rupture that was happening at the time, which I only know vaguely about and that's why I read – to find out more, to learn more! Even fiction can help you learn if it inspires you to do further digging.
It is also not a romance story in a traditional sense, and there were many moments when I actually questioned who loved who, or how much love was exchanged, or if there was any love at all, but that's what made the book even more interesting! Love is seen as both a weapon and a medicine, as something to strive for and something to turn away from - it's all wrapped up in different cultural values and some reality show worthy plot twists and drama.
All that being said, I do wish that I'd gotten more deeply into the characters' minds, as everything felt very surface for some reason and the larger setting often felt more important than the individual, and that often made me dislike characters' choices, despite their backstories and rationale.
Could definitely recommend this for a book club read, as there is tons to discuss, or if you're into historical fiction!