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Interruptions
Fiction. Middle Eastern Studies. Gay & Lesbian Studies. On a hot summer's day in Tehran, Farzin Rouhani leaves his house on a short walk to meet his lover. Suddenly he encounters a political demonstration and his routine is interrupted. The secret police arrest him on suspicion of conspiring to overthrow the Iranian government. Although he is completely innocent, telling the truth is not an option. Facing his interrogator, Farzin has to decide: does he want to be jailed for subversion or for revealing that he is gay? INTERRUPTIONS examines the various paths we choose when our day-to-day life is interrupted. On another level, it is also an intimate look at the interrupted psyche of a country whose dreams of freedom and justice have repeatedly been thwarted. Alemi's examination of Iranian society and its complex rituals is fresh and full of life. Continual political upheavals in a country dominated by fanatics form the backdrop--where the rich history of the Rouhani family is interwoven with the misfortunes of a nation. Massud Alemi was born in Iran and moved to the United States in 1977. He writes fiction and non-fiction both in English and his native Persian. INTERRUPTIONS is his first novel. He lives in the Washington DC area.
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 10, 2009
MY DAD WROTE THIS BOOK!!!! :D Im not bragging, Im just super excited :)
November 22, 2025
I enjoyed this much more than I thought, I might; I got this book for free at pride fest 2025 and started reading it as a filler book, however, the more I read, the more complexity I found in the text and I look forward to revisiting this so I can give it the time and attention it deserves from the beginning.
Far from the one-note gay romance I expected, "interruptions" offers a unique storytelling experience and fascinating characters with so many differing motivations and perspectives to weigh.
favorite quotes:
—"What kept a minimum of order in the country was a fear of the unknown, a paralysis caused by the contending forces of the dead and the unborn"
—"He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He was a master at knowing the perfect moment to say nothing. Time and silence were both on his side, and he used them like his words to crush the last vestiges of defiance in his subject."
Far from the one-note gay romance I expected, "interruptions" offers a unique storytelling experience and fascinating characters with so many differing motivations and perspectives to weigh.
favorite quotes:
—"What kept a minimum of order in the country was a fear of the unknown, a paralysis caused by the contending forces of the dead and the unborn"
—"He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He was a master at knowing the perfect moment to say nothing. Time and silence were both on his side, and he used them like his words to crush the last vestiges of defiance in his subject."
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews