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Persian Letters
Mehrdad Rafiee grew up in Iran at a time of constant change. Born in 1950 in Abadan, as the oil industry was being nationalised, he went to high school in Kazeroun during the White Revolution of 1963, and attended university in Tehran in the years of social upheaval that led to the Islamic Revolution.
This memoir is written in the form of letters addressed to his sons. Mehrdad tells his life story, with diversions into Persian/Iranian history and politics, drawing parallels between the turmoil in his country and that in his life. In writing his memoirs, Mehrdad was inspired by the books of two very special Orhan Pamuk’s " Memories and the City", and Azar Nafisi’s "Things I’ve Been Silent About".
For anyone familiar with modern Iran, this book will inform and entertain, as it explains much that lies behind the changes and the culture of Iran and its people.
Mehrdad has lived in Australia since 1985.
This memoir is written in the form of letters addressed to his sons. Mehrdad tells his life story, with diversions into Persian/Iranian history and politics, drawing parallels between the turmoil in his country and that in his life. In writing his memoirs, Mehrdad was inspired by the books of two very special Orhan Pamuk’s " Memories and the City", and Azar Nafisi’s "Things I’ve Been Silent About".
For anyone familiar with modern Iran, this book will inform and entertain, as it explains much that lies behind the changes and the culture of Iran and its people.
Mehrdad has lived in Australia since 1985.
636 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 9, 2019
As I began reading Persian Letters I asked myself what I knew about Iran. I am embarrassed to admit not a huge amount. I have a sense of Persia, I have read some Rumi, I have found the Iranian people I have met to be warm and gracious. I know it is a large country with its share of desert. Of course, we in the west who are of any decent age would have heard of the Shah and the revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini. And no one with any education can talk of Iran without knowing some of its history with oil. And yes, it is a Shi'ite Muslim nation.
There you have it, the summation of my knowledge prior to reading Rafiee's book.
Now, I know a lot more, and I have received the perfect form of education, provided in a clear and well written fashion, seeing through the eyes of a man reflecting back on his childhood and his teenage years, and then as an adult before leaving the country of his birth in the early 1980s. Persian Letters is a memoir written as a series of letters to the author's sons. The reader is gifted a window on an intimate world, a secret world almost, in what is an intriguing and engaging read. Honesty, integrity, the laying bare of family history, customs, and above all the Iranian people's struggle with change, shine through the pages.
Persian Letters is a Persian tale, not a tale of Islamic culture, but of the ancient culture beneath, rooted in Zoroastrianism. Politics, history, customs and traditions, society, the economy, the entire fabric of Iranian life is woven into a series of entertaining vignettes. I especially enjoyed the gentle irony and some of the subtly critical observations. And the intermingling families, village life, the making of tea!
Rafiee has a unique perspective, largely due to his father's propensity for change. Rafiee grew up in the privileged enclave of Abadan, an island in Iran's southwest, almost bordering Kuwait, where thanks to British Petroleum western services were in abundance. So much for the generous British, who had effectively stolen the rights to the oil they extracted from an obliging Iran! Then Refiee's dad ups sticks and relocates the family to a poor part of southern Iran to battle as a farmer. The narrative also takes in Shiraz and Tehran in what can only be described a feast for the ignorant, and a must read for most of us.
There are footnotes explaining some of the words and providing brief bios of some of the cameo characters. There is just so much to relish in this rather long read. Refiee has given the world a rich tapestry of Persian culture, and a rare insight into the motivations and complexities of a country we hear too little of other than in the negative. Through Refiee's eyes, the reader is presented with a sharing, giving culture rooted in ancient past, a people resistant to change, and the inevitable struggles of modernisation that ensue. What better way is there to embrace difference than through reading a book such as this. I commend the author for making the effort to write down his story and give it to the world.
There you have it, the summation of my knowledge prior to reading Rafiee's book.
Now, I know a lot more, and I have received the perfect form of education, provided in a clear and well written fashion, seeing through the eyes of a man reflecting back on his childhood and his teenage years, and then as an adult before leaving the country of his birth in the early 1980s. Persian Letters is a memoir written as a series of letters to the author's sons. The reader is gifted a window on an intimate world, a secret world almost, in what is an intriguing and engaging read. Honesty, integrity, the laying bare of family history, customs, and above all the Iranian people's struggle with change, shine through the pages.
Persian Letters is a Persian tale, not a tale of Islamic culture, but of the ancient culture beneath, rooted in Zoroastrianism. Politics, history, customs and traditions, society, the economy, the entire fabric of Iranian life is woven into a series of entertaining vignettes. I especially enjoyed the gentle irony and some of the subtly critical observations. And the intermingling families, village life, the making of tea!
Rafiee has a unique perspective, largely due to his father's propensity for change. Rafiee grew up in the privileged enclave of Abadan, an island in Iran's southwest, almost bordering Kuwait, where thanks to British Petroleum western services were in abundance. So much for the generous British, who had effectively stolen the rights to the oil they extracted from an obliging Iran! Then Refiee's dad ups sticks and relocates the family to a poor part of southern Iran to battle as a farmer. The narrative also takes in Shiraz and Tehran in what can only be described a feast for the ignorant, and a must read for most of us.
There are footnotes explaining some of the words and providing brief bios of some of the cameo characters. There is just so much to relish in this rather long read. Refiee has given the world a rich tapestry of Persian culture, and a rare insight into the motivations and complexities of a country we hear too little of other than in the negative. Through Refiee's eyes, the reader is presented with a sharing, giving culture rooted in ancient past, a people resistant to change, and the inevitable struggles of modernisation that ensue. What better way is there to embrace difference than through reading a book such as this. I commend the author for making the effort to write down his story and give it to the world.
June 2, 2019
Through the letters he wrote to his progeny we are provided with a looking glass into a world of cultural turmoil most western people know little about, and yet it is rich with intrigue.
The letters are very insightful, easy to read, very well written- an intimate account of one person’s experience through an Iran in transition- it’s a very candid account designed to impart knowledge in a way a father would with a son.
It was a good book that didn’t gloss over personal misgivings. In fact I really enjoyed how he made light satire of otherwise very serious concepts
The letters are very insightful, easy to read, very well written- an intimate account of one person’s experience through an Iran in transition- it’s a very candid account designed to impart knowledge in a way a father would with a son.
It was a good book that didn’t gloss over personal misgivings. In fact I really enjoyed how he made light satire of otherwise very serious concepts
January 25, 2020
روایت جذاب یک زندگی پرفراز و نشیب، که خیلی پخش و پلا و طویل بود و ویرایش جدی نیاز داشت.
May 5, 2019
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Persian Letters
Subtitle:
Author: Mehrdad Rafiee
Genre: Memoir
Part of a series? Yes/No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series? Yes/No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of the author through time. The history of his life and the history of Persia, now Iran. The story tells about his life, that of his parents and of people in Iran over the last one and a half centuries. From the time the Shah was still in power, with glimpses to the distant past, to the change in power to the current regime.
All written through letters of the author to his sons.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the style of writing. Through the pages I was transported back to my youth and memories of how idyllic Persia appeared to be at the time while the Shah was still there returned to the forefront. It appeared a real-life Arabian nights type of life at the time, but real life was obviously very different.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where the author told about his youth and his own life while he still lived in Iran. His parents appeared to be rather modern for the times, as did he himself. His obvious love for his extended family shines through the entire book.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I loved the entire book. It was great to get an insight into general life in another culture, given by someone who lived through it first-hand and with the understanding which comes with that.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I am not aware of any further books planned to follow on from this one.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of no other books I have read so far and I really enjoyed reading it.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Possibly
Adult Yes
If you like memoirs and history this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Mehrdad Rafiee grew up in Iran at a time of constant change. Born in 1950 in Abadan, as the oil industry was being nationalised, he went to high school in Kazeroun during the White Revolution of 1963, and attended university in Tehran in the years of social upheaval that led to the Islamic Revolution.
This memoir is written in the form of letters addressed to his sons. Mehrdad tells his life story, with diversions into Persian/Iranian history and politics, drawing parallels between the turmoil in his country and that in his life. In writing his memoirs, Mehrdad was inspired by the books of two very special writers: Orhan Pamuk’s "Istanbul: Memories and the City", and Azar Nafisi’s "Things I’ve Been Silent About".
For anyone familiar with modern Iran, this book will inform and entertain, as it explains much that lies behind the changes and the culture of Iran and its people.
Mehrdad has lived in Australia since 1985.
Basic Details:
Book Title: Persian Letters
Subtitle:
Author: Mehrdad Rafiee
Genre: Memoir
Part of a series? Yes/No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series? Yes/No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of the author through time. The history of his life and the history of Persia, now Iran. The story tells about his life, that of his parents and of people in Iran over the last one and a half centuries. From the time the Shah was still in power, with glimpses to the distant past, to the change in power to the current regime.
All written through letters of the author to his sons.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the style of writing. Through the pages I was transported back to my youth and memories of how idyllic Persia appeared to be at the time while the Shah was still there returned to the forefront. It appeared a real-life Arabian nights type of life at the time, but real life was obviously very different.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I enjoyed the entire book.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where the author told about his youth and his own life while he still lived in Iran. His parents appeared to be rather modern for the times, as did he himself. His obvious love for his extended family shines through the entire book.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I loved the entire book. It was great to get an insight into general life in another culture, given by someone who lived through it first-hand and with the understanding which comes with that.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I am not aware of any further books planned to follow on from this one.
What books could this be compared to and why?
This book reminded me of no other books I have read so far and I really enjoyed reading it.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Possibly
Adult Yes
If you like memoirs and history this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Mehrdad Rafiee grew up in Iran at a time of constant change. Born in 1950 in Abadan, as the oil industry was being nationalised, he went to high school in Kazeroun during the White Revolution of 1963, and attended university in Tehran in the years of social upheaval that led to the Islamic Revolution.
This memoir is written in the form of letters addressed to his sons. Mehrdad tells his life story, with diversions into Persian/Iranian history and politics, drawing parallels between the turmoil in his country and that in his life. In writing his memoirs, Mehrdad was inspired by the books of two very special writers: Orhan Pamuk’s "Istanbul: Memories and the City", and Azar Nafisi’s "Things I’ve Been Silent About".
For anyone familiar with modern Iran, this book will inform and entertain, as it explains much that lies behind the changes and the culture of Iran and its people.
Mehrdad has lived in Australia since 1985.
January 25, 2019
Mehrdad Rafiee has written a personal and endearing saga of his childhood and life in pre-revolutionary Iran, to his departure for Australia in the 1980s.
Written as a series of letters to his sons, with plenty of illustrations, the story weaves through his own life and the history of a state wrecked by political and economic interference by other world powers. With lots of details about patterns of life long since gone, the structure of the Persian family, their rich culture and traditions.
If you enjoy biography, social history, or books like "My Uncle Napoleon" by Iraj Pezeshkzad, "My Family And Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell or "Clinging To The Wreckage" by John Mortimer, then this book will suit you very well. The story is not only informative, but hilarious, and sad by turns.
I read the kindle edition, and was pleased to see that the photographs all came up very well.
Written as a series of letters to his sons, with plenty of illustrations, the story weaves through his own life and the history of a state wrecked by political and economic interference by other world powers. With lots of details about patterns of life long since gone, the structure of the Persian family, their rich culture and traditions.
If you enjoy biography, social history, or books like "My Uncle Napoleon" by Iraj Pezeshkzad, "My Family And Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell or "Clinging To The Wreckage" by John Mortimer, then this book will suit you very well. The story is not only informative, but hilarious, and sad by turns.
I read the kindle edition, and was pleased to see that the photographs all came up very well.
January 18, 2020
Persian Letters is an engaging memoir in the form of letters. Writing to his sons, Mehrdad Rafiee relates the history of his family, going back several generations until their emigration to Australia in 1985.
Along the way, Rafiee takes us on an intimate exploration of Iranian history and culture, unpacking a cultural heritage thousands of years old. The traditions and circumstances of this ancient culture rest on a different basis from modern Western consumerism, with family and community expectations and duties that are unknown today. Habits of respect and thrift lived alongside notions of duty, hospitality, and care for others. From hosting everyone in the village at a family event, through the careful allocation of water throughout the village, down to the saving of food scraps to feed neighbours' livestock, this is a picture of a people who worked out how to live well in a harsh environment.
This book, however, is not simply nostalgia for some lost values and connections with the past. More than that, Rafiee sees his country and its citizens with a clear eye, noting the cracks in society and the weaknesses in the systemic biases of successive regimes, and the demarcations between the well-off and the poor that provide a fertile background for the supremacy of the clergy.
Despite all this fascinating information, this is not a heavy read - don't expect dry history! The letters are intimate and interesting, with many asides telling fascinating tidbits about the family, and many words of wisdom that are worth noting. Most of all, the reader can sense the kind and tolerant mind behind the pen, the mind of a man dedicated to the future but mindful of where he has come from.
A particular strength of the book is the structure, where the information is broken into short 'letters', many with photos of the family, the cultural item, the event, or the area being discussed. There are footnotes too, but these are done in a sensible way that doesn't intrude on the narrative. If anyone wanted to skim over them and just follow the action, that would work, but i can't imagine any reader who would do so. It's all too interesting.
Persian Letters is not a quick read, and you don't want it to be. It's a book for slow absorption, the kind of thing that would suit 1001 nights of reading pleasure. It's a book of the wonders of the ancient world, and of the conundrums of the modern world. It's a book of wisdom and a book of inquiry. But most of all it's a book of love.
My thanks to Mehrdad Rafiee for the review copy. It is a book I will return too often. As a student of Ancient History, I was fascinated by the tales of Alexander the Great, who was fascinated by tales of Persia. I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book.
Along the way, Rafiee takes us on an intimate exploration of Iranian history and culture, unpacking a cultural heritage thousands of years old. The traditions and circumstances of this ancient culture rest on a different basis from modern Western consumerism, with family and community expectations and duties that are unknown today. Habits of respect and thrift lived alongside notions of duty, hospitality, and care for others. From hosting everyone in the village at a family event, through the careful allocation of water throughout the village, down to the saving of food scraps to feed neighbours' livestock, this is a picture of a people who worked out how to live well in a harsh environment.
This book, however, is not simply nostalgia for some lost values and connections with the past. More than that, Rafiee sees his country and its citizens with a clear eye, noting the cracks in society and the weaknesses in the systemic biases of successive regimes, and the demarcations between the well-off and the poor that provide a fertile background for the supremacy of the clergy.
Despite all this fascinating information, this is not a heavy read - don't expect dry history! The letters are intimate and interesting, with many asides telling fascinating tidbits about the family, and many words of wisdom that are worth noting. Most of all, the reader can sense the kind and tolerant mind behind the pen, the mind of a man dedicated to the future but mindful of where he has come from.
A particular strength of the book is the structure, where the information is broken into short 'letters', many with photos of the family, the cultural item, the event, or the area being discussed. There are footnotes too, but these are done in a sensible way that doesn't intrude on the narrative. If anyone wanted to skim over them and just follow the action, that would work, but i can't imagine any reader who would do so. It's all too interesting.
Persian Letters is not a quick read, and you don't want it to be. It's a book for slow absorption, the kind of thing that would suit 1001 nights of reading pleasure. It's a book of the wonders of the ancient world, and of the conundrums of the modern world. It's a book of wisdom and a book of inquiry. But most of all it's a book of love.
My thanks to Mehrdad Rafiee for the review copy. It is a book I will return too often. As a student of Ancient History, I was fascinated by the tales of Alexander the Great, who was fascinated by tales of Persia. I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book.
January 5, 2020
When Mehrdad asked me to review his book, I was excited, and it was worth it. Comprising entirely of letters written to his two grown sons, the book covers two generations of Rafiee family history before the immigration of Mehrdad and his family to Australia from Iran in the 1980s. The book itself was a new experience as I had never encountered the concept before, but the letters were easy-to-read and well written. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have picked up this book had I not been recommended it by Mehrdad, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading his story.
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