Citur. Granātābolu kundze un viņas dēli

by Goli Taraghi, Ina Strautniece (translator from English), Sara Khalili (translator )

Šis ir pirmais gan Rietumu pasaulē, gan Tuvajos Austrumos labi pazīstamās rakstnieces Goli Taraghi latviešu valodā tulkotais darbs. Stāstu krājums, kas ieved mūs latvietim mazpazīstamā pasaulē, iepazīstina ar cilvēku ikdienu un tās pārmaiņām Teherānā pirms, pēc un 70. gadu revolūcijas. Bet mums, cilvēkiem, visiem kopīgas ir vispārcilvēciskas vērtības un patiesas emocijas, mēs visi tiecamies pēc saskaņas ģimenē, harmoniskas darba dzīves un īstiem draugiem.
Bagāti raksturiem – vienlaikus rotaļīgiem un dziļi aizlauztiem – Goli Taraghi neaizmirstamie stāsti ietver sevī autores bērnības pieredzi Teherānā Šaha valdīšanas laikā, trimdas gadus Parīzē un Irānas apciemojumus pēc revolūcijas. Saucot atmiņā Nadīnas Gordimeras un Eidoras Veltijas darbus, Taraghi stāsti satur vispārcilvēcisku mīlestības un zaudējuma, piederības un atsvešinātības pieredzi, ko caurvij dzīves nenovēršamā absurduma izjūta.

Genres: Short Stories, Iran, Fiction, Middle East, Literature, Contemporary, Cultural

315 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2013

About the author

Goli Taraghi (also transliterated as Goli Taraqqi or Gulī Taraqqī) was born in Tehran in 1939. She has been honored as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in France, and her work has been widely anthologized, including in Reza Aslan’s Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East . She lives in Paris.

Reviews

[Robert Khorsand · Rating 3 out of 5]

شروع با موضوعی جذاب، پرداختی معمولی و پایانی دردناک و بی‌نتیجه.
"دیوار شیشه‌ای این طرفی‌ها را از آن طرفی‌ها جدا می‌کند. آن‌ها که می‌مانند و آن‌ها که می‌روند. هر دو دسته غمگین و افسرده‌اند و حرف‌های صامت و نگاه‌های پرحرفشان از قطر آن دیوار شیشه عبور می‌کند و چون غباری خاکستری روی صورت‌ها می‌نشیند."

تمام انسان‌هایی که دست‌کم یک‌بار از کشور خارج شده‌اند، می‌توانند آن حس شخصیت اول داستان را درک کنند و این حس در داستان زنده بود، اما موضوع اناربانو من را به فکر فرو برد... زمانی‌که از کشور خارج می‌شدم، به خودم گفتم سوار هواپیما که شدی جواب هیچ ایرانی‌ای را نده، وقتی هم که رسیدی، هرجا که یک ایرانی دیدی فقط بدو و از او فرار کن... قبول مسئولیت و این‌گونه گرفتار شدن اصلا قابل وصف نیست، حداقل برای ما ایرانی‌ها نیست، شاید اگر شخصی اروپایی یا امریکایی به جای شخصیت اصلی داستان بود، اولا از ابتدا می‌گفت گور پدر اناربانو و جوابش را نمی‌داد و دوما اگر هم می‌داد اصلا نگرانی برایش پیش نمی‌آمد. هرچه که بود با تمام کاستی و ضعف، داستان را پسندیدم.

هجدهم آذرماه یک‌هزار و چهارصد و یک

[Mohadese · Rating 3 out of 5]

یعنی برای 18 صفحه 1:15 صدا ملتو گوش دادم؟!
:-مغزش سوت میکشد
خب اولین بار بود ک با نثر گلی ترقی رو برو میشدم، کتاب های ایشون رو خ دیده بودم اما احساس میکردم تیپ من نیست! (حالا شاید بعدا بخونم ببینم هست)
اما این داستان جالب بود (هر چند دیگه اخراش از صدای گوینده داشتم خل میشدم). روایتگر سادگیای یک پیرزن ک پسراش فرنگن و حالا داره میره پیششون
و خونگرمی و پیرزن بودن پیرزن خیلی ملموس و دوست داشتنی بود.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

No vienas puses visi šie stāsti ir par cilvēcību un tāpēc svešais un nepierastais ir vien fons. Biju patīkami pārsteigta, cik viegli patīkami bija lasīt. No otras puses tieši stāstu fons lika smelgt sirdij - nu kā tā var būt, kad lasi, kā varoņi dodas trimdā (vai paliek uz vietas), cerot, ka viss drīz saliksies pa savām vietām un nokārtosies, bet tu jau zini, ka pat pēc 40 gadiem nekas nav nokārtojies. Tieši šobrīd manā informācijas lokā ir iepeldējuši protesti Irānā, kas sākās pēc tam, kad ticības policija nogalināja Mahsu Amini par to, ka viņas hidžābs neesot bijis apsiets pareizi... Laikam tāpēc mani uzrunājošākos stāsts krājumā bija "Širazas puķes" par meiteņu deju pulciņu Islāma revolūcijas mutuļa laikā.

[Yasaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

قلم نویسنده بسیار گیرا بود! خیلی وقت بود همچین قلم خوبی ندیده بودم.
داستان بسیار جذاب و در عین حال ساده.
و شاید از معدود داستان‌هایی که پایان بازش بسیار به‌جا بود و خیال‌انگیزش میکرد.
پ.ن: چرا انقدر به اناربانو بی محلی میکرد حالا؟!

[Orsolya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won an ARC copy from Goodreads Giveaways

Living in Los Angeles means that I have many acquaintances whom are first-generation Iranian having escaped Iran during the Revolution. Goli Taraghi is one of the many Persians having lived through this tumultuous time and left Iran for life in Paris. Taraghi has since become one of the most well-known contemporary Iranian authors. She compiles some of her work in “The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons: Selected Stories”.

“The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons” is a collection of short stories centralizing on the theme of the Iranian Revolution. Taraghi infuses each story with personal emotions, events, and reactions (this is quite evident); giving each story a passionate and almost memoir-like feel. Yet, despite its personal touch, the stories are all believable and extremely real/vivid whether the narrator is male, female, an adult, or a child. Taraghi knows her characters well, producing likeability and accessibility.

Each story is intelligent, has literary merit, and has an underlying depth filled with morals and symbolisms. Don’t fear that these are merely political, as the stories focus more on the life/feelings of the average person during the Revolution. A dose of lighter fiction is added in order to water down the heaviness and create a strong pace. Naturally, some stories are better than others but overall, “The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons” is a strong, cohesive whole.

Shunning perfection, there are some repetitive areas within the stories which dampens some creative merit. Luckily, this isn’t avid enough to negatively affect the enjoyment as each story is compelling and encourages page turning within individual stories and in the book, overall. This is also supplemented by each story’s format which varies in style: dialogue, stream of consciousness, different points of person, etc; allowing the reader to experience a range of tones and avoiding boredom.

The duplicity and plot symbolism in “The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons” is astounding. The reader will be entertained by what feels like a novel storyline and then will have an “Ah ha!” moment when the true meaning (usually relating to government and social classes, freedom, and suffrage) becomes clear. Taraghi’s views are subtle, yet crisp and strong. This depth is an underlying history lesson which will teach readers about the Revolution (although a better painting of the background politically would be welcome).

“The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons” remains captivating until the last story (although I personally would have changed the order, somewhat) and the entire collection leaves a lasting image of the Iranian people and life during the Revolution which incites further research on the topic.

Taraghi is clearly a masterful writer and I would certainly read a longer fictional work (or other stories, as well) written by her. “The Pomegranate Lady and her Sons” is a terrific compilation in the short story genre and is much recommended for readers interested in Iran, the Revolution, or just short stories, in general.

[Anita]

Ļoti neparasta grāmata. Pirmajā tās pusē biju neapmierināta par visām labajām atsauksmēm, ko pirms tam biju lasījusi, jo man nepatika. Darbs nebija slikts, bet man bija garlaicīgi un es nekādi nespēju ar to savienoties, gaidot, kad ātrāk tikšu uz priekšu.

Bet tad kaut kas mainījās. Es sāku sajust grāmatas tēlus un viņu vidi. To, cik tā atšķirīga no mūsu, bet cik sajūtas ir līdzīgas, jo visi esam cilvēki. Un man šķiet, ka daudz deva arī tas, ka autores dzīve šobrīd norit Francijā.

Nezinu, cik zvaigznes. Nezinu, vai iesaku izlasīt. Bet esmu apmierināta, ka pati tomēr izlasīju. Šī ir laba grāmata.

"Tad sākušies milzu plūdi, kas aizrāvuši sev līdzi māti un brāļus, viņu māla kleķa namiņu un viņu govi un kazu. Visu, kas viņiem bija. Tēvs nesis Aminu un rokām un piesējis viņu pie koka. Viņas galva bijusi zem ūdens un mute pilna ar dubļiem. Viņa zinājusi, ka mirst, taču nav baidījusies. Nāve savā ziņā bija līdzīga miegam, un gulēt Aminai patika." (142.lpp)

[Nafi3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

*پسرهای من از بچگی هوایی بودند. آرام و قرار نداشتند از مردم ده بدشان می آمد همش می خواستند بروند شهر بروند تهران بروند یک جای دیگر کجا؟ خودشان هم نمی دانستند.
ما که جوان بودیم یک جا بیشتر نمی شناختیم یزد برایمان اول و آخر دنیا بود.
اول و آخر دنیا. می گویم: ننه خانم خوش به حالت که جای خودت را پیدا کردی

*خب من عاشقم دست خودم نیست. به مجنون گفتند لیلی مثل شغال است. گفت الهی قربان شکل مثل شغالش بروم. عاشق اینجوریست.

داستان در مورد انار بانوست که به دیدن پسرهاش در سوئد میره و ماجرای خودش رو برای همسفرش تعریف می کنه. پایان داستان اونطور که توقع داری تموم نمیشه و در یک بهت باقی می‌مونی.
داستان روون و خوش خوانه که در اوج سادگی عشق مادر و فرزندی رو نشون میده.

[Kurkulis (Lililasa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ar šiem stāstiem man izdevās uz trim vakariem aizbēgt no ....

Katrs stāsts bija tik pilnasinīgs, tik savādāks no eiropiešu sākuma un beigām, tik cilvēciski papildinošs tam, ko jau biju lasījusi par Irānas varas maiņām un cilvēkiem. Brīžiem - pat intīms, atkailinot varoņu domas un sajūtas.

[Sintija Meijere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objektīvi vērtējot, stāsti ir labi - raita valoda, emocionāls stāstījums, izglītojoši fakti par dzīvi Irānā pirms un pēc islāma revolūcijas, kā arī diezgan skaudri stāsti par to kā iedzīvoties emigrācijā pilnīgi citādajā Rietumu pasaulē, ja mājās palikt nav iespējams vajāšanas un apspiešanas dēļ.

Subjektīvi - mani uzrunāja tikai pāris stāsti.

Bet problēma noteikti nav autorē vai grāmatā, bet manī. Jo es vnk nespēju tolerēt tos islāma fundamentālistus un absurdos cilvēktiesību pārkāpumus, ko viņi veic.

[Arta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stāstu izlasē "Citur. Granātābolu kundze un viņas dēli" apkopoti desmit savstarpēji nesaistīti stāsti. Katrs no tiem lasītāju ieved pasaulē, kurā galvenie varoņi balansē uz robežas – virves, kas spītīgi novilkta pār trauslu telpu, apgrieztu kājām gaisā, un bezdibeni pašā centrā, kurā krītot pastāv iespēja kļūt par pasaules klaidoni, liekot jēdzienam mājas kļūtu par tālu un šajā dzīvē vairs nesasniedzamu lielumu. Stāstiem piemīt daudzpusīgs vēstījums. Tie ļauj lasītājam aptaustīt irāņu tautas eksistences un kultūras slāņus gan vaigu pieglaudušiem pie dzimtās zemes vaiga, gan esot svešumā, kur ik ieelpas un izelpas brīdi vari būt tikai bez uzaicinājuma ieradies ciemiņš. Pamesls, kurš pat esot pietiekami drošā attālumā, kļūst par traucēkli ikvienam svešās zemes saimniekam. Šie stāsti liek izstrādāties iejūtības un dziļas izpratnes hormoniem. Ar katru teikumu, kas ieved arvien dziļāk attiecīgā stāsta kodolā, domas tiek sasietas stingrākos mezglos. It kā tās būtu kurpju auklas un kāds ar tām mācītos siet cilpas, kas attāli atgādina ar trakumsērgu slimu taureni. It kā katrs stāsts būtu mīkla, kas jāatšķetina, balvā saņemot nākamo emociju piesātināto stāstu. Un likumsakarīgi – sajūtas tiek restartētas jauniem domu mezglu vijumiem. Tas, kas man visvairāk šajos stāstos liek izjust dziļas simpātijas, ir tas, ka nevienu stāstu nav iespējams aizmirst. Tie visi (kā dzīvi) stāv acu priekšā, dodot iespēju jebkurā laikā tiem veikli atkal un atkal pārskriet pāri, kā interaktīvās televīzijas iespēja jebkurā brīdī attīt atpakaļ savu mīļāko raidījumu un izbaudīt to it kā pirmoreiz.
Vairāk par grāmatu blogā: https://austra.lv/2020/06/04/goli-tar...

[Ieva Strazdiņa [mrs.lasitaja] · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Atkal ir spēkā stingri noteikumi. Lakati atkal jānolaiž zemāk par uzacīm. Atkal mums jāvalkā biezas zeķes un gari, plati paltraki. Atkal sieviešu kailās kājas tiek graizītas ar žiletēm un garmatainiem jaunekļiem noskūtas galvas.”

Desmit stāsti par Irānas ikdienu pirms un pēc 70.gadu revolūcijas, kad mainījās vara un daudzi, baidoties no represijām un jaunā režīma, nolēma bēgt, daudzi nolēma pretoties, daudzi nolēma pakļauties, daudzi nolēma pielāgoties un šis stāstu krājums ir par visiem šiem cilvēkiem un viņu sajūtām - bailēm, izmisuma, ilgām pēc mājām, ilgām pēc miera un stabilitātes.
Stāsti savā starpā nav saistīti, tomēr personāži no viena stāsta tiek pieminēti citā. Šī nav gluži autores autobiogrāfija, bet daļu no šī visa autore ir pati piedzīvojusi - dzimusi Irānā, devusies trimdā uz Franciju un dzimtenes vilkmes dēļ nereti viesojās Irānā.

Pie pirmajiem stāstiem kaut kā šķita, ka šis nebūs man, taču ar ceturto stāstu es padevos šīs grāmatas pinekļiem un katrs nākamais stāsts mani ievilka arvien dziļāk un lika līdzpārdzīvot par zaudējumiem, sāpēm un šausmināties par to, kas pat šodien notiek valstīs, kas vienlaikus ir tik tālu, taču pietiekami tuvu, lai bēgļi teju ar kājām būtu gatavi doties uz Eiropu.

Visvairāk šokēja un riebumu izraisīja sievietes nozīme vai precīzāk sakot nenozīmīgums - lietas statuss, pret kuru var izturēties kā vien tīk un sodīt sievietes par to, ka viņas ar savu nepiedienību iekārdina nabaga nelaimīgos, baltos un pūkainos vīriešus.

Un jā, nenoliedzami, stāsti lika domāt par sievietēm Afganistānā šodien - kurām nu jau kādu laiku bija iespēja tiekties uz Eiropu - izglītoties, neslēpties, taču šobrīd šīs iespējas un tiesības ir stipri miglainas.

Visvairāk man patika stāsti “Aminas lielais ceļojums” par kādu sievieti no Bangladešas, kuru vīrs pārdod, izmanto, sit un atkal pārdod, “Kaimiņiene”, kur visskaudrāk nolasījās bēgļu sajūtas, dzīvojot svešā zemē un “Satikšanās” par kādu nevēlamu atkal satikšanos un kura galvenā morāle - “pasaule ir mazāka nekā tu domā”.

[فهیم · Rating 4 out of 5]

می‌گوید: «من زیر درخت انار بزرگ شده‌ام. بابا ننه که نداشتم. به‌جای شیر مادرم بهم آب انار دادند. شاخه‌ی درخت را می‌کشیدم پایین. انار آبلمبو را میک می‌زدم. خیال می‌کردم پستان مادرم است. مردم گفتند انارک، این درخت مادر توست. درخت عشق است. کنارش هم یک درخت چنار بود. گفتند این هم پدر توست. ما شدیم صاحب پدر و مادر. رفتیم شناسنامه بگیریم، یارو گفت اسمت چیه؟ گفتم انارک. گفت اسم بابات چیه؟ گفتم چنارک. گفت: برو گم شو، مگر تو از درخت زاده شدی؟ گفتم: بله.»

[Kazem Heidari · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستانی ساده و نسبتا مفرح درباره ارتباط تصادفی پیرزنی ساده و خانمی میانسال در یک سفر
که در نهایت به سفر درونی خانم میانسال می رسد

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship]

I read the first 5 stories of this collection (through page 179). The first one was decent and unexpectedly funny, but after that they became more a chore than a pleasure. The characters and settings are misty and unformed. All the stories are in the first person, sometimes told through the point-of-view of a minor character who nevertheless relates all of the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist like an omniscient narrator even though he or she has no way of knowing this information. The translation is very fluid, but . . . maybe a little too much so; the stories feel as if they were written in English, but blandly. After pushing myself through four stories out of a sense of obligation, I decided to be done.

[Melanie Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pomegranate Lady and Her Sons is a conglomeration of short stories about Iranian women and their complicated lives. I have very mixed feelings about this book, in that I found myself often depressed about the storyline and the way it made me feel while I was reading. At the same time, I was compelled to finish the story, and generally found that I was very happy with the endings. But when reflecting back on the stories and analyzing the complexity of situations that these women have endured, I returned to feeling concerned and unsettled. I do not know what the author wanted me to take away from her stories, but if she wanted me to feel as though I were in the situation and in that woman's shoes, she accomplished it. It is definitely a good read and one that will make you either commiserate or enlighten your awareness about what it would be like to be a woman in a conservative Middle Eastern country.

[Shifteh · Rating 5 out of 5]

شخصیت پردازی قشنگی داشت. انار خانم یه پیرزن یزدی شیرین پرحرف بود با یه بقچه خاطره... چقدر حس و حال داستان رو دوست داشتم. اصلا انگار موقع خوندن داستان، کنار انارخانم نشستی و داری بهش گوش میدی...
خیلی دوست داشتنی بود.

[Ilze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Šie tiešām bija labi uzrakstīti stāsti, kas reizē atklāj gan Irāņu nacionālās īpatnības, vēsturi un sadzīves kontekstu, gan arī spēlējas ar cilvēku psihes īpatnībām.

[Melissa Reddish · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are lovely stories written with a deft hand. The first clear joy I experienced was a glimpse into a wholly foreign world. Through these stories, we're able to see Tehran and the impact of the Revolution through the minutiae of everyday life. Taraghi explores these intimate family moments but is also unafraid to cover large swaths of time in her stories. In this way, they were reminiscent of Alice Munro. (But what contemporary author isn't influenced by her in some way?) Taraghi too has an ear for dialogue, creating characters whose fears and strengths emerge best through voice. On occasion, the description surrounding these characters-- the inner monologues and the exposition-- felt a big weighted down with unnecessary detail, but overall, these stories were quite enjoyable. I recommend spending an evening with Taraghi and the world she has illuminated.

[Mythili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in Tehran in 1939, Goli Taraghi was a teenager during Iran’s 1953 coup and a grown woman during the 1979 revolution. Both upheavals feature prominently in her writing, but the stories collected in The Pomegranate Lady and Her Sons are hardly polemical. Political tumult instead merely provides the backdrop of the transformations of her characters, young and old. The adolescent girls of “Flowers of Shiraz” can hardly comprehend the change underway in their country: In the run-up to Mossadeq’s ouster, they ride their bikes through the city, meeting for ice cream, flirting with boys, and racing through the hills, despite the protests on the streets. Mitra, Gol-Maryam and Parivash wear their political allegiances as lightly as their crushes. That’s not to say Taraghi isn’t interested in history’s course; she plays a long game in many of her stories, following the fates of characters across decades and continents. In “The Gentleman Thief,” a math teacher-turned-smalltime-burglar sneaks into the narrator’s house. “Excuse me,” he says. “With your permission I will take this bowl and clock and I will leave.” (Before escaping out the window, he asks for a glass of water, too.) Only many years later does his full story emerge, when the narrator returns from Paris to visit her ailing uncle. Much to her surprise, the former thief is now her uncle’s caretaker and loyal companion. A similarly complicated fate unfolds in “Amina’s Great Journey,” the tale of a big-eyed Bangladeshi maid named Amina who spends her days daydreaming of movie stars. The story charts Amina’s slow transformation from a gullible young girl who is complicit in her greedy husband’s abuse to a confident woman intent on educating her children. Taraghi carves out space for mysterious forces—powerful coincidences, supernatural spirits and uncontrollable compulsions—in her stories. But at the heart of these tales are just ordinary people, caught in strange times.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[L'Artiste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, and I'm so glad I did! It is a deeply poignant book which beautifully illustrates the plight of the Persian people. Each story, though short, successfully connected me to her characters. I was riveted!

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 zvaigznes
Daži stāsti man ļoti patika, bet dažus līdz galam tā arī neizpratu. Laimīgo beigu šeit nav, pēc katra stāsta paliek tikai smeldze un bezcerības sajūta..

[Lija · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are real treasures! Very well written. The characters and their lifes are very real and alive. It's not always happy, but I enjoyed to get a peephole into Iranian culture.

[Reyhan 🌱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

چه حس اضطرابی داشتم آخر داستان… چی شد اخر انار بانو؟ رفت نرفت … کاش آخرش یه چیزی معلوم میشد

[Baljit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars ⭐️

I am glad I selected this book despite it not being on my radar. The title piqued my interest and as I was reading I discovered it’s the only book of this writer to be translated into English at the present time. So it’s a privilege to be granted access to her wonderful writing style.

I enjoyed all the stories and each had a different tone. Gentlemen Thief gave a humorous slant on a the elderly grandmother coping with the Revolution, and the emergence of a polite, apologetic thief forced to steal to ensure his family’s survival.

In Flowers of Survival a group of teenage girls come of age during the political changes and violence, which shakes them out of their carefree spirited lives. They try to bring out a shy protected peer but tragedy prevails.

Amina’s Great Journey is about a lady subjected to work in Tehran as a domestic helper but subjected to abuse and humiliation by her husband. As time goes on Amina sheds her naïve self and finds her voice and empowers her children.

The Neighbor struck a chord- a single mum trying to cope with exile in a new city, missing home and feeling lonely and lost, but having to cope with a neighbor who finds her these new arrivals noisy and disruptive. Life comes a full circle and one realizes that children of all countries are the same, and all mothers face challenges of motherhood.

I also like The Other One and The Pomegranate Lady, but enough said.

[Zane Neimane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irāna, revolūcija, sieviete. Stāsti ir it kā ikdienišķi, bet reizē sirdi plosoši. Tie ir it kā pašas piedzīvoti notikumi, bet it kā tomēr ne līdz galam. Iespējams, tas ir literārs paņēmiens, kas liek domāt, ka autore visur bija klāt. Šis stils man ne līdz galam, tomēr pārsvarā lasīju ar aizrautību.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capturing the inner turmoil of a woman on the run from the religious and political upheaval in Iran by paining literary images of childhood memories of Tehran and confrontations with hostile Parisian neighbors expresses the spirit of this book. It's funny, but in the story "Unfinished Game," I found a passage that accurately captured the spirit of life in modern day Beijing. "The best approach is to find an acquaintance with behind-the-scenes influence, or to contrive a convenient, heartrending tale. But the first and last rule is to get ahead of the person next to you- with a smile or a jab, it makes no difference. The point is to gain ground, with persistence and perseverance, with agile steps, deft kicks, elbow pressure, or brute force."

[Niya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The collection of stories, while compelling in their depictions of what life in Iran was like for private citizens as the political structures changed and the country went to way, seems more like a randomly assembled grouping than a coherent collection. In addition, perhaps because of the translation and not the authorship, the reader still feels one or more levels removed from the happenings. Reading this text is like watching the characters lives progress through smoked glass - you can almost understand why, but there is a key piece of information missing. The stories don't end so much as fall away.

[Jim Fonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I review a short story collection I think the same thing: isn’t it amazing how authors keep coming up with original plots for short stories?

These stories are by an Iranian woman author. Almost all of them involve upper-class folks whose lives were upended by the political turmoil in Iran in 1979 when the Shah was deposed and replaced by a revolutionary government run by the Ayatollahs. Some readers will recall that situation when 52 Americans were taken hostage. There was a failed military attempt to free them under President Carter, followed by their release when Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency.



The folks in the stories are in Tehran or in Paris, where many of them fled after the revolution. There are ten short stories and I'll write a few notes about five so you can get an idea of the types of stories.

I'll start with what I think is the best story although it is not the title story. It's called The Other One. It starts with the story of a young woman whose mother died at birth and who was raised by her elderly father. He was 75 when she was born. She basically falls in love with her elderly father, who lives into his 90s. Relatives and neighbors talk about how she has no interest in young men.

After her father dies she marries briefly but it’s a terrible relationship. When they break up she is pregnant and has twin boys. She reluctantly accepts the care of one of the twins and gives the ‘ugly looking’ one to her aunt and to her former nanny – now her general servant - to be raised in the apartment below her. The mother grows to love the son she kept but has no use for the son who lives in the apartment below her. She never sees him or interacts with him.

This story’s focus now shifts to the ‘other’ son of the title. Things change over time, but it becomes the story of this boy, later a young man, who has been yearning for his mother's denied love all his life.

The title story, Pomegranate Lady, is a humorous story about an elderly peasant woman leaving Iran to go live with her sons in Sweden. The two sons are polar opposites from her telling. One is loving and mild-mannered and there are hints that he might be gay. The other is a military man looking for ‘enemies’ to kill. A well-off woman who travels between Paris and Teheran helps her manage the chaos of her airplane trip with a layover in Paris. The peasant lady has never before been in a city or seen an elevator or an escalator and speaks only Farsi.

In The Encounter, a whole group of upper-class people are arrested by Revolutionary Guards for having a party with alcohol and western music. These parties have been broken up before and normally they buy off the Revolutionary Guards. It doesn't work this time.

They are all arrested and separated by sex in a prison while they await their sentencing. To her horror, the main character discovers that the Revolutionary Guard handling her sentence (which may include imprisonment, fines or lashings), was her child’s nanny she fired several years ago. The Revolutionary Guard had come to obsessively love the other woman's child to the point where the mother feared she would kidnap him.

In the story In Another Place, a wealthy Iranian man, happily married with children, has a midlife crisis at age 60. It starts with uncontrollable body movements. He fears he will harm his wife while she sleeps, so he moves into a separate bedroom. His wife thinks he's having an affair. But the man still worries, so he takes a bunch of money and drives off into the Iranian countryside for a long period of time, perhaps a year. He returns only to see his dying mother for the last time and resumes his road trip. We wonder when he will come back to his senses and go back home which leads to a surprise ending. He never goes back. His wife sells the house and moves out of the country.

Amina’s Great Journey is the story of a Hindu woman from Bangladesh who married a viciously cruel Muslim man. The Muslim man holds her children captive while he sends her off to be a maid in other countries. She sends all her money back to him. She has been a maid in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, England and Tehran.

Now her former employer in Tehran has moved to Paris and she works for her again as a maid. Her employer is appalled by this slavery she works under and the maid’s inability to have her children with her. It takes years, but with her employer’s help, Amina’s great journey turns out to be a journey more of self-empowerment than of geography.

The stories are good and the writing is solid and factual but not outstandingly literary in the usual sense. I often quote sentences and passages that impressed me, but I found none in this book. I rated it a '3.5'



Although the author (b. 1939) has written perhaps a dozen novels and collections of short stories, only this book and another short story collection, A Mansion in the Sky, appear on GR as translated into English. A couple of others are available in French. Like many of the characters in her stories, the author fled Teheran for Paris after the revolution. She had been a university professor and her father had been a member of parliament.

Top photo: taking over the US embassy in Teheran from Wikipedia
The author from npr.org

[Honey Hozhabr · Rating 5 out of 5]

انار بانو و پسرهایش نوشته گلی ترقی
از کتاب ترقی، گلی، جایی دیگر، تهران: نشر نیلوفر، 1384.
پیرنگ: زنی در پروازی خارجی به پیرزنی کمک می‌کند اما بلیت هواپیمای پیرزن توی جیبش جا می‌ماند.
نوع پیرنگ: باز
مضمون: بیگانگی و دیگر بودگی؛ مهاجرت؛ بحران هویت مهاجران؛
عدم تعادل، عدم تعادل
برای من پرسشی.
خطی است.
پایان باز، واقع‌گرا، ذهنی، روانشناسی اجتماعی و روانشناسی فردی، حداکثر گرا، آسان نویس، جهان داست