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Farzaneh and the Moon
When N meets a charismatic outsider called Farzaneh, he realises that something has been missing in his life. They fall for each other and begin an intense and passionate relationship. However, Farzaneh starts to isolate herself, becoming obsessed and embroiled in her mysterious connection with the moon.
N is forced to reappraise everything he knows, searching for meaning and identity while he violently collides with the limits of intimacy and love.
N is forced to reappraise everything he knows, searching for meaning and identity while he violently collides with the limits of intimacy and love.
- GenresFiction
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2019
6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Matt Wilven
2 books17 followersMatt Wilven is a novelist whose work delves into the emotional and psychological currents of modern life. He is the author of The Blackbird Singularity (2016) and Farzaneh and the Moon (2019). Driven by a lifelong passion for fiction's power to explore connection, identity, and reality, he continues to write alongside his career in communications and busy family life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 21, 2019
This was an unusual read and different to some of the recent books I have read. I enjoyed the journey that the novel takes you on, but struggled with the abstract nature of the plot.
The first part of the novel focuses on how Farzaneh and N meet at university. I enjoyed how Wilven brings alive the university culture and recognised many of the stereotypical characters that N encounters. The depiction of university life – social and studies – is very accurate although the writer throws in N’s drug use and how this impacts his studies. When Farzaneh and N first meet, it is very idyllic, with the exciting rush of young romance. However, as the novel progresses and the story moves into the second and third parts, this romantic bloom soon fades into something else.
Farzaneh’s growing obsession with the moon and her eventual fasting is much alike Pagan beliefs. Indeed, the trip to Stonehenge and the spiritual intensity that Farzaneh displays reflects the desire to reconnect with nature and the cycles of the moon. Her neurotic character makes it difficult for her to maintain her relationship with N; whilst I admired her traits, the starvation and lack of human contact made her ideologies verging on the absurd. For me, this spiritual development in the story I had most difficultly in following, as it becomes more abstract and reflective.
My favourite part of the story, despite it only being a small section, was the trip to Venice. Having visited this city, I feel that Wilven really brings the city to life in his writing. I could relate to N’s commentary of the place and his interactions with the environment were to be expected. I only wish that there had been more attention to this part of the story.
It is interesting that we never discover N’s name. Despite being the narrator, he was nameless and I saw how none of the characters interacting with him ever refer to him by his name. This provides an interesting element to the story and left me forever wondering what it could be.
The closing of the novel was totally unexpected as the plot reaches its crescendo. It reaches a natural conclusion and I feel that the ending was satisfying. As N tries to reconnect to Farzaneh on her level, the intensity of the story rapidly builds. It is an ambiguous ending and one that enhances the abstract nature of the story, leaving readers to draw their own final conclusions.
Something a bit different, it was hard not to get engrossed with the story as my curiosity was piqued to see what would happen. However, the abstract nature and spirituality within the plot wasn’t totally appealing to me, leading me to give this story a three star rating.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Legend Press and Matt Wilven for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
The first part of the novel focuses on how Farzaneh and N meet at university. I enjoyed how Wilven brings alive the university culture and recognised many of the stereotypical characters that N encounters. The depiction of university life – social and studies – is very accurate although the writer throws in N’s drug use and how this impacts his studies. When Farzaneh and N first meet, it is very idyllic, with the exciting rush of young romance. However, as the novel progresses and the story moves into the second and third parts, this romantic bloom soon fades into something else.
Farzaneh’s growing obsession with the moon and her eventual fasting is much alike Pagan beliefs. Indeed, the trip to Stonehenge and the spiritual intensity that Farzaneh displays reflects the desire to reconnect with nature and the cycles of the moon. Her neurotic character makes it difficult for her to maintain her relationship with N; whilst I admired her traits, the starvation and lack of human contact made her ideologies verging on the absurd. For me, this spiritual development in the story I had most difficultly in following, as it becomes more abstract and reflective.
My favourite part of the story, despite it only being a small section, was the trip to Venice. Having visited this city, I feel that Wilven really brings the city to life in his writing. I could relate to N’s commentary of the place and his interactions with the environment were to be expected. I only wish that there had been more attention to this part of the story.
It is interesting that we never discover N’s name. Despite being the narrator, he was nameless and I saw how none of the characters interacting with him ever refer to him by his name. This provides an interesting element to the story and left me forever wondering what it could be.
The closing of the novel was totally unexpected as the plot reaches its crescendo. It reaches a natural conclusion and I feel that the ending was satisfying. As N tries to reconnect to Farzaneh on her level, the intensity of the story rapidly builds. It is an ambiguous ending and one that enhances the abstract nature of the story, leaving readers to draw their own final conclusions.
Something a bit different, it was hard not to get engrossed with the story as my curiosity was piqued to see what would happen. However, the abstract nature and spirituality within the plot wasn’t totally appealing to me, leading me to give this story a three star rating.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Legend Press and Matt Wilven for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
May 5, 2019
2.5/5.
Based on the synopsis given to me, I had really expected to enjoy this. However, it didn't quite meet my expectations.
Although Matt Wilven has released a book prior to this (The Blackbird Singularity, 2016), I do believe that Farzaneh and the Moon read very much like a debut novel. With debut novels, you really get a sense of the author as a person since they inject their own personality into the characters and the narrative. Based on a surface level search of Wilven's social media, I did feel like I got some sense of his personality through this novel, particularly in the main character, whose name I don't know because it's never specified.
As a reader, I find that the ability to relate to characters is hugely important in a narrative. As a 20-year-old who has just submitted her dissertation and will shortly be graduating from university in Manchester, I really thought I'd be able to relate to these characters. However, this wasn't the case. The characters read as super generic philosophy students who smoked weed and didn't have a typical music taste. The way these characters spoke was just incongruent with the typical behaviour of a university student: contrary to popular belief, we don't talk about economic crises, Plato's life, or the inevitability of death. Most of the time we talk about meme culture.
I also just couldn't understand why the characters stayed together for the remainder of the book. Perhaps the point was to explore the toxicity of some relationships: if so, good job, because that's the moral I got out of this book. Farzaneh and the Moon can only be classified as a weird, sci-fi acid trip. Though it's unique in its strangeness, it's the strangeness that makes the novel inaccessible for me personally. I spent the whole book sitting down with a furrowed brow wondering what was happening, followed by some eye-rolling, book closing, and finally in the novel's conclusion, some exclamations of profanity.
I do have to give kudos to Wilven for his prose, though. While he does write philosophically (think Murakami), his narrative displays genius in terms of its inclusion of imagery and metaphor. Wilven can describe a scene, the environment, the people, etc. very well. If you're a reader who focuses more on writing style than characterisation, I have no doubt you'd enjoy reading Farzaneh and the Moon. However, as much as I wanted to enjoy this novel, I did not. 2.5 stars are unfortunately the most generous I can be for a book that simply wasn't to my own tastes.
Based on the synopsis given to me, I had really expected to enjoy this. However, it didn't quite meet my expectations.
Although Matt Wilven has released a book prior to this (The Blackbird Singularity, 2016), I do believe that Farzaneh and the Moon read very much like a debut novel. With debut novels, you really get a sense of the author as a person since they inject their own personality into the characters and the narrative. Based on a surface level search of Wilven's social media, I did feel like I got some sense of his personality through this novel, particularly in the main character, whose name I don't know because it's never specified.
As a reader, I find that the ability to relate to characters is hugely important in a narrative. As a 20-year-old who has just submitted her dissertation and will shortly be graduating from university in Manchester, I really thought I'd be able to relate to these characters. However, this wasn't the case. The characters read as super generic philosophy students who smoked weed and didn't have a typical music taste. The way these characters spoke was just incongruent with the typical behaviour of a university student: contrary to popular belief, we don't talk about economic crises, Plato's life, or the inevitability of death. Most of the time we talk about meme culture.
I also just couldn't understand why the characters stayed together for the remainder of the book. Perhaps the point was to explore the toxicity of some relationships: if so, good job, because that's the moral I got out of this book. Farzaneh and the Moon can only be classified as a weird, sci-fi acid trip. Though it's unique in its strangeness, it's the strangeness that makes the novel inaccessible for me personally. I spent the whole book sitting down with a furrowed brow wondering what was happening, followed by some eye-rolling, book closing, and finally in the novel's conclusion, some exclamations of profanity.
I do have to give kudos to Wilven for his prose, though. While he does write philosophically (think Murakami), his narrative displays genius in terms of its inclusion of imagery and metaphor. Wilven can describe a scene, the environment, the people, etc. very well. If you're a reader who focuses more on writing style than characterisation, I have no doubt you'd enjoy reading Farzaneh and the Moon. However, as much as I wanted to enjoy this novel, I did not. 2.5 stars are unfortunately the most generous I can be for a book that simply wasn't to my own tastes.
September 17, 2019
N has arrived at university in East London, and amongst the everyday take-them-or-leave-them (largely "leave-them") encounters, meets Farzaneh, who right from the start seems to offer Philosophy student N something he's seeking: a way of being with meaning.
This is a book for reasonable radicals. This book welcomes in the weird and tries to understand it, even when the only prospect of hope comes from the uneasy light of the moon.
N is a skater and he lives in a world of alternative pathways - making a way out of what most people see as barriers. This is true of his physical movements, but his mental agility also extends to being able to think around, via and through other people's way of thinking. He takes you with him as he tries to understand the thoughts which will not leave Farzaneh alone, and I found him to be an understandable and empathetic link to her character.
The story follows his time at university and some time afterwards, when he must confront the reality, that the choices and possibilities you want can be as illusory as a desert mirage, whereas those you don't want are as real and demanding as thirst. "Graduation is a weird time", he says, and in this case he's certainly not wrong.
Don't read this book with a selfish eye, wondering where your experiences meet N's. If you're waiting to see yourself you'll have (ironically) missed the point:
"In Farzaneh's world, grief has revealed depths of feeling and experience that I can't imagine. If anything, her perspective should have the power to subvert my own idea of love, open me to the complexities of the emotions and how they make us reinterpret reality, maybe even admit that the love that I desire might reflect a missing part in me, or that I am too eager to play a role that society has told me is inevitable."
I hugely enjoyed Farzaneh and the Moon and particluarly at its end, where Wilven's deft foreshadowing pays off in the closing seconds of the novel. It's done what great stories should and left me with much to think about - about self, about freedom, and about how that translates to my own and others' actions.
This is a book for reasonable radicals. This book welcomes in the weird and tries to understand it, even when the only prospect of hope comes from the uneasy light of the moon.
N is a skater and he lives in a world of alternative pathways - making a way out of what most people see as barriers. This is true of his physical movements, but his mental agility also extends to being able to think around, via and through other people's way of thinking. He takes you with him as he tries to understand the thoughts which will not leave Farzaneh alone, and I found him to be an understandable and empathetic link to her character.
The story follows his time at university and some time afterwards, when he must confront the reality, that the choices and possibilities you want can be as illusory as a desert mirage, whereas those you don't want are as real and demanding as thirst. "Graduation is a weird time", he says, and in this case he's certainly not wrong.
Don't read this book with a selfish eye, wondering where your experiences meet N's. If you're waiting to see yourself you'll have (ironically) missed the point:
"In Farzaneh's world, grief has revealed depths of feeling and experience that I can't imagine. If anything, her perspective should have the power to subvert my own idea of love, open me to the complexities of the emotions and how they make us reinterpret reality, maybe even admit that the love that I desire might reflect a missing part in me, or that I am too eager to play a role that society has told me is inevitable."
I hugely enjoyed Farzaneh and the Moon and particluarly at its end, where Wilven's deft foreshadowing pays off in the closing seconds of the novel. It's done what great stories should and left me with much to think about - about self, about freedom, and about how that translates to my own and others' actions.
May 11, 2019
I don't like to give negative reviews of books, as it takes a lot to write a novel and get it published, but sadly sometimes I read something that just falls flat for me.
For Farzeneh, Matt Wilven has used the trope of the Broken Mystical Dream Girl (rather than the more commonplace Manic Pixie Dream Girl) with N, the unnamed protagonist, as the hero who hopes to 'save' her through his infatuation with her. I say 'infatuation with', not 'love for', her because really, N seems to know very little about Farzaneh or bother trying to find out. Instead of the "passionate and intense" relationship referred to in the blurb, this is a shallow and toxic relationship.
The book reads very much like a young, debut author (even though it is not Wilven's first book) with a lot of what seems like teenage/early-20s autobiographical detail, such as the drawn out drug experience and skateboarding scenes. I almost wondered whether N and Farzaneh were deliberately and satrically written as unlikeable, pretentious, pseudo-intellectuals, but I fear that we are supposed to take them seriously. The sex scenes throughout the book are clunky, cringy and had me rolling my eyes or laughing. Wilven also falls into the oft-parodied errors of 'man writing woman', for example by fixating on Farzaneh's breasts for a whole page whilst the couple are in Venice, which just comes across as lazy and misogynist.
Whilst the book does have a fantastical element, I found N's inaction towards Farzaneh's apparently deteriorating mental health was unbelievable, particularly with the implication that her mother was bipolar. Sadly, the story just dragged its way to its predictably fanciful, yet infuriating conclusion and it's hard to find anything to recommend here.
Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for the digital copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
For Farzeneh, Matt Wilven has used the trope of the Broken Mystical Dream Girl (rather than the more commonplace Manic Pixie Dream Girl) with N, the unnamed protagonist, as the hero who hopes to 'save' her through his infatuation with her. I say 'infatuation with', not 'love for', her because really, N seems to know very little about Farzaneh or bother trying to find out. Instead of the "passionate and intense" relationship referred to in the blurb, this is a shallow and toxic relationship.
The book reads very much like a young, debut author (even though it is not Wilven's first book) with a lot of what seems like teenage/early-20s autobiographical detail, such as the drawn out drug experience and skateboarding scenes. I almost wondered whether N and Farzaneh were deliberately and satrically written as unlikeable, pretentious, pseudo-intellectuals, but I fear that we are supposed to take them seriously. The sex scenes throughout the book are clunky, cringy and had me rolling my eyes or laughing. Wilven also falls into the oft-parodied errors of 'man writing woman', for example by fixating on Farzaneh's breasts for a whole page whilst the couple are in Venice, which just comes across as lazy and misogynist.
Whilst the book does have a fantastical element, I found N's inaction towards Farzaneh's apparently deteriorating mental health was unbelievable, particularly with the implication that her mother was bipolar. Sadly, the story just dragged its way to its predictably fanciful, yet infuriating conclusion and it's hard to find anything to recommend here.
Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for the digital copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
May 29, 2019
Farzaneh and the Moon is a beautifully written book, full of lyrical prose that paints both the beautiful side of London and the ugly side of London, beautifully.
As an East Londoner myself, many of the descriptions felt incredibly real and the novel explored some of the same feelings of isolation I think everybody feels when arriving in this intense, unforgiving place full of possibilities, isolation, hope, distance, excitement, and life.
Although the book has magical qualities and themes, it really felt rooted in earthly connections. Connections to people; connections to ideas, words, skateboarding - the moon - anything that makes us feel like we can control and make sense of the world happening around us.
I read it in just two sittings, and felt absorbed fully into the lives of the two central characters. Although they weren’t characters I knew, or fully recognised, they were embodiments of the ideas, myths and palimpsests of a City like this.
As an East Londoner myself, many of the descriptions felt incredibly real and the novel explored some of the same feelings of isolation I think everybody feels when arriving in this intense, unforgiving place full of possibilities, isolation, hope, distance, excitement, and life.
Although the book has magical qualities and themes, it really felt rooted in earthly connections. Connections to people; connections to ideas, words, skateboarding - the moon - anything that makes us feel like we can control and make sense of the world happening around us.
I read it in just two sittings, and felt absorbed fully into the lives of the two central characters. Although they weren’t characters I knew, or fully recognised, they were embodiments of the ideas, myths and palimpsests of a City like this.
December 30, 2024
Very manic pixie dream girl-esque
May 20, 2019
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'She is muddy, distant, shaking with dark knowledge.'
N. is at University in London, his young mind feasting on philosophy but it is Farzaneh’s world he really longs to access. Here is a young woman who feels and thinks deeply, someone who challenges him emotionally, who stimulates his intellect as well as his physical being. Both want to live in a way that doesn’t require just ‘going through the motions’. If it takes a little psychedelic help from nature to reach the deepest access of their minds, well who better to do it with than Farzaneh. She hasn’t been anchored to anyone since her father, there is pain she hasn’t confronted, and N. wants nothing more than to be the one who can keep her together inside. She is wildly interesting to him, but is this depth or something darker?
When is loving someone so blinding that you neglect to notice the rupture in their logic? When does the hunger for spiritual bliss blur the lines of what’s sane and what’s madness? What can N. really grasp about love at his tender age? In a sense, Farzaneh would annihilate herself if she could align with the moon. This is more than longing for some spiritual awakening, there is a creeping illness inside of her. One of the most honest moments however, speaks to N.’s state of mind when he is halfway through his course and says “I’m still none the wiser about any of them”, meaning the other students. He is too busy being wrapped up with his beloved, is it possible for healthy love to be so exclusive that the rest of the world and everyone within it disappears entirely? There is a shallow relationship he has earlier on, feeling completely disconnected but should communion with another eclipse sanity? Should we really want to merge so entirely that nothing else matters? “Everything is how she wanted it.” Nothing can ever be exactly as one person wants it, that’s not healthy.
Farzaneh’s obsession with the moon escalates, she can feel it in her very womb! N. needs to be with her, can’t live without her! Love can’t be wrong, love is a balm right? She likes her alone time, but he just wants live together! Normal day behaviors are disgusting her, eating- who needs to eat? She doesn’t want to be a person in this way anymore. N. will do anything to keep her, anything. But does real love bend itself this way, keep the peace, create an atmosphere that isn’t healthy just to be in someone’s life?
This is far more than just meditation or harmless moon-bathing going on here, can a trip to Venice be the fix? The only thing sinking faster than Venice is Farzaneh’s mind, and it begs the question, just how suspect is N. in neglecting to rein her in? He is scared of confronting her behavior, even if he doesn’t tell us so, in the simple choice of letting it continue. Then comes the burial….
The ending, what are we to make of that? I wonder, was N. an unreliable character all this time? Just who is ill here?
This was a decent read, I see love differently from someone in their twenties, time seasons us I suppose, therefore a lot of N.’s decisions seem completely ill conceived. I just kept thinking, God save us from those who love us. Clearly Farzaneh needs something, but it isn’t a man’s love. It’s a peculiar tale, if nothing else it clearly demonstrates that we shouldn’t always fulfill the requests people we love ask of us. I’m not sure even in some alternate universe I would feel comfortable helping someone dig into the earth, so to speak.
Out Now
Legend Press
'She is muddy, distant, shaking with dark knowledge.'
N. is at University in London, his young mind feasting on philosophy but it is Farzaneh’s world he really longs to access. Here is a young woman who feels and thinks deeply, someone who challenges him emotionally, who stimulates his intellect as well as his physical being. Both want to live in a way that doesn’t require just ‘going through the motions’. If it takes a little psychedelic help from nature to reach the deepest access of their minds, well who better to do it with than Farzaneh. She hasn’t been anchored to anyone since her father, there is pain she hasn’t confronted, and N. wants nothing more than to be the one who can keep her together inside. She is wildly interesting to him, but is this depth or something darker?
When is loving someone so blinding that you neglect to notice the rupture in their logic? When does the hunger for spiritual bliss blur the lines of what’s sane and what’s madness? What can N. really grasp about love at his tender age? In a sense, Farzaneh would annihilate herself if she could align with the moon. This is more than longing for some spiritual awakening, there is a creeping illness inside of her. One of the most honest moments however, speaks to N.’s state of mind when he is halfway through his course and says “I’m still none the wiser about any of them”, meaning the other students. He is too busy being wrapped up with his beloved, is it possible for healthy love to be so exclusive that the rest of the world and everyone within it disappears entirely? There is a shallow relationship he has earlier on, feeling completely disconnected but should communion with another eclipse sanity? Should we really want to merge so entirely that nothing else matters? “Everything is how she wanted it.” Nothing can ever be exactly as one person wants it, that’s not healthy.
Farzaneh’s obsession with the moon escalates, she can feel it in her very womb! N. needs to be with her, can’t live without her! Love can’t be wrong, love is a balm right? She likes her alone time, but he just wants live together! Normal day behaviors are disgusting her, eating- who needs to eat? She doesn’t want to be a person in this way anymore. N. will do anything to keep her, anything. But does real love bend itself this way, keep the peace, create an atmosphere that isn’t healthy just to be in someone’s life?
This is far more than just meditation or harmless moon-bathing going on here, can a trip to Venice be the fix? The only thing sinking faster than Venice is Farzaneh’s mind, and it begs the question, just how suspect is N. in neglecting to rein her in? He is scared of confronting her behavior, even if he doesn’t tell us so, in the simple choice of letting it continue. Then comes the burial….
The ending, what are we to make of that? I wonder, was N. an unreliable character all this time? Just who is ill here?
This was a decent read, I see love differently from someone in their twenties, time seasons us I suppose, therefore a lot of N.’s decisions seem completely ill conceived. I just kept thinking, God save us from those who love us. Clearly Farzaneh needs something, but it isn’t a man’s love. It’s a peculiar tale, if nothing else it clearly demonstrates that we shouldn’t always fulfill the requests people we love ask of us. I’m not sure even in some alternate universe I would feel comfortable helping someone dig into the earth, so to speak.
Out Now
Legend Press
May 26, 2019
Farzaneh and the Moon had me experience a small roller coaster of emotions. I believe if I read this book a few years ago (i.e. during my high school or college years) I probably would have liked it a lot. However, what I mostly took from this book now was a highly attached boy who let his love of Mysterious Farzaneh take control of his life. Not to say the unnamed narrator is completely at fault here - Farzaneh is also to blame. What I could not figure out were her true feelings for him, reading multiple instances of her physically showing discomfort whenever he'd mention being with her long term or even touching her, but then she would randomly reassure him that she did in fact want to be with him.
I know that this mysterious, exotic, broken girl can have some sort of appealing factor for some readers, especially when her partner is there to "help" her and supports her crazy notions (wow so romantic). However, what really should have happened at some point in this book was her partner trying to get her help because it's pretty obvious that her past trauma and experiences has affected her mental health to the point where she really believes she needs to be in sync with the moon - that the moon is a part of her.
I'm really struggling with rating this book because I did enjoy the first half or so but as I read on I really started to dislike the characters and what was going on. The ending was slightly redeeming because I was not expecting it at all. And despite not really enjoying the book's plot, the writing is actually great, in fact I'm interested in checking out Matt Wilven's other book. I think I would say this is a 2 and a half star rating, but rounding down to 2 for my Goodreads rating.
I know that this mysterious, exotic, broken girl can have some sort of appealing factor for some readers, especially when her partner is there to "help" her and supports her crazy notions (wow so romantic). However, what really should have happened at some point in this book was her partner trying to get her help because it's pretty obvious that her past trauma and experiences has affected her mental health to the point where she really believes she needs to be in sync with the moon - that the moon is a part of her.
I'm really struggling with rating this book because I did enjoy the first half or so but as I read on I really started to dislike the characters and what was going on. The ending was slightly redeeming because I was not expecting it at all. And despite not really enjoying the book's plot, the writing is actually great, in fact I'm interested in checking out Matt Wilven's other book. I think I would say this is a 2 and a half star rating, but rounding down to 2 for my Goodreads rating.
June 17, 2021
It took me a week to finish it because i have this overwhelming laziness in me HAHA anyways this gonna be my first review on this apps
This one is depressing. I like Farzaneh character, she’s really committed trying to unveil the truth within herself. I was hoping i can know what’s the truth above all that she’s always been talking about. But she’s dead. It still amaze me how Wilven’s words drive me as the reader to constantly agree with Farzaneh just like how N agree with her in a way. And without knowing and without this consciousness, i never think that ritual is actually simply bringing her to death. But the way Wilven draws N to his pov for me to really see that this ritual Farzaneh wanted to do is for her to unveil what she’s really be searching for. Eventually making me wanted to love her as much as how N loves her and how he’d do anything for her. Because Farzaneh is really astonishingly and makes you wonder what’s beneath her minds her thoughts her words and truth. And how toxic realtionship is really subtle.
This one is depressing. I like Farzaneh character, she’s really committed trying to unveil the truth within herself. I was hoping i can know what’s the truth above all that she’s always been talking about. But she’s dead. It still amaze me how Wilven’s words drive me as the reader to constantly agree with Farzaneh just like how N agree with her in a way. And without knowing and without this consciousness, i never think that ritual is actually simply bringing her to death. But the way Wilven draws N to his pov for me to really see that this ritual Farzaneh wanted to do is for her to unveil what she’s really be searching for. Eventually making me wanted to love her as much as how N loves her and how he’d do anything for her. Because Farzaneh is really astonishingly and makes you wonder what’s beneath her minds her thoughts her words and truth. And how toxic realtionship is really subtle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2025
The blurb of this gave me “our wives under the sea” vibes and I want you to be aware that this is absolutely not the vibe of the book.
The beginning and end of this book feel very anachronistic to the rest of the narrative but give an unusual twist on an otherwise very realistic story and make you question how far you would be willing to trust the one you love even when their beliefs so drastically differ from your own.
There is also a strong philosophy theme throughout. Our protagonist is a philosophy student and almost every conversation in the novel turns to the philosophical as he tries to navigate his own ethics with the looming arrival of his graduation, not just from university but into society as a whole. This graduation means he will need to earn enough to pay his bills and live – does he follow his passions and dreams or does he follow everyone else?
I will say that this is an interesting novel but the writing style felt like a debut as it felt quite clunky in its writing (it is not his debut) so I struggled with how to rate this.
The beginning and end of this book feel very anachronistic to the rest of the narrative but give an unusual twist on an otherwise very realistic story and make you question how far you would be willing to trust the one you love even when their beliefs so drastically differ from your own.
There is also a strong philosophy theme throughout. Our protagonist is a philosophy student and almost every conversation in the novel turns to the philosophical as he tries to navigate his own ethics with the looming arrival of his graduation, not just from university but into society as a whole. This graduation means he will need to earn enough to pay his bills and live – does he follow his passions and dreams or does he follow everyone else?
I will say that this is an interesting novel but the writing style felt like a debut as it felt quite clunky in its writing (it is not his debut) so I struggled with how to rate this.
May 31, 2019
This review and more at www.cometgrrl.com.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher (through NetGalley) in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The book opens with N burying Farzaneh under the light of the full moon. It's very mysterious and sets a fantasy-like tone for the novel. However, the fantasy disappears after this intro, only to reappear in the last few pages.
I almost quit reading this book several times. Our narrator and main character, N, is a new University student and struggling to fit in. At first, it was interesting, but as he becomes involved in a relationship, I started to lose interest. The girl he's dating definitely has some issues, and he's clearly not happy, and stays just to be in a relationship. Ugh.
We don't get much background on N. No indication as to why he's chosen to study for philosophy, and not much in the way of character development. He's just a guy who goes from one twisted, somewhat co-dependent relationship to another even more twisted relationship.
N wanders through life examining things through the eyes of his philosophy course work. When he meets Farzaneh, they have a strong connection and the book really picks up here.As the story unfolds, it becomes clearer and clearer that Farzaneh is mentally unstable. There is nothing magical or fantastical about her, she comes across as deluded, maybe manic.
The main story of the book does not fit with the introduction and the ending. It's possible this is the author's intent, and we are supposed to question the reliability and sanity of our narrator, N. For me, it fell flat and would have been hugely disappointing had I not been immensely relieved that the book was finally over.
Perhaps more introspective into the psyche of N, letting us in on why he believes that reality only exists for him through Farzaneh, would have helped. Perhaps not.
I would not recommend this book.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher (through NetGalley) in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The book opens with N burying Farzaneh under the light of the full moon. It's very mysterious and sets a fantasy-like tone for the novel. However, the fantasy disappears after this intro, only to reappear in the last few pages.
I almost quit reading this book several times. Our narrator and main character, N, is a new University student and struggling to fit in. At first, it was interesting, but as he becomes involved in a relationship, I started to lose interest. The girl he's dating definitely has some issues, and he's clearly not happy, and stays just to be in a relationship. Ugh.
We don't get much background on N. No indication as to why he's chosen to study for philosophy, and not much in the way of character development. He's just a guy who goes from one twisted, somewhat co-dependent relationship to another even more twisted relationship.
N wanders through life examining things through the eyes of his philosophy course work. When he meets Farzaneh, they have a strong connection and the book really picks up here.As the story unfolds, it becomes clearer and clearer that Farzaneh is mentally unstable. There is nothing magical or fantastical about her, she comes across as deluded, maybe manic.
The main story of the book does not fit with the introduction and the ending. It's possible this is the author's intent, and we are supposed to question the reliability and sanity of our narrator, N. For me, it fell flat and would have been hugely disappointing had I not been immensely relieved that the book was finally over.
Perhaps more introspective into the psyche of N, letting us in on why he believes that reality only exists for him through Farzaneh, would have helped. Perhaps not.
I would not recommend this book.
July 31, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Wilven’s a masterful prose writer, adept at interweaving meaning into his paragraphs and chapters. I quickly became emotionally invested in the two protagonists, and it was initially frustrating to see the two collapse into each other. Yet, it is a testament to Wilven that his characters and their journey remain so credible, and relatable as their own world lurches from the borders of strange to boundlessly bizarre. Whilst you could find N and Farzenah’s philosophical zeal slightly at odds with the average love island junkie University student, it kept the story posing a continual element of challenge to the reader. Prepare to spend time with dodecahedron pegs in their square holed world in this brilliant inspection of young people’s battle for freedom and identity today.
June 5, 2020
Farzaneh and the Moon starts with one of the most disturbing first chapters I have ever read. It is the story of a young couple who meet at university. They are up themselves in the way that only a certain type of student can be - pretentiously intellectual, convinced of their superiority over the rest of society, constantly quoting philosophy, getting stoned and writing terrible poetry. She is damaged and ethereal, never having recovered from the early deaths of her parents. His love is obsessional - to the point that rather than challenge her increasingly extreme behaviour and help her out of the mental health crisis she is clearly descending into, he prefers to believe in her quest to make a spiritual connection to the moon.
Short and melancholy, I enjoyed it - but not as much as The Blackbird Singularity.
Short and melancholy, I enjoyed it - but not as much as The Blackbird Singularity.
January 2, 2024
It's dull and flat but the scholastic and philosophy content is quite intriguing.
I like how this story brought me from the usual society we lived in and how an individual can unravel their own truth of existence. It amazes me how Wilven characterized N who is torn between living to the reality of the society and living to the reality of Farzaneh.
Quotes that I like from this book:
1. "So, can I help you with something or will my service as an object you want to look at be enough?" (SAVAGE)
2. "People make commitments because they feel insecure, or inadequate... it's not my job to shield them from reality."
3. "Your relationship with love is just a relationship with yourself"
4. "These are not the words you're reading"
5. You can never show somebody who you are, or what you've been through. The body is a mask. You just have to show people your moment."
I like how this story brought me from the usual society we lived in and how an individual can unravel their own truth of existence. It amazes me how Wilven characterized N who is torn between living to the reality of the society and living to the reality of Farzaneh.
Quotes that I like from this book:
1. "So, can I help you with something or will my service as an object you want to look at be enough?" (SAVAGE)
2. "People make commitments because they feel insecure, or inadequate... it's not my job to shield them from reality."
3. "Your relationship with love is just a relationship with yourself"
4. "These are not the words you're reading"
5. You can never show somebody who you are, or what you've been through. The body is a mask. You just have to show people your moment."
May 27, 2019
Today it is my turn to review Farzaneh and the Moon by Matt Wilven published by @legendpress .
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This book I found quite dark- which I think is intended by the author. There is very unusual relationship between N and Farzaneh is both odd and at times toxic. N is the narrator of the story and he does have an air of mystery about him also we never find out what his actual name is- what does N stand for.
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The ending of the book the author has done a great job of joining up all the loose ends.
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For me personally I did find this read hard going at times-but in saying that just because I found it hard does not mean that another reader won’t like it.
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Thank you to Lucy @legendpress for asking me to be part of this blog blast.
🌙
This book I found quite dark- which I think is intended by the author. There is very unusual relationship between N and Farzaneh is both odd and at times toxic. N is the narrator of the story and he does have an air of mystery about him also we never find out what his actual name is- what does N stand for.
🌙
The ending of the book the author has done a great job of joining up all the loose ends.
🌙
For me personally I did find this read hard going at times-but in saying that just because I found it hard does not mean that another reader won’t like it.
🌙
Thank you to Lucy @legendpress for asking me to be part of this blog blast.
August 20, 2021
This story is addictive because if nothing else you need to know how far the obsessive, toxic relationship that the main character is in will go. I think we have all met someone as pretentious as F at university - I wanted to shake her throughout the story.
This is a very well written book and an enjoyable if confusing read. I like the quirks of the main character and seeing the transition from fresher to new graduate in each stage of the novel, tracking against whatever it is between him and F.
I’m not sure I quite get the ending but I think that is deliberate, so I’m thinking through the different scenarios that could work in the context.
This is a very well written book and an enjoyable if confusing read. I like the quirks of the main character and seeing the transition from fresher to new graduate in each stage of the novel, tracking against whatever it is between him and F.
I’m not sure I quite get the ending but I think that is deliberate, so I’m thinking through the different scenarios that could work in the context.
December 31, 2021
The cover looks like a children’s book. It isn’t. I didn’t think I’d like it. I was wrong about that, too. I did struggle with it on occasions but the beautiful writing won me over. I do have issues with books that, to me, don’t end properly so I am left with a lot of unanswered questions. On the whole though - a good book that I would not have picked out myself.
August 10, 2023
There is just something about the book that I can't quite figure out... That feeling of being in another world another surreal dimension, i can't quite describe it. But I felt it. And I absolutely cherish the vaguesness and the uncertainty of it. It got me thinking pages and pages, even after finishing the book... I love it. Looking forward for more from the author❤️
September 24, 2025
DNF at 50%
Thought there might be something intriguing in here from the description but it was a middle class tosser getting obsessed with a walking red flag in desperate need of therapy and just feeding each other's toxic traits while at uni.
It takes a lot to write characters that are just this thoroughly unlikeable so that's something I suppose.
Thought there might be something intriguing in here from the description but it was a middle class tosser getting obsessed with a walking red flag in desperate need of therapy and just feeding each other's toxic traits while at uni.
It takes a lot to write characters that are just this thoroughly unlikeable so that's something I suppose.
December 16, 2021
Actually I had to give up halfway through, probably not my genre. But it read like a 90s existential crisis, which was considered "high" literature, and that we were forced to read at uni because it was riddled with symbolism and great for overinterpretations.
Again, probably just not for me.
Again, probably just not for me.
August 14, 2022
I don't really know how I feel about this book. Its gripped me enough to finish it, but the ending has disappointed me.
I personally needed to know what really happened without having a cliffhanger of an ending.
I personally needed to know what really happened without having a cliffhanger of an ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2021
I don't know what to say about this book, except to say it was a descent into madness that left me frustrated and kind of melancholy...
Read
November 11, 2021Can't even give it stars. So many hours of my life I can't get back.
March 2, 2022
This book was beautifully written but I was so disappointed to have spent the whole day reading for that ending. If you dislike vague endings, give this a pass
May 5, 2025
one of my favourites forever
May 21, 2019
Farzaneh and the Moon is certainly different. I wasn't sure what to expect as I turned the first page, and that was probably good, as it is a story that really does its own thing! I enjoyed the prose and the characters; although, I struggled at times to understand why N stayed with Farzaneh. Had it been me, I would have given up on her by the mid-point in the story. This is a lyrical, thought-provoking piece of writing, but one which leaves it up to the reader to decide exactly what has happened and how much was real. As such, it won't appeal to readers who dislike open endings. But if you enjoy books that test your perception and thinking, and if you like tales that blend reality with something magical, this is a book you will appreciate.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2019
I was excited to read this after his debut Blackbird Singualrity in 2016. With Blackbird I was struck by his compelling style and ability to vividly portray human relationships and atmospheres. As a fan of both Murakami and Raymond Carver, I loved how he combined sharp social realism with subtly surreal elements and symbols.
Farzaneh and the Moon is his second novel, and I actually think I enjoyed this one even more, which is no small thing. Again Wliven writes vividly and compellingly. There is a lyricism to the way he spins this story and how the characters lives unfold, and it feels like there is real depth to the symbolism and connections made between things. In a way the book reads almost like an extended poem. His relationships are still observed with the same sharp precision as with his first book too, and the characters are engaging and human, flawed and full of complexity. I was totally sucked into their dark world as they dealt with the idealism of youth, love, freedom, and their search for meaning.
Interestingly, Wilven again deals with issues of mental health, as he did in his first novel, but in a rather unique way. I don't want to give too much away, suffice to say he handles his subjects in a way that is compassionate and poetic. I absolutely blitzed through this as its a proper page turner, so its worth taking a punt on. Really not read anything quite like it before. Recommended!
Farzaneh and the Moon is his second novel, and I actually think I enjoyed this one even more, which is no small thing. Again Wliven writes vividly and compellingly. There is a lyricism to the way he spins this story and how the characters lives unfold, and it feels like there is real depth to the symbolism and connections made between things. In a way the book reads almost like an extended poem. His relationships are still observed with the same sharp precision as with his first book too, and the characters are engaging and human, flawed and full of complexity. I was totally sucked into their dark world as they dealt with the idealism of youth, love, freedom, and their search for meaning.
Interestingly, Wilven again deals with issues of mental health, as he did in his first novel, but in a rather unique way. I don't want to give too much away, suffice to say he handles his subjects in a way that is compassionate and poetic. I absolutely blitzed through this as its a proper page turner, so its worth taking a punt on. Really not read anything quite like it before. Recommended!
August 24, 2019
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy! Check out my blog for my stop on the blog tour: https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com
This one was a bit of a rough start for me but it did turn for the better around the second half. It felt a lot like it was continuing the manic pixie dream girl trope, with Farzaneh as this odd, mysterious girl that our unnamed protagonist becomes obsessed and infatuated with. I found it difficult to connect with either of the two main characters as well, especially from the beginning. They spend a lot of time just getting high (N shows up in London with little more than a backpack full of weed) and most of the people they hang out with are also very into drugs and excessive drinking and partying. It feels overdone and there’s little else about the characters to form any real connection.
My main issue with the book, though, was the dialogue. Wilven has been compared to Murakami in the philosophic nature of his writing, and I can definitely see that as I’m currently reading 1Q84, but it felt at times like this writing was trying to make big statements without really progressing the story, certainly with the first half. The characters have multiple discussions about society and ways of life while tripping on drugs, and though they seemed to think they were really profound ideas, they really just sounded annoying.
However, with the second half we start to move away from these drug-infused talks and get a little more into the heads, and backstories, of our two MCs. While I still felt like Farzaneh wasn’t quite as fleshed out as I’d hoped, and N seems to be spurred on by lust more than anything, there were still powerful moments in his realizations about the person whose fantasies he was indulging.
I didn’t find that this book lived up to my enjoyment of The Blackbird Singularity but I’d still be interested in more from this author.
This one was a bit of a rough start for me but it did turn for the better around the second half. It felt a lot like it was continuing the manic pixie dream girl trope, with Farzaneh as this odd, mysterious girl that our unnamed protagonist becomes obsessed and infatuated with. I found it difficult to connect with either of the two main characters as well, especially from the beginning. They spend a lot of time just getting high (N shows up in London with little more than a backpack full of weed) and most of the people they hang out with are also very into drugs and excessive drinking and partying. It feels overdone and there’s little else about the characters to form any real connection.
My main issue with the book, though, was the dialogue. Wilven has been compared to Murakami in the philosophic nature of his writing, and I can definitely see that as I’m currently reading 1Q84, but it felt at times like this writing was trying to make big statements without really progressing the story, certainly with the first half. The characters have multiple discussions about society and ways of life while tripping on drugs, and though they seemed to think they were really profound ideas, they really just sounded annoying.
However, with the second half we start to move away from these drug-infused talks and get a little more into the heads, and backstories, of our two MCs. While I still felt like Farzaneh wasn’t quite as fleshed out as I’d hoped, and N seems to be spurred on by lust more than anything, there were still powerful moments in his realizations about the person whose fantasies he was indulging.
I didn’t find that this book lived up to my enjoyment of The Blackbird Singularity but I’d still be interested in more from this author.
May 21, 2021
This book was BRILLIANT! I love the way Matt Wilven writes and it was such a great read that I didn't want to put it down, sadly I have to sleep in between.
June 22, 2022
‘your relationship with love is just your relationship with yourself’
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