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Aria
This extraordinary, gripping debut is a rags-to-riches-to-revolution tale about an orphan girl's coming-of-age in Iran.
It is the early 1950s in a democratic but restless Iran, a country newly powerful with oil wealth but unsettled by class and religious divides and by the politics of a larger world hungry (especially the West) for its resources. One night, a humble driver in the Iranian army is walking through a rough area of Tehran when he hears a small, pitiful cry. Curious, he searches for the source, and to his horror, comes upon a newborn baby abandoned by the side of the road and encircled by ravenous dogs. He snatches up the child--and forever alters his own destiny and that of the little girl, whom he names Aria.
Thus begins a stunning and revelatory debut that takes us inside the Iranian revolution--but as seen like never before, through the eyes of an orphan girl. The novel is structured around each of the three very different women who find themselves fated to mother the lost child: first, the working-class, reckless and self-involved Zahra, married to the kind-hearted soldier; then the wealthy, careful and compassionate Fereshteh, who invites Aria into her compound and adopts her as an heir; and finally, Aria's biological mother, Mehri, whose new family Aria discovers in adolescence. A final section, "Aria," takes us through the brutal revolution that installs the Ayatollah Khomeini as Iran's supreme leader, even as Aria falls in love with a revolutionary and becomes a young mother herself.
Here is a sweeping, unforgettable, timely saga that brilliantly humanizes people trapped and left powerless and voiceless by an unjust world--people no different from those in the west, wanting love, kindness, belonging and freedom of thought.
It is the early 1950s in a democratic but restless Iran, a country newly powerful with oil wealth but unsettled by class and religious divides and by the politics of a larger world hungry (especially the West) for its resources. One night, a humble driver in the Iranian army is walking through a rough area of Tehran when he hears a small, pitiful cry. Curious, he searches for the source, and to his horror, comes upon a newborn baby abandoned by the side of the road and encircled by ravenous dogs. He snatches up the child--and forever alters his own destiny and that of the little girl, whom he names Aria.
Thus begins a stunning and revelatory debut that takes us inside the Iranian revolution--but as seen like never before, through the eyes of an orphan girl. The novel is structured around each of the three very different women who find themselves fated to mother the lost child: first, the working-class, reckless and self-involved Zahra, married to the kind-hearted soldier; then the wealthy, careful and compassionate Fereshteh, who invites Aria into her compound and adopts her as an heir; and finally, Aria's biological mother, Mehri, whose new family Aria discovers in adolescence. A final section, "Aria," takes us through the brutal revolution that installs the Ayatollah Khomeini as Iran's supreme leader, even as Aria falls in love with a revolutionary and becomes a young mother herself.
Here is a sweeping, unforgettable, timely saga that brilliantly humanizes people trapped and left powerless and voiceless by an unjust world--people no different from those in the west, wanting love, kindness, belonging and freedom of thought.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2019
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7223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
September 22, 2020
The story of a baby girl with a boy's name, Aria, unwanted and left to perish after her birth, was interesting, however, the fact that I know almost next to nothing about Iran as it was in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, until the Revolution, stopped me from enjoying the plot as much as I wanted. I spent a lot of time googling the names and trying to understand the religious complications in Iran at that time, and it was not something that allowed me to go with the flow with this book. On the other hand, the social and historical background sounded intriguing despite the inability to comprehend all niceties. I think a reader with some knowledge of the place and times will find this novel much more compelling.
I cannot say I found characters likeable, except for Bakhtiar who finds the baby and decides to bring her up. Aria herself is a strange girl but perhaps it is all due to being unloved in her childhood and the suffering that fell upon her.
*Many thanks to Nazazine Hozar, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I cannot say I found characters likeable, except for Bakhtiar who finds the baby and decides to bring her up. Aria herself is a strange girl but perhaps it is all due to being unloved in her childhood and the suffering that fell upon her.
*Many thanks to Nazazine Hozar, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
March 15, 2021
Overrated and Heavily Inaccurate and Biased Account of Iranian History
As one commentator pointed out, Aria is nothing but a “mediocre soap with the noise turned up”.
It is full of historical errors and inaccuracies. I give A FEW examples. 1) In the first chapter set in 1958-1959, a political group called Fadaian Khalgh is mentioned. This group was founded in 1971. 2) In the last chapter, Khomeini, while landing in Tehran, is described as wearing a WHITE turban. Like Ayatollah Khamenei, the current Iranian Supreme Leader, Khomeini wore a BLACK turban. Clerics who are considered to be related to Prophet Mohammed by blood wear BLACK turbans. 3) Evin prison, where Mithra is taken, has a CAFETERIA for prisoners. Ask anyone who once was in Evin and they tell you this is RIDICULOUS! 4) A park in North of Tehran where characters meet BEFORE the revolution, “SHAHANSHAHI PARK”, is mentioned by its name AFTER the revolution “MEALLAT PARTK”.
These examples show that the author has no deep understanding of what she’s writing about. She left Iran with her family when she was seven and never returned for a visit, which is alright. The problem is that she claims authenticity and knowledge on the subject. She said in an interview, by writing this book, she has become the VOICE of the VOICELESS.
Hozar not only doesn’t have a subtle knowledge of Iranian history and Iranian life, but she does also have a good grasp of the geography of Tehran, either. Tehran is a huge metropole. Distances between various neighborhoods and places are not that short as she describes (e.g. Mellat Park and Yousef Abad are not close; Darband and Shush are very far such that characters cannot be in one place and soon appear in the other.
The various mistakes she commits throughout the book are too many to be ignored. Historical and geographical mistakes aside, the story itself is so unrealistic that it resembles a Bollywood movie. Most events and relationships are hardly believable and give the story the aura of a fairy tale. Narrative development is also fairytale-like. There is no good dramatic arc. The protagonist, Aria, has almost no role in the progression of her own story. Rather than the protagonist's wants and choices and struggles moving the plot, things happen to Aria the story forward. The book can be much shorter. There are lots of superfluous details and descriptions and unnecessary characters like Fereshteh's brother who has a cleanliness obsession. What do function he and his obsession serve to advance the plot?
Drawn in black and white, characters also resemble fairy tale personas. Hozar portrays mostly her poor characters as evil (e.g. Zahra) while portraying the rich as good. At least in Bollywood movies, the poor and destitute are not evil. It seems that the author detests the destitute living in south Tehran. Even the good kid Kamran suddenly turns evil at the end!
With all its falsehood and soap opera-ish plot and character development, Aria is a prime example of neo-orientalist literature promoted by corporate North American publishers. In the same way, as the US government sold lies about Iraq possessing nuclear weapons to Americans and Europeans, Penguin/Random House and Hozar sell lies about Iran with regard to the 1979 Iranian Revolution to Western readers who cannot discern facts from fiction. In their promotional material, the publisher says this book is about the revolution whereas only a small part of the book is about this subject. Aria comes out at a time when Trump canceled the nuclear deal with Iran, put severe economic sanctions on Iran, and threatens to wage a war against Iran (turn Iran to ruins in a few days to paraphrase Trump). The book provides proper material to support ideas that the Revolution, in which MILLIONS OF IRANIANS took part, was an entirely violent event that brought the beastly members of the working class like Kamran (a bead seller) and Fereshteh’s lover (a gardener) to power. Aria is a timely novel to justify a possible future war on Iran, its sovereignty and independence gained as the result of the revolution. I am not a supporter of the Islamic regime but I believe that, as Jewish philosopher Hannah Ardent points out, “fake literature” like Aria, full of historical inaccuracies and fabrications, only strengthens totalitarian regimes.
The book not only condemns the Iranian Revolution and depicts Iran as a backward, poor, and brutal country, but also, in a subtle way, promotes the US as an advanced and progressive country. While the book comes out around the fiftieth anniversary of Americans landing on the moon, a few pages in Chapters Two and Three are dedicated to this event, even though this does not serve anything in the development of the story. It only serves to glorify Americans.
Last but not the least, this is outrageous to compare the debut novel of a Canadian writer who has no place in Iranian Literature to the masterpiece of one of the most prominent Russian writers who won a Nobel Prize in Literature. Pasternak was well-established in Russian literature before he wrote Dr. Zhivago. He was a poet, literary translator, and novelist with several books. Moreover, like Akhmatova and others, he was among literary resistance against the Stalinist regime and therefore subject to the Stalinist purge in 1934. What book has Hozar written in Persian? I doubt that she can even read and write in Farsi. Who is Margaret Atwood, who has become a commercial figure and the poster-writer of corporate publishers, kidding? Her blurb is as ridiculous as if some Canadian poet compared a debut collection of poetry written by a Russian writer, the son of Iranian ex-patriots, with the masterpiece of Jalel-e-din Mawlana Rumi, Masnavi Manavi.
As one commentator pointed out, Aria is nothing but a “mediocre soap with the noise turned up”.
It is full of historical errors and inaccuracies. I give A FEW examples. 1) In the first chapter set in 1958-1959, a political group called Fadaian Khalgh is mentioned. This group was founded in 1971. 2) In the last chapter, Khomeini, while landing in Tehran, is described as wearing a WHITE turban. Like Ayatollah Khamenei, the current Iranian Supreme Leader, Khomeini wore a BLACK turban. Clerics who are considered to be related to Prophet Mohammed by blood wear BLACK turbans. 3) Evin prison, where Mithra is taken, has a CAFETERIA for prisoners. Ask anyone who once was in Evin and they tell you this is RIDICULOUS! 4) A park in North of Tehran where characters meet BEFORE the revolution, “SHAHANSHAHI PARK”, is mentioned by its name AFTER the revolution “MEALLAT PARTK”.
These examples show that the author has no deep understanding of what she’s writing about. She left Iran with her family when she was seven and never returned for a visit, which is alright. The problem is that she claims authenticity and knowledge on the subject. She said in an interview, by writing this book, she has become the VOICE of the VOICELESS.
Hozar not only doesn’t have a subtle knowledge of Iranian history and Iranian life, but she does also have a good grasp of the geography of Tehran, either. Tehran is a huge metropole. Distances between various neighborhoods and places are not that short as she describes (e.g. Mellat Park and Yousef Abad are not close; Darband and Shush are very far such that characters cannot be in one place and soon appear in the other.
The various mistakes she commits throughout the book are too many to be ignored. Historical and geographical mistakes aside, the story itself is so unrealistic that it resembles a Bollywood movie. Most events and relationships are hardly believable and give the story the aura of a fairy tale. Narrative development is also fairytale-like. There is no good dramatic arc. The protagonist, Aria, has almost no role in the progression of her own story. Rather than the protagonist's wants and choices and struggles moving the plot, things happen to Aria the story forward. The book can be much shorter. There are lots of superfluous details and descriptions and unnecessary characters like Fereshteh's brother who has a cleanliness obsession. What do function he and his obsession serve to advance the plot?
Drawn in black and white, characters also resemble fairy tale personas. Hozar portrays mostly her poor characters as evil (e.g. Zahra) while portraying the rich as good. At least in Bollywood movies, the poor and destitute are not evil. It seems that the author detests the destitute living in south Tehran. Even the good kid Kamran suddenly turns evil at the end!
With all its falsehood and soap opera-ish plot and character development, Aria is a prime example of neo-orientalist literature promoted by corporate North American publishers. In the same way, as the US government sold lies about Iraq possessing nuclear weapons to Americans and Europeans, Penguin/Random House and Hozar sell lies about Iran with regard to the 1979 Iranian Revolution to Western readers who cannot discern facts from fiction. In their promotional material, the publisher says this book is about the revolution whereas only a small part of the book is about this subject. Aria comes out at a time when Trump canceled the nuclear deal with Iran, put severe economic sanctions on Iran, and threatens to wage a war against Iran (turn Iran to ruins in a few days to paraphrase Trump). The book provides proper material to support ideas that the Revolution, in which MILLIONS OF IRANIANS took part, was an entirely violent event that brought the beastly members of the working class like Kamran (a bead seller) and Fereshteh’s lover (a gardener) to power. Aria is a timely novel to justify a possible future war on Iran, its sovereignty and independence gained as the result of the revolution. I am not a supporter of the Islamic regime but I believe that, as Jewish philosopher Hannah Ardent points out, “fake literature” like Aria, full of historical inaccuracies and fabrications, only strengthens totalitarian regimes.
The book not only condemns the Iranian Revolution and depicts Iran as a backward, poor, and brutal country, but also, in a subtle way, promotes the US as an advanced and progressive country. While the book comes out around the fiftieth anniversary of Americans landing on the moon, a few pages in Chapters Two and Three are dedicated to this event, even though this does not serve anything in the development of the story. It only serves to glorify Americans.
Last but not the least, this is outrageous to compare the debut novel of a Canadian writer who has no place in Iranian Literature to the masterpiece of one of the most prominent Russian writers who won a Nobel Prize in Literature. Pasternak was well-established in Russian literature before he wrote Dr. Zhivago. He was a poet, literary translator, and novelist with several books. Moreover, like Akhmatova and others, he was among literary resistance against the Stalinist regime and therefore subject to the Stalinist purge in 1934. What book has Hozar written in Persian? I doubt that she can even read and write in Farsi. Who is Margaret Atwood, who has become a commercial figure and the poster-writer of corporate publishers, kidding? Her blurb is as ridiculous as if some Canadian poet compared a debut collection of poetry written by a Russian writer, the son of Iranian ex-patriots, with the masterpiece of Jalel-e-din Mawlana Rumi, Masnavi Manavi.
October 3, 2019
I'm kind of having a hard time trying to think of what to say about this book. I was actually expecting to like it a lot more than I did. I didn't particularly dislike anything but I felt like it was just good, not great. It was a slow character driven book and the character development was extremely well done. All of the characters had such individual and real personalities. You could really see their strengths and weaknesses and feel what they were feeling; like they were real people.
That said I just couldn't seem to get into this book. I found that it really dragged in a lot of places. It is one of those types of stories that span a lot of years and the same people keep randomly running into each other or interacting with each other in some way throughout their lives. A big part of the story was to show how everyone's lives interconnect over the years.
I also found a lot of the religions and political references quite confusing. I think to understand much of it you need to have a basic knowledge of the figures and the situation that was going on in Iran during that period because it didn't really explain it. Big things just happened and the people in power changed and you had no real idea why or how or who they were. Maybe it was just me and I wasn't picking up on it.
If you are the type of person who is into the slow, character driven, family saga type stories then I think you may enjoy this.
That said I just couldn't seem to get into this book. I found that it really dragged in a lot of places. It is one of those types of stories that span a lot of years and the same people keep randomly running into each other or interacting with each other in some way throughout their lives. A big part of the story was to show how everyone's lives interconnect over the years.
I also found a lot of the religions and political references quite confusing. I think to understand much of it you need to have a basic knowledge of the figures and the situation that was going on in Iran during that period because it didn't really explain it. Big things just happened and the people in power changed and you had no real idea why or how or who they were. Maybe it was just me and I wasn't picking up on it.
If you are the type of person who is into the slow, character driven, family saga type stories then I think you may enjoy this.
December 3, 2025
3.8 "overwhelmingly poignant, intermittently powerful, frustratingly uneven" stars !!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Pantheon books and our debut novelist for an ecopy. This was released August 2020 and I am providing an honest review.
There is so much to say about this novel. This writer has both a brilliant mind and deep empathy.
This is a novel that shook me to my core while also dealing with more petty emotions such as annoyances of the jarring unevenness. I will present a brief synopsis of my reading experience.
What is absolutely excellent to superb
- a complex and powerful plot of an interwoven group of individuals and families in Iran during the fall of the Shah and the rise of Khommeini
- deep cultural authenticity with immense respect for all the protagonists and (sub)cultures
-deep and true psychological portrayals that are congruent and interesting
-an understanding on how NOT to reduce to feminist western agendas -she presents the men as complex, torn and authentic with their own gender constraints with acknowledgement of some power and privilege (very few female authors get this right never mind doing it with any skill)
What is lacking
-this book needs plenty of rewrites for prose consistency....veers from amazing historical fiction to semi-literary poignancy to bits of YA romance/drama that jars a reader and take them away from an amazingly powerful cultural narrative
Despite my very significant complaint this is one of the most powerful emotional and resonant reading experiences of the year and so I cannot grant this any less than four excellent stars !
I hope this author continues to write amazing narratives ! (but works on consistency of prose)
Thank you to Netgalley, Pantheon books and our debut novelist for an ecopy. This was released August 2020 and I am providing an honest review.
There is so much to say about this novel. This writer has both a brilliant mind and deep empathy.
This is a novel that shook me to my core while also dealing with more petty emotions such as annoyances of the jarring unevenness. I will present a brief synopsis of my reading experience.
What is absolutely excellent to superb
- a complex and powerful plot of an interwoven group of individuals and families in Iran during the fall of the Shah and the rise of Khommeini
- deep cultural authenticity with immense respect for all the protagonists and (sub)cultures
-deep and true psychological portrayals that are congruent and interesting
-an understanding on how NOT to reduce to feminist western agendas -she presents the men as complex, torn and authentic with their own gender constraints with acknowledgement of some power and privilege (very few female authors get this right never mind doing it with any skill)
What is lacking
-this book needs plenty of rewrites for prose consistency....veers from amazing historical fiction to semi-literary poignancy to bits of YA romance/drama that jars a reader and take them away from an amazingly powerful cultural narrative
Despite my very significant complaint this is one of the most powerful emotional and resonant reading experiences of the year and so I cannot grant this any less than four excellent stars !
I hope this author continues to write amazing narratives ! (but works on consistency of prose)
August 17, 2019
3.5 Stars
This book takes place from 1953 to 1981, in Iran, at the time when political unrest is occurring, culminating in the Iranian Revolution. We meet Aria, who was abandoned as a baby, and found by Behrouz, who raised her as his own, with the help of three mother figures. We follow Aria from this time through the revolution.
This book had positives and negatives. What I enjoyed was learning more about Iran and this time, as I certainly do not know enough about the country. The negative to that is that I felt there wasn’t enough information, so exactly what transpired was not totally clear.
It is a coming of age story at a time of change and unrest. We get to know Aria and her friends, Hamlet and Mithra, young and all knowing, who are idealistic. Ultimately, the changes affect them as much as everyone else.
I enjoyed the book, but did not feel the emotional impact I did when I read the Kite Runner. I enjoyed the historical content, but it wasn’t enough to fill the gaps in my knowledge. The ending definitely left me wanting!
I would definitely read another book by this author, as she is a wonderful story teller. I just needed a bit more...
This book takes place from 1953 to 1981, in Iran, at the time when political unrest is occurring, culminating in the Iranian Revolution. We meet Aria, who was abandoned as a baby, and found by Behrouz, who raised her as his own, with the help of three mother figures. We follow Aria from this time through the revolution.
This book had positives and negatives. What I enjoyed was learning more about Iran and this time, as I certainly do not know enough about the country. The negative to that is that I felt there wasn’t enough information, so exactly what transpired was not totally clear.
It is a coming of age story at a time of change and unrest. We get to know Aria and her friends, Hamlet and Mithra, young and all knowing, who are idealistic. Ultimately, the changes affect them as much as everyone else.
I enjoyed the book, but did not feel the emotional impact I did when I read the Kite Runner. I enjoyed the historical content, but it wasn’t enough to fill the gaps in my knowledge. The ending definitely left me wanting!
I would definitely read another book by this author, as she is a wonderful story teller. I just needed a bit more...
May 22, 2020
1953. Behrouz Bakhtiar is a truck driver in the army. One night as he is making his way through the alleyways, he finds a baby. He takes her home and names her Aria. Why? He remembers his friend’s words that time is not on his side. At nineteen, he married Zahra, who was thirty-six. She never was married before and already had a son Ahmad, age 19 – rough character, constantly in and out of jail. Zahra seems to be as rough as her son.
1958. Zahra doesn’t like the girl. She is abusive toward her when her husband is not home.
The story contains four parts titled under different character name. Since each part is lengthy, it involves many characters. It’s not only her story. And that’s when it gets confusing what this is about or what is it propelled by. It seems to be character driven, but at times it seems that it might be plot driven.
In regards to Aria, there are some moments, the way things happen that they don’t make much sense or are not believable. Also, for a five year old, she sounds much older. I understand that due to her abusive step-mother maybe she needed to mature much faster. But still at times it just doesn’t sound believable and I didn’t feel any connection with her. She didn’t evoke any sympathy. She seems to be a thread in this story, connecting different characters. But after all I wasn’t connected with any of them.
What initially pulled me into this story was the character of Behrouz. But then it becomes slow character development. I really disliked Zahra. She is a mean person. Instead of being pulled into the story, I felt being pushed away from it by her character.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
1958. Zahra doesn’t like the girl. She is abusive toward her when her husband is not home.
The story contains four parts titled under different character name. Since each part is lengthy, it involves many characters. It’s not only her story. And that’s when it gets confusing what this is about or what is it propelled by. It seems to be character driven, but at times it seems that it might be plot driven.
In regards to Aria, there are some moments, the way things happen that they don’t make much sense or are not believable. Also, for a five year old, she sounds much older. I understand that due to her abusive step-mother maybe she needed to mature much faster. But still at times it just doesn’t sound believable and I didn’t feel any connection with her. She didn’t evoke any sympathy. She seems to be a thread in this story, connecting different characters. But after all I wasn’t connected with any of them.
What initially pulled me into this story was the character of Behrouz. But then it becomes slow character development. I really disliked Zahra. She is a mean person. Instead of being pulled into the story, I felt being pushed away from it by her character.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
May 4, 2022
A sweeping saga of love, hate, and growth against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. Each character is complex, a compelling product of their environments, with issues of gender, class, religion, and education laid bare in raw detail. Each segment showcases how our decisions affect years to come, and how the shifting of power is more often than not controversial at best. Nothing is without loss, and yet, there is still simple joy and humor in life. An excellent novel debut.
February 28, 2022
Esta historia cuenta la vida de una niña que es abandonada siendo un bebe, en una época complicada, ya que coincide con la Revolución Iraní, un momento de opresión, de caos, de pobreza, y todo esto está reflejado en la primera novela de la autora.
La historia de Aria, según ha dicho la propia autora tiene muchas "similitudes" con la historia de su familia.
Aria es abandonada a los tres dias de nacer, en un barrio adinerado de Teherán, alli la encontrará un militar que trabaja como conductor para el ejercito iraní y este se la llevará a casa.
La historia comienza en 1953 año en el que el primer ministro Iraní es expulsado por los británicos y los estadounidenses que tendrán gran interés en los recursos petrolíferos del pais, lo que marcará como la ciudad esta dividida en dos grandes estratos sociales, en el norte donde viven los ricos y en el sur lo más pobres.
También veremos como la ciudad esta dividida según la religión de los ciudadanos, musulmanes, cristianos, judíos... y el trato que hay hacia cada uno de ellos.
Iremos avanzando en la historia según va creciendo Aria, viviendo desde que la adopta el soldado, y su mujer, una persona sin escrúpulos que la maltrata y no permite que haga nada, hasta que va creciendo y va buscando su lugar, pasando por otras personas que la cuidarán. Iremos viendo la rabia, la soledad la tristeza, tanto de ella como de la sociedad de Irán.
Me ha parecido una historia totalmente feminista, como Aria lucha por sobrevivir en una sociedad de hombres y como los personajes principales son mujeres, aunque hay personajes masculinos que son muy importantes para la historia.
La historia de Aria, según ha dicho la propia autora tiene muchas "similitudes" con la historia de su familia.
Aria es abandonada a los tres dias de nacer, en un barrio adinerado de Teherán, alli la encontrará un militar que trabaja como conductor para el ejercito iraní y este se la llevará a casa.
La historia comienza en 1953 año en el que el primer ministro Iraní es expulsado por los británicos y los estadounidenses que tendrán gran interés en los recursos petrolíferos del pais, lo que marcará como la ciudad esta dividida en dos grandes estratos sociales, en el norte donde viven los ricos y en el sur lo más pobres.
También veremos como la ciudad esta dividida según la religión de los ciudadanos, musulmanes, cristianos, judíos... y el trato que hay hacia cada uno de ellos.
Iremos avanzando en la historia según va creciendo Aria, viviendo desde que la adopta el soldado, y su mujer, una persona sin escrúpulos que la maltrata y no permite que haga nada, hasta que va creciendo y va buscando su lugar, pasando por otras personas que la cuidarán. Iremos viendo la rabia, la soledad la tristeza, tanto de ella como de la sociedad de Irán.
Me ha parecido una historia totalmente feminista, como Aria lucha por sobrevivir en una sociedad de hombres y como los personajes principales son mujeres, aunque hay personajes masculinos que son muy importantes para la historia.
September 19, 2019
I wish this story had been written differently, because there were elements that I really liked. Overall though, the style made it impossible for me to really get into it.
December 2, 2023
Teheran- 1953-1981
Aria è nata da poche ore quando sua madre l’abbandona in un vicolo tra i rifiuti dove poco dopo la troverà Behruz, uomo dal cuore tenero con un desiderio di maternità repressa.
Aria cresce passando dalla povertà dove si alternano le carezze di Berhuz e le botte della perfida Zahra; all’agiatezza silenziosa della ricca Fereshteh.
Trent’anni di storia iraniana non sono solo lo sfondo ma il perno di questa storia.
Un paese che soffre ed ha paura si affida alle parole di uomo che grazie all’ignoranza, alla superstizione e alla cattiveria diventerà il capo supremo.
Il suo nome è Khomeini.
Aria passerà dall’ingenua spensieratezza dell’infanzia,alla sfrontatezza adolescenziale fino ad arrivare all’età adulta, dolorosa per le verità che vengono a galla e per una nazione che si è ormai trasformata in una grande gabbia.
Interessante esordio dell’autrice iraniana –canadese, Nazanne Hozar.
” Come possono arrestare noi quando sono loro che stanno in una prigione?”
Aria è nata da poche ore quando sua madre l’abbandona in un vicolo tra i rifiuti dove poco dopo la troverà Behruz, uomo dal cuore tenero con un desiderio di maternità repressa.
Aria cresce passando dalla povertà dove si alternano le carezze di Berhuz e le botte della perfida Zahra; all’agiatezza silenziosa della ricca Fereshteh.
Trent’anni di storia iraniana non sono solo lo sfondo ma il perno di questa storia.
Un paese che soffre ed ha paura si affida alle parole di uomo che grazie all’ignoranza, alla superstizione e alla cattiveria diventerà il capo supremo.
Il suo nome è Khomeini.
Aria passerà dall’ingenua spensieratezza dell’infanzia,alla sfrontatezza adolescenziale fino ad arrivare all’età adulta, dolorosa per le verità che vengono a galla e per una nazione che si è ormai trasformata in una grande gabbia.
Interessante esordio dell’autrice iraniana –canadese, Nazanne Hozar.
” Come possono arrestare noi quando sono loro che stanno in una prigione?”
October 28, 2021
"Aria cresce, studia, stringe amicizie, incontra l’amore, diventa una donna forte e determinata mentre il suo Paese cambia radicalmente: da prospero e cosmopolita, l’Iran si chiude e si piega sempre piu' sotto il peso dei conflitti sociali e religiosi.
Ma è allo scoppio della Rivoluzione che la vita di Aria, come quella di tutti gli iraniani, si intreccia indissolubilmente alla Storia."
Ma è allo scoppio della Rivoluzione che la vita di Aria, come quella di tutti gli iraniani, si intreccia indissolubilmente alla Storia."
July 6, 2020
1953, Teheran. Het aanhoudende gehuil in een verlaten steeg trekt de aandacht van de jonge soldaat Behrouz. Hier vindt hij een pasgeboren baby in hulpeloze toestand. Behrouz aarzelt geen moment, neemt het meisje mee naar huis en noemt haar 'Aria'. Zijn vrouw heeft echter al vanaf het eerste moment een enorme hekel aan Aria, en in de jaren die volgen mishandelt ze Aria zodra Behrouz de deur uit is. Gelukkig is zij niet de enige vrouw die voor Aria zal zorgen, de rijke weduwe Fereshteh is vastbesloten om Aria te beschermen en ook de geheimen van Mehri, Aria's biologische moeder, heeft grote invloed op de manier waarop het meisje opgroeit.
'Aria' is een coming-of-age verhaal van een jonge vrouw die opgroeit ten tijde van de Iraanse revolutie en maakt gebruik van wisselende perspectieven, waardoor niet alleen het verhaal van Aria een gezicht krijgt, maar ook de andere belangrijke vrouwen in Aria's leven een steeds prominentere plaats in het verhaal krijgen. De emoties van de personages, beïnvloedt door de soms bijna onmogelijke omstandigheden, de vele onzekerheden en twijfels, culturele en religieuze vraagstukken, de aanhoudende maatschappelijke onrust, de politieke verhoudingen, al deze details verweeft Hozar met het hoofdverhaal van Aria. Hiermee schetst ze een levendig en fantasierijk beeld van deze specifieke periode in Iran.
De eerste 140 pagina's was ik compleet verliefd op dit debuut en Aria als personage kwam direct bij me binnen. Helaas zakte dit gevoel weg toen het verhaal overgenomen werd door de andere perspectieven en doorspekt raakte met de vele details. Voor mij was het sterker geweest wanneer Hozar wat meer focus had aangebracht, of een dikker boek had geschreven waarin de verschillende componenten en personages vollediger uitgewerkt hadden kunnen worden. Ik vond het jammer, want die diepe connectie die ik in het begin voelde, kreeg ik later niet meer terug. Toch brengt Nazanine Hozar in 'Aria' thema's als liefde, religie en identiteit ten tijde van de Iraanse revolutie op een bijzondere manier aan het licht, waardoor ik toch nieuwsgierig ben naar ander werk van haar in de toekomst.
'Aria' is een coming-of-age verhaal van een jonge vrouw die opgroeit ten tijde van de Iraanse revolutie en maakt gebruik van wisselende perspectieven, waardoor niet alleen het verhaal van Aria een gezicht krijgt, maar ook de andere belangrijke vrouwen in Aria's leven een steeds prominentere plaats in het verhaal krijgen. De emoties van de personages, beïnvloedt door de soms bijna onmogelijke omstandigheden, de vele onzekerheden en twijfels, culturele en religieuze vraagstukken, de aanhoudende maatschappelijke onrust, de politieke verhoudingen, al deze details verweeft Hozar met het hoofdverhaal van Aria. Hiermee schetst ze een levendig en fantasierijk beeld van deze specifieke periode in Iran.
De eerste 140 pagina's was ik compleet verliefd op dit debuut en Aria als personage kwam direct bij me binnen. Helaas zakte dit gevoel weg toen het verhaal overgenomen werd door de andere perspectieven en doorspekt raakte met de vele details. Voor mij was het sterker geweest wanneer Hozar wat meer focus had aangebracht, of een dikker boek had geschreven waarin de verschillende componenten en personages vollediger uitgewerkt hadden kunnen worden. Ik vond het jammer, want die diepe connectie die ik in het begin voelde, kreeg ik later niet meer terug. Toch brengt Nazanine Hozar in 'Aria' thema's als liefde, religie en identiteit ten tijde van de Iraanse revolutie op een bijzondere manier aan het licht, waardoor ik toch nieuwsgierig ben naar ander werk van haar in de toekomst.
May 21, 2019
I received the book Aria (Nazanine Hozar) for free via Goodreads for my consideration.
I really enjoyed this book. It is about a young girl living in Iran during the Shah's reign. Aria tells her story amidst the political strife of her country, but only through the eyes of the non-political children.
I loved the characters. They were very realistic. The story flowed beautifully. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I really enjoyed this book. It is about a young girl living in Iran during the Shah's reign. Aria tells her story amidst the political strife of her country, but only through the eyes of the non-political children.
I loved the characters. They were very realistic. The story flowed beautifully. I would recommend this book to anyone.
February 23, 2023
With The Complete Persepolis as a gateway drug, I have common expectations of novels leading to the background of the Iranian Revolution: the ominous must be palpable and the protagonist must be close to the events. That's done properly in The House of the Mosque, not so much with Aria.
Still, any novel set in Pahlavi Iran can be pleasant to an orientalist mind. Aria's dramatic birth, her unusual looks with green-blue eyes and reddish hair bear, the mystery surrounding her origins are all the hallmarks of a Chosen One scenario. Or a Bildungsroman, where she plays a role in the revolution that slips between the cracks of history? Anything that keeps her firmly on center stage. Again, not so much.
The characters around her come more to the foreground, but becomes none the clearer for it. It had all lost its charm by the end. Why? "boring, long-winded" I hear other reviewers say, so I'm not the only one who gets lost wandering Teheran here. For which, apparently, the topography is all wrong, with the city's quarters shrunk to make everything within walking distance.
Still, any novel set in Pahlavi Iran can be pleasant to an orientalist mind. Aria's dramatic birth, her unusual looks with green-blue eyes and reddish hair bear, the mystery surrounding her origins are all the hallmarks of a Chosen One scenario. Or a Bildungsroman, where she plays a role in the revolution that slips between the cracks of history? Anything that keeps her firmly on center stage. Again, not so much.
The characters around her come more to the foreground, but becomes none the clearer for it. It had all lost its charm by the end. Why? "boring, long-winded" I hear other reviewers say, so I'm not the only one who gets lost wandering Teheran here. For which, apparently, the topography is all wrong, with the city's quarters shrunk to make everything within walking distance.
February 27, 2021
I had been wanting to read this book desperately for months and I was convinced this would be a 5 star read. alas, a few days after finishing it I still find it hard to formulate exactly how I feel about this book (which is never a good sign), but I’ll try my best in this review.
there were a few things I liked about this book. firstly, it kept me engaged and interested throughout the entire story. I also really liked the fact that it’s a multigenerational tale, consisting of a mix of (political) broader history and more specific individual lives. mostly I really enjoyed learning about Iranian history, or so I thought. now, here is where the trouble starts.
after reading some #ownvoicesreviews, I found out pretty quickly that this book is historically inaccurate. according to these reviews, it’s mostly smaller details that are inaccurate, but it does make me question the validity of everything else. personally I am of the opinion that if you as an author plan on writing a book that sheds light on an important historical event that’s determinative for a country's course, you should make sure that what you write about is accurate and well researched, particularly if you plan on publishing it in English to a Western audience because you can bet on it that most of that audience will take that book as being historically accurate. related to that, the representation of Islam and Iranian Muslims did not sit well with me. these characters all seemed to be represented in the classic orientalist barbaric, backwards, evil and hateful stereotypes that we see everywhere. speaking of the characters; they all lacked emotional depth and did not have a well developed arc throughout the book. because it’s a multigenerational tale you would expect some growth, but at the end of the book none of their choices made sense to me because I just didn’t get to know them enough to a point where I could see why they did what they did. I still can’t really tell you anything about the personality of Aria, even though she’s the main character and the book is supposed to revolve around her. finally, this book is very clearly a debut novel; the writing is mediocre and needs lots of development. with all due respect to Margaret Atwood, but the comparison to Dr. Zhivago is *completely off*; Aria is nowhere near the masterpiece that the Russian classic is.
so, would I recommend this book? no, honestly I would not.
there were a few things I liked about this book. firstly, it kept me engaged and interested throughout the entire story. I also really liked the fact that it’s a multigenerational tale, consisting of a mix of (political) broader history and more specific individual lives. mostly I really enjoyed learning about Iranian history, or so I thought. now, here is where the trouble starts.
after reading some #ownvoicesreviews, I found out pretty quickly that this book is historically inaccurate. according to these reviews, it’s mostly smaller details that are inaccurate, but it does make me question the validity of everything else. personally I am of the opinion that if you as an author plan on writing a book that sheds light on an important historical event that’s determinative for a country's course, you should make sure that what you write about is accurate and well researched, particularly if you plan on publishing it in English to a Western audience because you can bet on it that most of that audience will take that book as being historically accurate. related to that, the representation of Islam and Iranian Muslims did not sit well with me. these characters all seemed to be represented in the classic orientalist barbaric, backwards, evil and hateful stereotypes that we see everywhere. speaking of the characters; they all lacked emotional depth and did not have a well developed arc throughout the book. because it’s a multigenerational tale you would expect some growth, but at the end of the book none of their choices made sense to me because I just didn’t get to know them enough to a point where I could see why they did what they did. I still can’t really tell you anything about the personality of Aria, even though she’s the main character and the book is supposed to revolve around her. finally, this book is very clearly a debut novel; the writing is mediocre and needs lots of development. with all due respect to Margaret Atwood, but the comparison to Dr. Zhivago is *completely off*; Aria is nowhere near the masterpiece that the Russian classic is.
so, would I recommend this book? no, honestly I would not.
November 20, 2020
کتاب خوب شروع شد، اما خوب ادامه نداد. برای کتابی که قراره روایت زندگی در ایران از سال ۱۳۳۱ تا سال ۱۳۶۰ باشه (سال تولد آریا و سال پایان داستان) خطای تاریخی و جغرافیایی زیاد داره. شاید برای انیرانیان یا مهاجران ایرانی نسل چندم جذابتر باشه اما خطاهای تاریخی و جغرافیایی کتاب بدجوری توی ذوق من زد. برای مثال آریا در سال ۵۶ که انقلاب شروع شد ۲۵ ساله است. نمیتونه دانشجو باشه چون معنیش این میشه که یا تحصیلات عالیه میکنه یا پشت کنکور مونده. اولی نیست چون هیچ صحبتی ازش نمیشه، دومی هم نیست چون نمیشه هم آریا و هم دو دوست دیگرش به یک اندازه پشت کنکور مونده باشند.
گویا نویسنده هیچ تصوری از ابعاد تهران نداره، مثلاً فاصله دانشگاه تهران و میدان فردوسی یک ساعت پیادهروی نیست، از طرفی رفتن از دربند به میدان شوش با پای پیاده چندین ساعت وقت لازم داره، همینطور رفتن از نیاوران به میدان فردوسی. تهران یک روستای کوچک نیست که بشه سر تا تهش را سریع رفت و برگشت. از میدان شوش تا میدان فردوسی با چه معجزهای از جلوی مدرسه رازی رد میشه؟ رازی شمال میدان ونک واقع شده.
وقتی آریا هشت ساله است سازمان فداییان اصلا وجود نداشته.
جهان داستان خیلی کوچکه. در اوج شلوغی روزهای انقلاب برخی آدمهای داستان به هم برمیخورند که باورکردنی نیست. چنین اتفاقی فقط در فیلمهای فارسی پیش از انقلاب و فیلمهای هندی میافته.
اشتباهات دیگری هم هست، مثلاً سیمرغ و ققنوس را یکی میکنه.
مقاله اطلاعات که در آن خمینی هندی خوانده شده بود سال ۵۶ منتشر و باعث شلوغی قم و د�� چهلم شهدای قم باعث شلوغی تبریز شد. پیش از این تاریخ هیچکس از خمینی با عنوان هندی یاد نمیکرد و اصولاً اکثریت مردم او را نمیشناختند.
حجاب زنان ایران در دوره محمدرضا پهلوی به بعد هرگز روبنده نبوده (مگر تعداد کمی از زنان) اما نویسنده کلمه ویل را به کار برده و حتی گفته از پشت ویل که آدم را یاد روبنده زنان عرب یا حجاب زنان افغان در دوره طالبان میاندازه.
در مجموع انگار مخاطب داستان ایرانیها نبودند.
و زبان کتاب به نحو شگفتآوری ساده است.
داستان میترا هم باورنکردنی است، همینطور داستان چهلوچندهزار دلار.
خانوادههای فقیر ایرانی، آن هم در دهه س��، در خانههایشان میز و صندلی نداشتند، بخصوص اگر در خانهای زندگی میکردند که آب لولهکشی نداشت.
از این خطاهای کوچک و بزرگ زیاد داره کتاب. به نظرم بیش از حد هم طولانی است.
گویا نویسنده هیچ تصوری از ابعاد تهران نداره، مثلاً فاصله دانشگاه تهران و میدان فردوسی یک ساعت پیادهروی نیست، از طرفی رفتن از دربند به میدان شوش با پای پیاده چندین ساعت وقت لازم داره، همینطور رفتن از نیاوران به میدان فردوسی. تهران یک روستای کوچک نیست که بشه سر تا تهش را سریع رفت و برگشت. از میدان شوش تا میدان فردوسی با چه معجزهای از جلوی مدرسه رازی رد میشه؟ رازی شمال میدان ونک واقع شده.
وقتی آریا هشت ساله است سازمان فداییان اصلا وجود نداشته.
جهان داستان خیلی کوچکه. در اوج شلوغی روزهای انقلاب برخی آدمهای داستان به هم برمیخورند که باورکردنی نیست. چنین اتفاقی فقط در فیلمهای فارسی پیش از انقلاب و فیلمهای هندی میافته.
اشتباهات دیگری هم هست، مثلاً سیمرغ و ققنوس را یکی میکنه.
مقاله اطلاعات که در آن خمینی هندی خوانده شده بود سال ۵۶ منتشر و باعث شلوغی قم و د�� چهلم شهدای قم باعث شلوغی تبریز شد. پیش از این تاریخ هیچکس از خمینی با عنوان هندی یاد نمیکرد و اصولاً اکثریت مردم او را نمیشناختند.
حجاب زنان ایران در دوره محمدرضا پهلوی به بعد هرگز روبنده نبوده (مگر تعداد کمی از زنان) اما نویسنده کلمه ویل را به کار برده و حتی گفته از پشت ویل که آدم را یاد روبنده زنان عرب یا حجاب زنان افغان در دوره طالبان میاندازه.
در مجموع انگار مخاطب داستان ایرانیها نبودند.
و زبان کتاب به نحو شگفتآوری ساده است.
داستان میترا هم باورنکردنی است، همینطور داستان چهلوچندهزار دلار.
خانوادههای فقیر ایرانی، آن هم در دهه س��، در خانههایشان میز و صندلی نداشتند، بخصوص اگر در خانهای زندگی میکردند که آب لولهکشی نداشت.
از این خطاهای کوچک و بزرگ زیاد داره کتاب. به نظرم بیش از حد هم طولانی است.
May 7, 2021
„Nad Teheránom zapadalo slnko a vzduchom sa niesla vôňa grilovaného mäsa, rozohriateho masla, duseného špenátu a varenej ryže. Z kaviarní sa šíril hustým dym vodných fajok a voňal čierny čaj,“ píše Nazanine Hozar vo svojom románe, keď opisuje mesto obklopené horami. Keď si spomeniem na Teherán, napadne ma rýchla jazda taxíkom, čierna šatka, ktorá mi neustále padala z vlasov a perzština, ktorou sa mi miestni často prihovárali.
Hozarin debut som si prečítala práve pre Teherán, kde sa odohráva príbeh opusteného dievčaťa Arie. Tá má síce tri mamy, ale ani jedna jej nedokáže dať to, čo potrebuje. Napriek tomu vo mne táto postava nevyvoláva ľútosť, bola totiž drzá a priebojná, pripravená odpapuľovať vždy, keď sa to nehodilo.
Hozar používa jednoduchý jazyk, chronologický dej a občas tiež skratky a zjednodušenia. Napriek tomu ma čítanie jej knihy bavilo. Oddýchla som si od náročných príbehov a komplikovaných postáv. Takisto veľmi dobre opísala život elity, ktorá sa pohybovala v palácoch a chodila na raňajky so šachom.
Na románe sa mi tiež páčilo, že hlavnými hrdinkami sú ženy rozličných vrstiev, ktoré majú odlišné temperamenty a nesnívajú o romantickej láske, ale pokojnom živote. Kniha Aria obsahuje aj perzské legendy, odkazy na iránsku históriu a hlavne vykresľuje atmosféru pred islamskou revolúciou.
Keď sme sa s našimi priateľmi prechádzali pri hore Eynali v Tabríze, povedali mi, že islamská revolúcia síce zvrhla jedného šacha, ale k moci dostala iného. Neviem, či mali pravdu. Román Aria ale opisuje, čo sa krátko pred tým mohlo udiať v Teheráne.
„Pochopí, že kto hovorí, ako nič neľutuje, ten klame, lebo život v skutočnosti pozostáva zo samých výčitiek a na konci cesty sa neraz pristihnete, že by ste boli radšej, keby všetko za vaším chrbtom zmizlo.“
Hozarin debut som si prečítala práve pre Teherán, kde sa odohráva príbeh opusteného dievčaťa Arie. Tá má síce tri mamy, ale ani jedna jej nedokáže dať to, čo potrebuje. Napriek tomu vo mne táto postava nevyvoláva ľútosť, bola totiž drzá a priebojná, pripravená odpapuľovať vždy, keď sa to nehodilo.
Hozar používa jednoduchý jazyk, chronologický dej a občas tiež skratky a zjednodušenia. Napriek tomu ma čítanie jej knihy bavilo. Oddýchla som si od náročných príbehov a komplikovaných postáv. Takisto veľmi dobre opísala život elity, ktorá sa pohybovala v palácoch a chodila na raňajky so šachom.
Na románe sa mi tiež páčilo, že hlavnými hrdinkami sú ženy rozličných vrstiev, ktoré majú odlišné temperamenty a nesnívajú o romantickej láske, ale pokojnom živote. Kniha Aria obsahuje aj perzské legendy, odkazy na iránsku históriu a hlavne vykresľuje atmosféru pred islamskou revolúciou.
Keď sme sa s našimi priateľmi prechádzali pri hore Eynali v Tabríze, povedali mi, že islamská revolúcia síce zvrhla jedného šacha, ale k moci dostala iného. Neviem, či mali pravdu. Román Aria ale opisuje, čo sa krátko pred tým mohlo udiať v Teheráne.
„Pochopí, že kto hovorí, ako nič neľutuje, ten klame, lebo život v skutočnosti pozostáva zo samých výčitiek a na konci cesty sa neraz pristihnete, že by ste boli radšej, keby všetko za vaším chrbtom zmizlo.“
August 20, 2020
Aria is a moving portrait of an orphaned girl and her city, of rich and poor, love and abuse, corruption and revolution.
Nazanine Hozar takes us through Aria's life, from abandonment and abuse, to a wealthy home and privileged education, marriage and the collapse of society as she knew it. Even as scars are inflicted, our protagonist Aria never loses hope and offers more love than we sometimes feel the people around her deserve. Her story plays out on a national level as well, over years leading up to the most dramatic time in Iran's history and culminating in the Islamic Revolution.
Hozar's prose is descriptive and the story emotional. I could see the streets of Tehran and felt overwhelming love for some characters and dislike for others.
At times the storytelling felt uneven, with certain events unfolding over many chapters while others occurred in rapid succession. Perhaps that's more reflective of life, however, and contributed to making this book feel brutally, beautifully real.
Nazanine Hozar takes us through Aria's life, from abandonment and abuse, to a wealthy home and privileged education, marriage and the collapse of society as she knew it. Even as scars are inflicted, our protagonist Aria never loses hope and offers more love than we sometimes feel the people around her deserve. Her story plays out on a national level as well, over years leading up to the most dramatic time in Iran's history and culminating in the Islamic Revolution.
Hozar's prose is descriptive and the story emotional. I could see the streets of Tehran and felt overwhelming love for some characters and dislike for others.
At times the storytelling felt uneven, with certain events unfolding over many chapters while others occurred in rapid succession. Perhaps that's more reflective of life, however, and contributed to making this book feel brutally, beautifully real.
March 26, 2020
To be fair, I would rate the book 3.5/5. Being an Iranian myself, I really enjoyed how the scenes were depicted in the book and the level of details in which the author used to explain everything (from locations, to culture, religion and historical facts). Aria is a story about the girl named Aria who grew up during Iran’s revolution. Although the book is fiction and it shows Aria’s challenges and relationship with others, it also shows how revolution impacted people’s lives at the time.
The character development was so great, but it also made the story really slow. I was honestly bored during the second half of the book and still think that the story could be told in faster pace or less number of pages. I would suggest reading the book if you are familiar with Iran’s history/culture or if you’re interested on knowing more about it
The character development was so great, but it also made the story really slow. I was honestly bored during the second half of the book and still think that the story could be told in faster pace or less number of pages. I would suggest reading the book if you are familiar with Iran’s history/culture or if you’re interested on knowing more about it
June 3, 2020
This book is an exquisite mix of Iranian history prior, during and a bit after the revolution, and an influx of characters that lived during that time. A story of lives intertwined but not necessarily known that they are. You can’t help but fall deep into the character of Aria. A harsh beginning of life, but the prospect of finally peace in her latter days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2021
This book is not working for me. I found myself bouncing off the text once I got into the second section. I just stopped caring about the characters and though I was happy to finally get it off my TBR, I wasn’t expecting to feel so uninterested in where the book was going.
July 9, 2023
Ja, wat zal ik hierover zeggen. De eerste 350 bladzijden waren best worstelen en de laatste 100 bladzijden waren iets beter. Helaas zakte mijn interesse steeds meer na bladzijde 100, dus die laatste 100 bladzijden waren toch al te laat. Andere reviewers op Goodreads zeggen mij dat ik zeker niet de enige ben.
Mijn twee sterren wil echt niet zeggen dat het een slecht boek is. Het beviel me niet en hard gezegd boeide het me niet meer.
Wat mij betreft zaten er veel irrelevante stukken in. Van mij hoeft niet altijd alles tot in detail uitgelegd te worden, maar nu miste ik echt informatie om iets meer te snappen van gebeurtenissen of de mens, bijv Aria zelf. Veel waaroms. Sommige waaroms krijgen een antwoord naarmate het verhaal vordert, maar op een voor mij onlogische plek.
Na ongeveer 150 bladzijden komen er meer personages aan het woord. Heb ik geen problemen mee in boeken, maar waarom haar vrienden vrij ineens een grotere rol kregen? Geen idee, het voelde irrelevant op bepaalde plekken. Daarna krijgen ze een grotere rol in het verhaal en om eerlijk te zijn heb ik die stukken niet zo goed gelezen.
Nu ik het uit heb, heb ik niet het idee iets gemist te hebben.
Dat is denk het punt waarom het boek weinig met me doet: het voelt veel als losse verhalen en geen doorlopend verhaal met verschillende lijnen.
Wat wilde de auteur met dit verhaal meegeven? Meer achtergrondinformatie geven of beeld scheppen over deze specifieke jaren in Teheran? Nu heeft google me na afloop wel iets geleerd, maar lang niet alles. Deze info miste ik bijv ook in het boek. Ook dit las ik bij meer reviewers.
Fijn om dit boek samen te lezen met iemand, alleen was het vast nog stroperiger geweest.
Overigens zie ik ook veel lezers die het boek wel waarderen, het is heel verschillend.
Mijn twee sterren wil echt niet zeggen dat het een slecht boek is. Het beviel me niet en hard gezegd boeide het me niet meer.
Wat mij betreft zaten er veel irrelevante stukken in. Van mij hoeft niet altijd alles tot in detail uitgelegd te worden, maar nu miste ik echt informatie om iets meer te snappen van gebeurtenissen of de mens, bijv Aria zelf. Veel waaroms. Sommige waaroms krijgen een antwoord naarmate het verhaal vordert, maar op een voor mij onlogische plek.
Na ongeveer 150 bladzijden komen er meer personages aan het woord. Heb ik geen problemen mee in boeken, maar waarom haar vrienden vrij ineens een grotere rol kregen? Geen idee, het voelde irrelevant op bepaalde plekken. Daarna krijgen ze een grotere rol in het verhaal en om eerlijk te zijn heb ik die stukken niet zo goed gelezen.
Nu ik het uit heb, heb ik niet het idee iets gemist te hebben.
Dat is denk het punt waarom het boek weinig met me doet: het voelt veel als losse verhalen en geen doorlopend verhaal met verschillende lijnen.
Wat wilde de auteur met dit verhaal meegeven? Meer achtergrondinformatie geven of beeld scheppen over deze specifieke jaren in Teheran? Nu heeft google me na afloop wel iets geleerd, maar lang niet alles. Deze info miste ik bijv ook in het boek. Ook dit las ik bij meer reviewers.
Fijn om dit boek samen te lezen met iemand, alleen was het vast nog stroperiger geweest.
Overigens zie ik ook veel lezers die het boek wel waarderen, het is heel verschillend.
July 6, 2024
3,5⭐
Poruszająca opowieść o losach osób, mogłoby się wydawać, żyjących w światach całkowicie różnych, a jednak nieustannie przenikających się. O problemach, przyjaźni, nadziejach, miłościach i walce o przetrwanie. Niekiedy trudna dla mnie osobiście do zrozumienia przez nikłą znajomość historii Iranu.
"Kiedyś tak myślałem, w swoich snach. Ale teraz wydaję mi się, że sny należą tylko do świata snów."
"Nie o książkach. Nie o słowach.
O ludziach. Naucz je jak ich czytać."
"Serce musi bolec, dlatego jest zrobione z mięsa."
"To ja powinienem być bohaterem. Czy nie tak jest w bajkach?"
Poruszająca opowieść o losach osób, mogłoby się wydawać, żyjących w światach całkowicie różnych, a jednak nieustannie przenikających się. O problemach, przyjaźni, nadziejach, miłościach i walce o przetrwanie. Niekiedy trudna dla mnie osobiście do zrozumienia przez nikłą znajomość historii Iranu.
"Kiedyś tak myślałem, w swoich snach. Ale teraz wydaję mi się, że sny należą tylko do świata snów."
"Nie o książkach. Nie o słowach.
O ludziach. Naucz je jak ich czytać."
"Serce musi bolec, dlatego jest zrobione z mięsa."
"To ja powinienem być bohaterem. Czy nie tak jest w bajkach?"
September 26, 2019
3.5*** I have a hard time rating this one because I actually did like it so almost gave it a 4 but some storylines confused me or didn’t really explain themselves or wrap up. There just seemed to be a lot going on and a lot of side stories on top of Aria’s own story which sometimes seemed unnecessary. However, with everything going on there was always some level of excitement or anticipation whether it was Rameen and Behrouz, Aria’s young love story, finding her a new non-abusive mother, the Shirazis and wondering if she would ever figure out the relation, and finally the war coming to fruition. With all these stories I was kept intrigued but I think because there were so many they weren’t all fully formed which was a downfall, some just got dropped altogether to make room for new ones (ie Kamran and Aria could have easily seen eachother in South City, she was there every week, but just didn’t? Then in came Hamlet?). A good ending could have saved the 4 stars for me but unfortunately I wasn’t satisfied. Overall still a good book! Just needed some more editing for me.
November 5, 2020
This book was amazing. It describes the complicated history of Iran and clearly shows how the revolution started. The characters were nothing near ordinary. All three mother figures of Aria had their flaws. Her birth mom- who left her on the streets to protect her from her abusive husband. The wife of the man that found and saved her- who was abusing the child out of hate. The rich widow that decided to take care of her- who loved her but could not tell her this. Then there are the two boys Aria once loved, so different but so similar, both fighting for the other end. It was especially the last 50 pages that had me confused and broke my heart. It was insane to see how sometimes the characters you love from the first moment, can slowly become the villains without even realizing it. A must read.
February 26, 2021
This was a book I hadn't heard about, but when it crossed paths with me just reached out, as some books do. A couple of years ago it was The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay, and this year it was Aria. I was hooked in the first few pages, and needed to know more about these characters, their lives. I am not well-educated about the Iranian revolution, so while I found this mildly informative and a nuanced portrayal of the divisions, I also recognize that I still have a negligible understanding of Iranian history as it exists outside of these characters experience with it. I could easily, and happily, have read another two hundred pages of this and still not have been satisfied with setting the book down.
September 14, 2019
I didn't like this book for one reason: it could not hold my attention. My mind consistently wandered as a read and sometimes whole chapters would pass where I wasn't even sure I really registered what happened. So, don't trust my review - it's not really fair to give it only 2 stars if I didn't really "read" it.
I will say, though, that I tend to blame myself when I can't focus on a book but I'm beginning to think it's not entirely my fault - I've read lots of books that I've found to be engaging. Aria just happened to not be one of those books for me.
Looking forward to our discussion at book club and hearing what other people thought.
I will say, though, that I tend to blame myself when I can't focus on a book but I'm beginning to think it's not entirely my fault - I've read lots of books that I've found to be engaging. Aria just happened to not be one of those books for me.
Looking forward to our discussion at book club and hearing what other people thought.
October 30, 2019
I struggled through this book. It’s well written and I like how it was divided into parts but I just never got into it. It dragged in parts and other parts just felt like filler. I probably should have done a little research into Iran’s history before starting Aria. While I did recognize some historical figures without some basic knowledge you can get lost fast. This is definitely a character driven book, they were all developed well, I just didn’t connect. It was hard to root for someone, I never felt like I fully understood Aria.
I’m struggling with giving it 3 stars just cause the ending was very unsatisfactory but the writing saves it, so 3 stars it is
I’m struggling with giving it 3 stars just cause the ending was very unsatisfactory but the writing saves it, so 3 stars it is
August 13, 2019
3 Stars. I wanted to like this book so much more, but felt it could do with a lot of editing, because there were a lot of useless actions throughout. It brought to mind the Kite Runner, but not as beautifully constructed. The historical setting was a good starting place and the author using children coming of age to show the growth of the Iran revolution was enough to keep me reading. It could be better.
June 22, 2019
I found this book to be long winded. I thought it would be another Kite Runner, but it certainly was not. It was an ok read. Nothing great.
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