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No True Love in Tehran: An American Trip to Iran
Would you travel to Iran?
In 2010, a schoolteacher from Minneapolis accepted an invitation from an Iranian friend to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a place labeled evil by the US government. Iran is a snake with many heads, his friend had told him on the night they first met. The mask is there, but no one knows what is going on.
From a coffee shop in Minneapolis to tea houses lined with Persian rugs, follow one American's personal quest to understand a world hidden by negative headlines ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
With honesty and humor, No True Love in Tehran chronicles relationships in Iran that are both enduring and fraying in a closed society. In the parks, high-octane bachelors use English like an aphrodisiac and are willing to risk imprisonment to get women's phone numbers while families set up extravagant picnics as a force field against the frustrations of the day. A crowd is mesmerized by a guitarist only to find the musician being whisked away by the Morality Police; subway riders reveal secret opinions about their country beneath the streets of Iran's capital city.
The teacher-neither a journalist nor a tourist, and crippled by a hallucinatory fear of being arrested-finds a culture that loves beauty, but also has a soft spot for death. These emotions are expressed in murals that depict martyrs and in thousand-year-old poems recited by cab drivers.
In this entertaining reflection on the culture of the Middle East, we are taken on hikes up the mountains surrounding Tehran to talk with ordinary Iranians who look down at a heartsick city-one that clings to life on the border of tradition and modernity.
****
Bursting with unforgettable characters, storytelling, seeking, and footsteps across the East-West cultural bridge, No True Love in Tehran, is the story of the most daring adventure of all-trust between an American and Iranian.
In 2010, a schoolteacher from Minneapolis accepted an invitation from an Iranian friend to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a place labeled evil by the US government. Iran is a snake with many heads, his friend had told him on the night they first met. The mask is there, but no one knows what is going on.
From a coffee shop in Minneapolis to tea houses lined with Persian rugs, follow one American's personal quest to understand a world hidden by negative headlines ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
With honesty and humor, No True Love in Tehran chronicles relationships in Iran that are both enduring and fraying in a closed society. In the parks, high-octane bachelors use English like an aphrodisiac and are willing to risk imprisonment to get women's phone numbers while families set up extravagant picnics as a force field against the frustrations of the day. A crowd is mesmerized by a guitarist only to find the musician being whisked away by the Morality Police; subway riders reveal secret opinions about their country beneath the streets of Iran's capital city.
The teacher-neither a journalist nor a tourist, and crippled by a hallucinatory fear of being arrested-finds a culture that loves beauty, but also has a soft spot for death. These emotions are expressed in murals that depict martyrs and in thousand-year-old poems recited by cab drivers.
In this entertaining reflection on the culture of the Middle East, we are taken on hikes up the mountains surrounding Tehran to talk with ordinary Iranians who look down at a heartsick city-one that clings to life on the border of tradition and modernity.
****
Bursting with unforgettable characters, storytelling, seeking, and footsteps across the East-West cultural bridge, No True Love in Tehran, is the story of the most daring adventure of all-trust between an American and Iranian.
- GenresTravel
Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2020
About the author
Kareem Aal
2 books3 followersKAREEM AAL is a writer living in Minneapolis. When he was in Spain on one of his “American Trips” a vagabond told him he would be guilty of a crime if he didn’t keep writing. To avoid any consequences, he has continued to write. He is grateful that he doesn’t live in a place where it might be a crime if he did write. No True Love in Tehran is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 23, 2021
"No True Love in Tehran"
This book is the true nature of the people of Iran. It is about their relationships, and also about their culture and desires. Aal's tells his Personal stories which where once told to him by his immigrant father. Aal takes you from a coffee shop in Minneapolis to tea houses lined with Persian rugs in Iran.
The story is interpreted across time to create a moving exploration of the human condition, and the story is told in urban poetry throughout the book. Follow Aal's American's personal quest to understand a world hidden by negative headlines which are poetic and set across landscapes, courtyards, winding mountain roads, security lines, and traffic jams in Iran.
If you are adventurous and wish to travel into the unknown then read this book for a travel book full of adventure with a difference.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is the true nature of the people of Iran. It is about their relationships, and also about their culture and desires. Aal's tells his Personal stories which where once told to him by his immigrant father. Aal takes you from a coffee shop in Minneapolis to tea houses lined with Persian rugs in Iran.
The story is interpreted across time to create a moving exploration of the human condition, and the story is told in urban poetry throughout the book. Follow Aal's American's personal quest to understand a world hidden by negative headlines which are poetic and set across landscapes, courtyards, winding mountain roads, security lines, and traffic jams in Iran.
If you are adventurous and wish to travel into the unknown then read this book for a travel book full of adventure with a difference.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 24, 2021
I received an ARC courtesy of Book Sirens and the following is my honest review.
I've read many travel books, but this was my first experience in the travel memoir genre. This book is not a guidebook to Iran or a trip diary, but is actually a mixture of recollection and reflection that reveals how a journey transformed the writer.
Kareem, an American school teacher, is invited by a friend to visit Iran and discovers that the easiest way to get into Iran is to be invited to an academic conference. He gets to see how the different generations of Iranians live, from the younger people spending time hiking, flirting and shopping (yes they have shopping malls in Iran) to the older generation pondering the past and trying to stay out of trouble. Persia, present day Iran, has a 1000 year history of poetry and many people can recite these poems by heart. Both generations seem to admire the strong moral message that lies within much of the poetry.
The author's reflections on past trips to Morocco and Spain got confusing sometimes because he would be describing his present time in Iran and then suddenly digress about a different time and place and it left me wondering, ok where are we ? That is my only negative issue with the book. For the most part it is quite enjoyable.
I've read many travel books, but this was my first experience in the travel memoir genre. This book is not a guidebook to Iran or a trip diary, but is actually a mixture of recollection and reflection that reveals how a journey transformed the writer.
Kareem, an American school teacher, is invited by a friend to visit Iran and discovers that the easiest way to get into Iran is to be invited to an academic conference. He gets to see how the different generations of Iranians live, from the younger people spending time hiking, flirting and shopping (yes they have shopping malls in Iran) to the older generation pondering the past and trying to stay out of trouble. Persia, present day Iran, has a 1000 year history of poetry and many people can recite these poems by heart. Both generations seem to admire the strong moral message that lies within much of the poetry.
The author's reflections on past trips to Morocco and Spain got confusing sometimes because he would be describing his present time in Iran and then suddenly digress about a different time and place and it left me wondering, ok where are we ? That is my only negative issue with the book. For the most part it is quite enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2021
Kareem Aal’s NO TRUE LOVE IN IRAN bursts from its literary mooring in a torrent of tales that weave a cativating tapestry of ancient and prescient commentary on life’s satisfying array of surprises. Aal does not commit to chronology or logic. Rather, he lures us into the splendor and squalor of life as we allow it to lead us astray. Gifted with extraordinary talent, Aal explores his own philosophy at the same time as he pursues a sociological study of cultural politics. Never boring, this book will delight both scholar and dilettante.
March 16, 2021
Kareem is an American of Egyptian origin hence he does have an inkling of the Arab culture so his trip to Iran is not a huge culture shock for him.
I enjoyed reading the first half of the book and then the interest slackened.
Kareem does give some wonderful insights into the political and cultural circumstances of Iran hence it is a recommended read to get a glimpse of life in Iran during its turbulent times.
The author's thoughts keep jumping between life in the USA and Iran to find analogies for the stark differences and this is disturbing at times.
I will give below a few excerpts from the book to give you an idea of what to expect.
When you have a problem with someone, you should talk, Sanjar often said. Not doing so, or setting prohibitive conditions to doing so, could only mean that both sides desired the impasse...The result was that the citizens of each country had little chance to speak with one another and bypass the trolls guarding either side of the divide with their aging arsenals of propoganda.
Self-importance: that is the scent in the air of New York.
An hour with a man of learning is better than a thousand years studying on your own.
It was a place where you had to rely on people - not a system - if you wanted justice.
I don't undesrstand how someone can say they just love God or Jesus when they don't even know how to love another person!
I began to understand the larger goal of censorship: getting people's own minds to do the work of the police.
Perfection is a return to a preconceived notion.
It was the conditioning I had as a middle class American: you could go out anywhere and get served hand and foot, but to have someone serving you in your own home was both economically and culturally questionable.
What I learned was that they desired to do ordinary things without being subjected to extraordinary attention.
Freedom is an opening with sharp edges that disfigures some and refines others.
Overall a book worth reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed reading the first half of the book and then the interest slackened.
Kareem does give some wonderful insights into the political and cultural circumstances of Iran hence it is a recommended read to get a glimpse of life in Iran during its turbulent times.
The author's thoughts keep jumping between life in the USA and Iran to find analogies for the stark differences and this is disturbing at times.
I will give below a few excerpts from the book to give you an idea of what to expect.
When you have a problem with someone, you should talk, Sanjar often said. Not doing so, or setting prohibitive conditions to doing so, could only mean that both sides desired the impasse...The result was that the citizens of each country had little chance to speak with one another and bypass the trolls guarding either side of the divide with their aging arsenals of propoganda.
Self-importance: that is the scent in the air of New York.
An hour with a man of learning is better than a thousand years studying on your own.
It was a place where you had to rely on people - not a system - if you wanted justice.
I don't undesrstand how someone can say they just love God or Jesus when they don't even know how to love another person!
I began to understand the larger goal of censorship: getting people's own minds to do the work of the police.
Perfection is a return to a preconceived notion.
It was the conditioning I had as a middle class American: you could go out anywhere and get served hand and foot, but to have someone serving you in your own home was both economically and culturally questionable.
What I learned was that they desired to do ordinary things without being subjected to extraordinary attention.
Freedom is an opening with sharp edges that disfigures some and refines others.
Overall a book worth reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 16, 2021
The less likely it seems that I'll ever have the opportunity to visit a country, the more intrigued I am by accounts written by those who have travelled there. Iran, with its rich history and culture, is one such place - so it's no surprise that this book easily caught my attention. In it, the author, a schoolteacher from Minneapolis, shares impressions of, experiences from and reflections on a trip to Iran he undertook in 2010 at the invitation of a friend, introducing the reader both to this fascinating, complex country and to the people he encountered. Much as I enjoyed reading about all this, however, I found hard to keep track at times of where the author's mind appeared to be wandering off to seemingly at random - from his journey to Iran to life back home to other trips he has undertaken at other times, he meanders back and forth time and again. Aal has a lot of wonderful stories to share, but the book is all over the place, eschewing chronology in a manner I found both confusing and irritating. Apart from that, I found it an interesting and enjoyable read.
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
November 17, 2021
I read this book to discuss with the author in a class set up by the University of Minnesota for alumni and retirees. (OLLI classes!). The author had sent out an email requesting that class members should read the book before the discussion, which I did, right up until midnight the night before, but it became clear after only minutes into the presentation that many people had not read the book. Most of the questions asked had been answered in the text so I was pretty frustrated with the discussion.
Things I didn't like about this book: 1. Aal liked to use a pattern of coming up to a cliffhanger and then wandering off in other tangents, sometimes returning to the exciting situation, sometimes not. 2. He also jumped from place to place in telling this story, which is usually ok, but it was also hard to tell "when" he was... did this part happen when he was young? After he returned? Before he knew his friend Sanjar? After he was married? He would have a discussion with his young son, and be a bachelor in the next paragraph. It was confusing. 3. Women. The Iranian women came across as highly educated and ready to marry an American at the drop of a hat for a chance to escape. There were no American women in the book except his wife who he mentioned a couple of times, but spent 98% of the book in the company of men or his son. That alone made me feel like Iran, and men who love Iran, seem to consider women as entertainment or mere vessels to incubate children and wait on their men and their children for the rest of their lives. In this book the author travels all over the world, and he is never with his wife! It's hard to enjoy a book when you know the real people in the story have no regards for you in real life. And yes, I really wish the author would have fleshed out the discussion about "What do women have to look forward to in the afterlife?" Also! When the author shared photos during the discussion, he blocked out his friend's face but not the face of the women. So Mirium's security isn't as important as Sanjars? And that would be because she is a woman??? I don't know. I asked the question in the comments but it was not addressed.
What was good in the book: 1. I enjoy Kareem Aal's writing style and his use of a generous vocabulary. 2. Adding the traditional stories throughout was wonderful. 3. I appreciated the humor as well as the terror in some of these settings. 4. It was fun to recognize lots of local settings in Minneapolis. 5. I did enjoy his view of world wide political situations and appreciated his outlook. I think living in Minnesota and not travelling world wide is too insular. But I must be doing traveling wrong because there's no way I could afford to travel like the author does. 6. I really enjoyed the descriptions of beauty in Iran.
I finished the book thinking I need to read more to try to understand. Maybe it's time to "read "Reading Lolita in Iran" to balance my perspective.
Things I didn't like about this book: 1. Aal liked to use a pattern of coming up to a cliffhanger and then wandering off in other tangents, sometimes returning to the exciting situation, sometimes not. 2. He also jumped from place to place in telling this story, which is usually ok, but it was also hard to tell "when" he was... did this part happen when he was young? After he returned? Before he knew his friend Sanjar? After he was married? He would have a discussion with his young son, and be a bachelor in the next paragraph. It was confusing. 3. Women. The Iranian women came across as highly educated and ready to marry an American at the drop of a hat for a chance to escape. There were no American women in the book except his wife who he mentioned a couple of times, but spent 98% of the book in the company of men or his son. That alone made me feel like Iran, and men who love Iran, seem to consider women as entertainment or mere vessels to incubate children and wait on their men and their children for the rest of their lives. In this book the author travels all over the world, and he is never with his wife! It's hard to enjoy a book when you know the real people in the story have no regards for you in real life. And yes, I really wish the author would have fleshed out the discussion about "What do women have to look forward to in the afterlife?" Also! When the author shared photos during the discussion, he blocked out his friend's face but not the face of the women. So Mirium's security isn't as important as Sanjars? And that would be because she is a woman??? I don't know. I asked the question in the comments but it was not addressed.
What was good in the book: 1. I enjoy Kareem Aal's writing style and his use of a generous vocabulary. 2. Adding the traditional stories throughout was wonderful. 3. I appreciated the humor as well as the terror in some of these settings. 4. It was fun to recognize lots of local settings in Minneapolis. 5. I did enjoy his view of world wide political situations and appreciated his outlook. I think living in Minnesota and not travelling world wide is too insular. But I must be doing traveling wrong because there's no way I could afford to travel like the author does. 6. I really enjoyed the descriptions of beauty in Iran.
I finished the book thinking I need to read more to try to understand. Maybe it's time to "read "Reading Lolita in Iran" to balance my perspective.
March 7, 2021
I found the book to be too long and rambley. He jumped from one event, location or time to another randomly which I found hard to follow. This author is philosophical and sometimes poetic, but quite a few times I didn't know what he was talking about. It certainly was a very different view of Iran than I would have experienced if I went. I think he and I would not have hung out with the same type of people. Because he only spent time with one segment of Iranian society and didn't venture further into Iran, it really is his opinions that we are given. He does present good and not so good things. There is some bad language in the book, which I never appreciate. It felt like it was written by a bachelor, but he was married and had a son, who were hardly mentioned during his time in Iran, which I found a bit odd. He told us some about his son, but very little about his wife; maybe she didn't want to be in the book? I couldn't relate to much in the story and don't care for this writing style so I didn't enjoy it much, though I am sure others might.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 26, 2021
This book by Kareem Aal discusses the culture, relationships, and desires of the people of Iran. It is intertwined with Aal's personal stories, based on his wide experiences ranging from a coffee shop in Minneapolis to tea houses in Iran.
The book tries to peek behind the negative headlines about Iran and enjoy the wonderful geography, culture, and true essence of the country. It recollects many instances of Aal’s journey and reflects on them in juxtaposition with his experiences elsewhere.
Consequently, the book is not ordered according to chronology or common logic. It meanders, which means that although it was interesting, it was confusing and disconcerting at times.
Note:
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and am posting a voluntary, unbiased review.
The book tries to peek behind the negative headlines about Iran and enjoy the wonderful geography, culture, and true essence of the country. It recollects many instances of Aal’s journey and reflects on them in juxtaposition with his experiences elsewhere.
Consequently, the book is not ordered according to chronology or common logic. It meanders, which means that although it was interesting, it was confusing and disconcerting at times.
Note:
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and am posting a voluntary, unbiased review.
May 22, 2021
I found the jumps in the storytelling very confusing, it made it hard to follow what was happening / where the author was at times. Also I found there to be a disconnect between what was said to be the main focus of the book (the relationships between Iranians) and what I felt was a very heavy focus at least (the constant fear that the author felt while in Iran).
I did appreciate though that the author did not shy away from looking at more complex political situations and giving them a human component.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
I did appreciate though that the author did not shy away from looking at more complex political situations and giving them a human component.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
May 18, 2021
I'm intrigued in culture and traveling so this book didn't let me down. It was written very well though not in chronological order. That's why I want to give this book a 4 star rating.
October 3, 2021
“The reality was that the diabolical intentions among the passengers were plotted out solely by my prejudice”.
Kareem Aal’s debut novel is astounding. Simply summarised, he delivers a recollection of his visit to Tehran. His writing is rich in description and flows off the tip of the tongue. I saved whole passages of his philosophising, often re-reading paragraphs.
The book requires attention and the layout is inconsistent. One line is about Iran and the next is about a different time and location altogether. Persevere.
There are thoughtful reflections on everything Kareem expected Iran to be versus the reality he is presented with. Focus on ‘freedom' is built on throughout. He complements his findings by contrasting the realities in Iran to the USA, often finding more similarities than differences.
In my favourite passage, he becomes suspicious of his friends hushed discussion in Farsi on the metro with a local. Finally daring to ask for translation - he discovers they are being given directions to fakes markets to buy clothes and souvenirs.
Disappointingly, misogyny is rampant. Where the book presents great self-awareness over the unfair weighting of passports and privilege, Kareem neither condemns his friend roleplaying an American, nor presents women outside of their direct value to men.
In spite of this, the book is a great read, laced with traditional oral-tales and encourages the reader to reflect on their own prejudices.
4.5 / 5
The ARC was given by BookSirens in return for an honest review.
Kareem Aal’s debut novel is astounding. Simply summarised, he delivers a recollection of his visit to Tehran. His writing is rich in description and flows off the tip of the tongue. I saved whole passages of his philosophising, often re-reading paragraphs.
The book requires attention and the layout is inconsistent. One line is about Iran and the next is about a different time and location altogether. Persevere.
There are thoughtful reflections on everything Kareem expected Iran to be versus the reality he is presented with. Focus on ‘freedom' is built on throughout. He complements his findings by contrasting the realities in Iran to the USA, often finding more similarities than differences.
In my favourite passage, he becomes suspicious of his friends hushed discussion in Farsi on the metro with a local. Finally daring to ask for translation - he discovers they are being given directions to fakes markets to buy clothes and souvenirs.
Disappointingly, misogyny is rampant. Where the book presents great self-awareness over the unfair weighting of passports and privilege, Kareem neither condemns his friend roleplaying an American, nor presents women outside of their direct value to men.
In spite of this, the book is a great read, laced with traditional oral-tales and encourages the reader to reflect on their own prejudices.
4.5 / 5
The ARC was given by BookSirens in return for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews