Middle East/North African Lit discussion

Iran is the first stop forecasted for our Regional Tour in 2014. This thread is the place for discussing possible books to read. Here are some ideas to get us started...

- historical novels Equal of the Sun or Savushun
- epic story collection Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
- graphic novel autobioraphy Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood...
- history of the Islamic Republic The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran

(for non-fiction, here's a book of Persian poetry: Ghazals of Ghalib)

What do you want to read from Iran next year...?

p.s. The photo was taken by photographer Riccardo Zipoli.

Melanie wrote: "Iran is the first stop forecasted for our Regional Tour in 2014. This thread is the place for discussing possible books to read. Here are some ideas to get us started...

- historical novels "

- I read for Anita Amirrezvaniher first novel The Blood of Flowers: A Novel and "Equal of the sun " is on my reading list ..

- The first novel by an Iranian woman Suvashun/ also known as A Persian Requiem was on my reading list for a while now !

May I suggest Zahra's Paradise in the Graphic novel autobiography category, and Rooftops of Tehran for historical fiction? I haven't been very active in the group for the past months, so maybe these titles were discussed previously. If not, I can assure you that even though some years have past since I read those two books, they still linger in my heart and my mind...

*The Blind Owl is Considered the most important work of modern Iranian literature and Sadegh Hedayatthe father of Persian modernist in fiction masterpiece .
- I want to read that novel , but I had been warned ...this is not an easy read .

*Also I have copies of Censoring an Iranian Love Story and House Of The Mosque.

Miss Juliette wrote: "May I suggest Zahra's Paradise in the Graphic novel autobiography category, and Rooftops of Tehran for historical fiction? I haven't been very active in the group for..."

Great to see you again Miss Juliette! Thanks for the recommendations , are you planning to read any new books ?

I read Equal of the Sun a few years ago really enjoyed it. Even though it is historical fiction it reads almost like a thriller. I could not put it down!

I read My Uncle Napoleon this past year and really enjoyed it. I have a copy of Savushun and would also like to read that. I have some other unread books, but i must double-check their titles! i'll be right back...

oh, i have The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. i have not read it.

World Literature Today lists this among the most notable translations for 2013: The Oasis of Now: Selected Poems

Nile daughter wrote: "Miss Juliette wrote: "May I suggest Zahra's Paradise in the Graphic novel autobiography category, and Rooftops of Tehran for historical fiction? I haven't been very a..."

I have many books written by Iranian authors to read, but they're at home, in Canada, while I'm living in France for the next 5 months. I did, however, bring The Blindfold Horse: Memories of a Persian Childhood with me, which I'll read sometime after the Holidays. From the list, I already read The Complete Persepolis and Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings. If many books are windows allowing me to gasp a certain space and time in another culture, Shahnameh is an open door through which I felt I could immerse myself in the Iranian spirit. I will read it again and again for sure!

I actually have reading the Shahnameh on my 2014 New Years resolution list. It is a major work of world literature that I have no familiarity with. There is a Penguin edition that someone has recommended to me.

It looks like The Shahnameh has enough support that we can start it in 2014 as a Medieval Read. I'll plan to open the discussion thread for it in January. Meanwhile, all those of you who are interested can look for a copy! I'll be reading the Penguin edition: Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings.

In addition to The Shahnameh, would you all most like to read novels? We probably have time for two novels (Jan. - Apr.). Is it important to people to read other genres? (memoir, graphic novel, poetry?)

Melanie wrote: "It looks like The Shahnameh has enough support that we can start it in 2014 as a Medieval Read. I'll plan to open the discussion thread for it in January. Meanwhile, all those of you who are intere..."

Melanie, although someone recommended the Penguin edition to me, I have also read some complaints about the quality of the edition. What do you think?

It's the edition that I happen to have, but I'm happy to hear from others using other editions!

Hi Melanie ,i will read persepolis;the story of a childhood ,i have already seen the movie and i can say it is touching and excellent .
Can you please tell me about this year plan is it Iran /Iraq and Turkey for the whole year and we can choose any book during this year from these countries or there is a time limit to discuss the books from each country ??.

Hi Maha,
Yes, Persepolis is great!
Here is the discussion on the 2014 Plan:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Our Cruise this year is 4 months for each country: Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Those are the official discussion times, but discussion threads are left open forever, so it's never too late to contribute!

Also, if you want to set a personal intention to read a certain number of books with the group, then you may like to join our Challenge in 2014:
https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

Happy Reading! :)

So here's some suggestions I have based on books in my collection that have yet to be read.

This one isn't exclusive to Iran but I thought it was possibly still relavant. Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran

Answering Only to God: Faith and Freedom in Twenty-First-Century Iran

Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran

Persian Folk and Fairy Tales

I've already read Persepolis (I guess the complete although I read it before it was released as a 'complete' set so I read the two individual books. I wouldn't mind engaging in discussion about it but I probably won't read it much again. It also (being a graphic novel) wouldn't be the best use of 4 months time. I'm pretty sure I finished each book in a weeks time and that was back when I had a full course load on top of other readings.

I've just found this group! This year's recommendation looks great. For medieval Iranian literature, why not include 'Vis and Ramin'? It was written shortly after the Shahnameh, and is a passionate (and adulterous) love story. Many scholars think it is the basis for Tristan and Iseult legend. It's written in verse - but please dont let that put you off - Dick Davis' great translation is an entrancing read. I put off reading my gift copy for a while (verse, uck, too difficult!) - but then just couldn't put it down

Welcome Carolinemawer, and thanks for the suggestion! We'll see what we can do about reading Vis and Ramin at some point. Have you voted on our poll for the Iran fiction read? You can find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/4...

Thanks for aiming me at the vote! I hope the vote list wont disappear? I'm sad to have only one vote to give (I didnt know there were any novels about the amazing Pari Khan Khanom - and will definitely also be reading Equal of the Sun)
Caroline

I know the poll is closed, but I want to add this author as a suggestion: Masoud Behnoud; his novel The knot in the rug is available in an English translation (Garnet Publishing 2012)

Thanks, Ardene! Maybe it'll win in the second poll :)

For non-fiction there are three books I have I wish to be able to read any of them this round , Iran Awakening which is a memoir written by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Reading Lolita in Tehran by professor Hamid Dabashi which is contraversial one . and a political one Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States more about it in here:
http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?is...

I have a copy of Treacherous Alliance and I will be reading it for our tour.

Great. hope we can read it together at some point .

By the way, do you have a copy of
حدائق اﻻحزان ؟

Yes I do and I will read it after I finish the book I have.

Great again . I am planning to read it after (the house of mosque) too ....wish ...wish ...wish ...so many books !

I finally received my book order, Vis and Ramin and The Blind Owl. Since I already read Shahnameh, Equal of the Sun, The Knot in the Rug and The House of the Mosque in the past two years, I'll be reading my new books instead of rereading what is planned for the Iran tour. I'm not sure how this will go or how long it is going to take me the finish these books since I'm mainly focusing on my studies right now, but I'll keep you posted!

Ooh, wonderful, Miss Juliette! I look forward to seeing your comments on them :)

As a big fan of Vis and Ramin, I'm also keen to hear what you think. I was hesitant about the poetry to very start with - then got myself going by reading out loud.

A few times have I recommended my translation of The Little Black Fish, and since the genre is "Children" I have not been successful in getting enough members interested in reading it. Unfortunately, even links have been provided to an online translation, which is inaccurate and misleading. The same is true with ALL OTHER TRANSLATIONS of this book (to be discussed if the book is voted).

I am recommending this book as "Iran" is to be the topic. Many books will be recommended, mostly about "Kings", "Persian Empire", etc... However, Little Black Fish is totally different. It is progressive and a must read, especially for the people of the Middle Eastern Countries going through an amazingly wonderful historic moment, MAKING THEIR OWN HISTORY.

Let us read this great book together. Here is what The Turkish writer and Nobel Prize winner, Orhan Pamuk thinks of Little Black Fish:

quote

“I read a book one day and my whole life was changed” starts Orhan Pamuk to his famous and brilliantly written book: The New Life. Some books just strike you with the very first sentence, and generally those are the ones that leave a mark in your memory and soul, the ones that make you read, come back many years later and read again, and have the same pleasure each time. I was lucky enough to have a father who was passionate about literature, so passionate that he would teach me how to read at the age of five. The very first book he bought for me was “The Little Black Fish” by Samad Behrangi. After that I started reading his other books, and at that age I had already owned a small Behrangi collection.

UNQUOTE

Miss Juliette wrote: "I finally received my book order, Vis and Ramin and The Blind Owl. Since I already read Shahnameh, Equal of the Sun, The Knot in the Rug and The House of the Mosque in t..."

I want to read "The blind owl" too !

**There is a thread for "The black fish " book discussion in here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hi Ruby, I'm willing to read The Black Fish, but I don't see it in my local library. Would you be interested in circulating a PDF version?

Nile Daughter, I have Reading Lolita in Tehran and I'm hoping to read it during our group time in Iran if I can get through all my other readings.

I'm reading a book called Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America right now while I'm waiting for my copy of When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: The Rise and Fall of Islam's Greatest Dynasty to come. I decided to read it mostly because it would be the shortest quickest read (it's under 200 pages)which means I could potentially finish it before my other book comes but I'm glad I did it's pretty humorous and offers some interesting comparisons of life and culture in Iran vs America.

My library doesn't seem to have little black fish either but I'd be willing to try and fit it in where I can. However, I'm not sure I could really get past a fish being armed with a dagger... I think I would be constantly picturing a Spongebob Squarepants type of environment while reading it.

Cassandra . I would love to have a chance to read it with you . we can check together by March and see how things are going ?

it will be interesting to hear about any non fiction book you read :)

I just finished reading The Blind Owl. How to talk about this book without revealing any spoiler... A friend had warn me: the main character is sick. He didn't say more, but kept repeating "sick" like a mantra. It's the perfect way to dive into the book. You have to accept that you cannot try to understand the story if you keep the little drawers we all have in our heads with which we classify and organize life in order to understand it (mind you, more often that not, it's not the best way to approach life, but that's a whole different story). Those drawers don't make sense in The Blind Owl's universe. The author has often been compared to Edgar Allan Poe. I would maybe nuance this by saying that it's more like Beckett meets Poe. I'm very glad I read it, but I would not recommand it to a large public. It is indeed a difficult read, in many ways, not to mention one or two gruesome scence...

Melanie wrote: "Hi Ruby, I'm willing to read The Black Fish, but I don't see it in my local library. Would you be interested in circulating a PDF version?"

Hi, Melanie and thanks a lot. Unfortunately the hard copy of my book is only sold in online stores (amazon, Authorhouse, B&N, etc...)

However, I have published a different story from Samad Beh-Rang (Behrangi), which is also wonderful.

When Mohammad Bouazizi committed suicide in Tunesia, which triggered the Arab Spring, I thought there was a need to publish this story, which is also about the life of a fruit cart-pusher, BUT with a totally different message...

http://www.amazon.com/24-Hours-Betwee...

Cassandra wrote: "My library doesn't seem to have little black fish either but I'd be willing to try and fit it in where I can. However, I'm not sure I could really get past a fish being armed with a dagger... I th..."

Well, couldn't that be a message?

Thanks Ruby for contributing this story!

Ruby wrote: "Well, couldn't that be a message?"

...That I've spent too much time with my kids watching spongebob squarepants or that I dislike that idea of using animals doing impossible things in an athropomorphic attept to relate to serious content or both ... quite possibly.

Miss Juliette wrote: "I just finished reading The Blind Owl. How to talk about this book without revealing any spoiler... A friend had warn me: the main character is sick. He didn't say more, but kept repea..."

Ohhh, I want to read that book but I have been warned that it is a very difficult one .

Nile daughter wrote: "....I read for Anita Amirrezvani her first novel The Blood of Flowers: A Novel and "Equal of the sun " is on my reading list ..

Unfortunately my library doesn't have Equal of the Sun but I have started reading The Blood of Flowers. How did you find it? It's a quick read, I'm about 100 pages in and thinking that although it is set in 1600s Persia it could be today in that I suspect a widow and her daughter today are not much better of than in the book where they have to seek refuge with their only male relative because they cannot work their fields following the death of the father.

At this rate I may have to up my challenge numbers as this is my third qualifying book and I only set myself 6! Think I need to rethink that.

I read it a while ago , yes it was a quick read and I remember enjoying it , waiting for your feedback .

Sheila wrote: "At this rate I may have to up my challenge numbers as this is my third qualifying book and I only set myself 6! Think I need to rethink that..."

Go ahead:D
******
Did anyone read The Septembers of Shiraz?

Nile daughter wrote: "I read it a while ago , yes it was a quick read and I remember enjoying it , waiting for your feedback .

Sheila wrote: "At this rate I may have to up my challenge numbers as this is my third quali..."

ND I loved it! Sped through it in double quick time, beautiful story, well told. My Review

After the auxilliary Iranian tales within it I can't wait to read more in The Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings :)

Nile daughter, I read Septembers of Shiraz several years ago. I enjoyed it, but I don't remember it well right now.

Sheila, I also read Blood of Flowers several years ago, and am considering re-reading it in light of the Shahnameh.

Sheila, I am glad you liked it :)

Ardene wrote: "Nile daughter, I read Septembers of Shiraz several years ago. I enjoyed it, but I don't remember it well right now."

Thanks :)