Books
Jan 25-29, 1999 / Bahman 5-9, 1377
Book of the week
* Literature: Daneshvar's
Playhouse
Past picks
* Epic: The Tragedy
of Sohrab and Rostam
* Fiction: The arrest
of Hoveyda
* Memoir: To See
and See Again
* Art: Closed Circuit History
* History/Fiction: The
Persian Boy
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Daneshvar's Playhouse
A Collection of Stories
By Simin Daneshvar
In five intriguing stories, the formal detachment of Daneshvar's prose
reinforces her subtle revelation of repressive features in Iranian society.
. . . These seemingly simple stories disclose a rich culture in a time
of ferment and change, of women in chadors, held in contempt by the men
who control their lives. . . . This volume is a valuable addition to our
knowledge of Persian culture and the political complexities of modern Iran.
-- Publishers Weekly
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The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam
From the Persian National Epic, the Shahname of Ferdowsi
By Jerome W. Clinton (Translator)
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The Arrest of Hoveyda
Stories of the Iranian Revolution
By Saideh Pakravan
"Besides evoking Iran's unique atmosphere [The Arrest of Hoveyda]... proves that history
can most tellingly be told when the key syllables of the word are taken
as the last two: story... This book is essential for all who want to understand
Iran." -- Peter Avery
"... a remarkable fiction. The author comes to political maturity
in the midst of the absurd and tragic events leading up to the overthrow
of the Pahlavi monarchy, the murder of her father, and the consolidation
of the power of Ayatollah Khomeini." -- Marvin Zonis
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To See and See Again
A Life in Iran and America
By Tara Bahrampour
From A beautifully written memoir that delivers much more than the story
of a young woman's life. Bahrampour, a Princeton Ph.D. candidate in sociology,
grew up in two culturesAmerica and Iran very much in conflict. The daughter
of an Iranian father and an American mother, she claimed American habits
as her early norms. However, the young Tara grew attached to Iranian ways,
so when the family returned to the U.S. due to the Islamic Revolution (she
was 11), the author's sense of dislocation only heightened. - Kirkus
Reviews
Also read the New
York Newsday review of Bahrampour's book
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Journey to Persia
Jean Chardin's Portrait of a Seventeenth-Century Empire
'Isfahan is half the world' was the proud boast of the seventeenth-century
capital of Persia. One of the travellers attracted to Persia was Jean Chardin,
a young French jeweller who spent most of his time in Isfahan. During this
time, he became intimate with the city; he was invited into people's houses
and entertained; he visited gardens and participated in hunts; his knowledge
of court affairs was extensive, and he travelled many miles, visiting other
towns and villages during Safavid Iran.
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Closed Circuit History
The illustrations of Ardeshir Mohassess
Ardeshir Mohassess is recognized internationally as Iran's leading caricaturist
and graphic artist (see
feature in The Iranian). Yet, as the powerful images on the following
pages show, neither appellation fully describes the breadth, depth, intricacy,
and complexity of his art and vision. In his drawings, be they detailed
tableau or simple, primitive sketches, Mohassess quite literally dissects
his characters with his pen and then peels away the conventional facade
to expose the underlying reality of his world... -- Ali Banuazizi
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The Persian Boy
By Mary Renault
I have read many books in my 17 years, but few have captured me as The Persian Boy has. It is the story of a persian boy
sold into slavery and eventually becomes slave to King Darius III. As Persia
is lost to Alexander's army early in the story, the boy becomes first a
servant then a lover to Alexander. Perhaps the most interesting part of
the story is that Renault maintains an enormous level of accuracy both
about the historical events, and about the relationship between this boy
and Alexander, based on records from the time. -- A reader
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