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audryt's review
5.0
A work of art, carefully painted word by word, until a portrait of a man and a kingdom emerge, fully realized.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
3.0
The content is an overview of the shah of Iran in the late 1800's. Shah Naser is taking his country into a more modern era. He is trying to broker peace with Russia and Britain and he trusts no one.
This is an examination of someone in power that isn't quite sure what do with that power. He makes mistakes at every turn in his efforts to be greater and to get an upper hand in his political aspirations.
The reading is easy here. The chapters are short and the timeline often jumps several years between chapters, but not in a way that diminishes the storyline.
I feel there is a lot of down time in the plot and not much happens until the last third of the book. I am interested to read Adbolah's earlier works.
This is an examination of someone in power that isn't quite sure what do with that power. He makes mistakes at every turn in his efforts to be greater and to get an upper hand in his political aspirations.
The reading is easy here. The chapters are short and the timeline often jumps several years between chapters, but not in a way that diminishes the storyline.
I feel there is a lot of down time in the plot and not much happens until the last third of the book. I am interested to read Adbolah's earlier works.
dctanugi's review against another edition
4.0
An old-fashioned monarch caught at the confluence of the industrial revolution and modern nation-state geopolitics. A well-written and engrossing book.
philippafrederique's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted on http://eatreadexplore.wordpress.com
I've loved Kader Abdolah's writing since I first read The House of the Mosque many moons ago. His style of writing and use of language is unique, and whenever I read any of his works I feel as though I'm being taken on some sort of magical journey (and yes I do realise how cheesy that sounds). His books always have some connection to Iran, or take place entirely in Iran, and this one is no exception. The story takes us to 19th century Persia, a country ruled by the young Shah Naser. The country is on a turning point of modernisation and industrialisation, but the Shah is weary of these rapid changes, and prefers to pretend he's still living in the medieval fairytale-like country whose throne he has inherited from his father. His grand-vizier, however, does realise that the country is in need of some much needed change, and that if nothing is done their power and autonomy will be threatened by colonial superpowers such as Great Britain. The story finds a perfect and harmonious balance between an historical account and a thrilling story, which makes for a great read. Abdolah has truly perfected the art of storytelling, and his books are always a joy to read.
I had the honour of meeting Kader Abdolah at the Edinburgh International Book Festival back in August, which I still need to write a blog post about. He's a truly fascinating man with an incredible life story, and his novels are a testament to his achievements. I would urge everyone to read at least one of his books, even if you don't have a special interest in Iran. I assure you that you'll be swept away by his writing and beautiful turn of phrase.
As this was the first time I read one of his works in the English translation (I usually read them in the original Dutch), I need to acknowledge the translator, Nancy Forest Flier, who did an amazing job in maintaining his unique style of writing, and made the translation just as pleasurable to read as the original.
I've loved Kader Abdolah's writing since I first read The House of the Mosque many moons ago. His style of writing and use of language is unique, and whenever I read any of his works I feel as though I'm being taken on some sort of magical journey (and yes I do realise how cheesy that sounds). His books always have some connection to Iran, or take place entirely in Iran, and this one is no exception. The story takes us to 19th century Persia, a country ruled by the young Shah Naser. The country is on a turning point of modernisation and industrialisation, but the Shah is weary of these rapid changes, and prefers to pretend he's still living in the medieval fairytale-like country whose throne he has inherited from his father. His grand-vizier, however, does realise that the country is in need of some much needed change, and that if nothing is done their power and autonomy will be threatened by colonial superpowers such as Great Britain. The story finds a perfect and harmonious balance between an historical account and a thrilling story, which makes for a great read. Abdolah has truly perfected the art of storytelling, and his books are always a joy to read.
I had the honour of meeting Kader Abdolah at the Edinburgh International Book Festival back in August, which I still need to write a blog post about. He's a truly fascinating man with an incredible life story, and his novels are a testament to his achievements. I would urge everyone to read at least one of his books, even if you don't have a special interest in Iran. I assure you that you'll be swept away by his writing and beautiful turn of phrase.
As this was the first time I read one of his works in the English translation (I usually read them in the original Dutch), I need to acknowledge the translator, Nancy Forest Flier, who did an amazing job in maintaining his unique style of writing, and made the translation just as pleasurable to read as the original.
loesdebruijn's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bookwomble's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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