Publication
Breda De Geus cop. 2005
ISBN
9044507680 / 9789044507683
Language
Collections
Description
Iran, 1969. In the house of the mosque, the family of Aqa Jaan has lived for eight centuries. The house teems with life, played out under the watchful eyes of the storks that nest on the minarets above. But this family will experience upheaval unknown to previous generations. For in Iran, political unrest is brewing. The shah is losing his hold on power; the ayatollah incites rebellion from his exile in France; and one day the ayatollah returns. The consequences will be felt in every corner of Aqa Jaan's family.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member souloftherose
“There was once a house, an old house, which was known as ‘the house of the mosque’.”
So begins The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah.
Written by an Iranian author, now living in the Netherlands and writing in Dutch, The House of the Mosque follows an extended family who live in a house
Before reading this book, I knew very little about the above events or about Islam and its traditions but I didn’t feel this affected my enjoyment of this book; in fact I would recommend this as a good starting point for someone who’s interested in reading literature about this period or area.
The House of the Mosque is a beautifully written novel, fable like in style with perhaps a touch of magical realism. Abdolah has been criticised for not being accurate enough in his treatment of the events surrounding the Iranian Revolution and I don’t know enough about the history of this period to know whether this criticism is accurate or not. But I think this is intended as a fable, as a fictionalised account of the author’s experiences in Iran during the time of the revolution and as a homage to the ‘old ways’, before the revolution changed things. The ending of the book makes it clear that to some extent this novel is autobiographical in nature and the novel is dedicated to Aqa Jaan, the main character in the book, ‘so I can let him go’. This is an emotional rather than factual account of this period of upheaval in Iran but despite the many struggles and sufferings described, the story is not depressing and ends on a note of hope that is truly uplifting.
A wonderful book and one that has made me interested in reading more literature about this area of the world.
So begins The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah.
Written by an Iranian author, now living in the Netherlands and writing in Dutch, The House of the Mosque follows an extended family who live in a house
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built onto a mosque in Senejan in Iran. The story starts in 1969 just before the first men land on the moon and continues through the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the subsequent Iran-Iraq war.Before reading this book, I knew very little about the above events or about Islam and its traditions but I didn’t feel this affected my enjoyment of this book; in fact I would recommend this as a good starting point for someone who’s interested in reading literature about this period or area.
The House of the Mosque is a beautifully written novel, fable like in style with perhaps a touch of magical realism. Abdolah has been criticised for not being accurate enough in his treatment of the events surrounding the Iranian Revolution and I don’t know enough about the history of this period to know whether this criticism is accurate or not. But I think this is intended as a fable, as a fictionalised account of the author’s experiences in Iran during the time of the revolution and as a homage to the ‘old ways’, before the revolution changed things. The ending of the book makes it clear that to some extent this novel is autobiographical in nature and the novel is dedicated to Aqa Jaan, the main character in the book, ‘so I can let him go’. This is an emotional rather than factual account of this period of upheaval in Iran but despite the many struggles and sufferings described, the story is not depressing and ends on a note of hope that is truly uplifting.
A wonderful book and one that has made me interested in reading more literature about this area of the world.
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LibraryThing member finebalance
I loved Kader Abdolah's 'The House of the Mosque'. The book follows the fortunes of one family, who through successive generations have served as custodians of the main Friday mosque in Senejan. The author maps the impact of Iran's turbulent history from the late 1960s through to the Iranian
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revolution and beyond as it impacts on this family. We see the specific marks that the broad sweep of history leaves on individuals, and how powerless they prove in the face of dramatic and violent change. We watch members of the family hold to their principles through times of extreme hardship, notably the patriach Aqa Jaan, and also how the promise of power or lure of temptation, perverts others, who succumb to the lure of dictatorship and religious extremism. The book weaves its spell slowly and surely. I was left caring deeply for this family, and more awake to the fate of the many other families who also faced life and loss through these turbulent times. Show Less
LibraryThing member sanddancer
The book is about an extended family of three cousins, who live in the house attached to the mosque in a town in Iran. The central character is Aqa Jaan, a wise and respected man, who runs the household and the town bazaar. when the story begins, it is 1950 and Iran is under the rule of the Shah,
My edition has a chart showing the main characters in the front and a glossary of Arabic words in the back - two things that make me groan - I like to read uninterupted without having to flick back and forth for explanations and reminders. But I needn't have worried, as the characters were, on the whole, well-formed and distinctive so I didn't really need the extra help.
The book covers an important and fascinating part of recent history, a story which should be told in the West, where perhaps not enough is known about it. The first part of the book which introduces Persian customs and the relationships across the family was an absolute delight - I particularly liked the part about the Grandmothers who want to go to Mecca. However, when the story reached the time of the revolution and the fictional characters came up against real life events and people, I found that rather than being the exciting climax I was expecting, the book lost its way somewhat. Too much bland historical information was given, breaking from the flow of the narrative about the characters. It would have been better if this could have been integrated better with the story, rather than reported blankly. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book - it is just that that flaw made it just a good read rather than a great one.
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and the imam of the mosque is the ineffectual Alsaberi. But things will change dramatically. There is unrest at America's influence over the Shah, and the increasing Americanisation of Iran through radio, television and cinema, which conflict with the traditional Muslim way of life. My edition has a chart showing the main characters in the front and a glossary of Arabic words in the back - two things that make me groan - I like to read uninterupted without having to flick back and forth for explanations and reminders. But I needn't have worried, as the characters were, on the whole, well-formed and distinctive so I didn't really need the extra help.
The book covers an important and fascinating part of recent history, a story which should be told in the West, where perhaps not enough is known about it. The first part of the book which introduces Persian customs and the relationships across the family was an absolute delight - I particularly liked the part about the Grandmothers who want to go to Mecca. However, when the story reached the time of the revolution and the fictional characters came up against real life events and people, I found that rather than being the exciting climax I was expecting, the book lost its way somewhat. Too much bland historical information was given, breaking from the flow of the narrative about the characters. It would have been better if this could have been integrated better with the story, rather than reported blankly. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book - it is just that that flaw made it just a good read rather than a great one.
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LibraryThing member cerievans1
In the regional city of Senejan in Iran, stands the Friday Mosque and the house attached to the mosque, For generations, the Imam of the Mosque and his family, and also the caretaker of the mosque have lived together. The book opens in the mid twentieth century, when the local successful carpet
When Imam Alsaberi dies, everything slowly unravels. Every new imam is unsatisfactory in some way, the politics of the country heats up, the mosque becomes a place where tradition and dissent clash, people are forced to change or be imprisoned. The events at the house of the mosque as observed by Aqa Jaan mirror the changing social and political events which ultimately lead to the overthrow of the Shah and the imposition of an ayatollah, Khomeini as the ruler of the country. Iran sees great upheaval but also previously unthinkable evils.
The House of the Mosque provides an insight into the impact of the significant political difficulties in the second half of the twentieth century upon ordinary Iranian people. The book took a hold over me as I followed the trials of the inhabitants of the House of the Mosque, so much so that I cared what happened to each character. Excellent characterisation, story and setting. 4 stars, an early reviewers copy.
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salesman Aqa Jaan and his family caretake the mosque, and the Alsaberi family live alongside them. Kader Abdolah paints life at the mosque as unconcerned with the politics of the time, living life under the Shah without overt criticism for the progression of social values, quietly plodding on with everyday concerns, content, idyllic and free. The house is peopled by quirky characters; Imam Alsaberi suffers with a form of obsessive compulsion and cannot bear to be touched. He is washed everyday in his specially constructed bathroom by the 'the grandmothers' before he can preach. The Grandmothers have lived at the house of the mosque since they were very young, they are not actually related to the inhabitants of the house, they take care of everything quietly, invisibly. Muezzin is another quiet inhabitant of the house of the mosque, he spends his time shaping ceramic vases and plates in the basement, he is blind but he has a beautiful voice with with he calls the community to prayer, he hides his transistor radio under his clothes. There are other family members who visit occasionally like Nosrat, the modern photographer who brings his unveiled girlfriends to the house at the mosque, making love to them in sacred places, or Kazem Khan the elderly poet from the Jaan ancestral village who comes to seduce the Grandmothers and smoke opium. When Imam Alsaberi dies, everything slowly unravels. Every new imam is unsatisfactory in some way, the politics of the country heats up, the mosque becomes a place where tradition and dissent clash, people are forced to change or be imprisoned. The events at the house of the mosque as observed by Aqa Jaan mirror the changing social and political events which ultimately lead to the overthrow of the Shah and the imposition of an ayatollah, Khomeini as the ruler of the country. Iran sees great upheaval but also previously unthinkable evils.
The House of the Mosque provides an insight into the impact of the significant political difficulties in the second half of the twentieth century upon ordinary Iranian people. The book took a hold over me as I followed the trials of the inhabitants of the House of the Mosque, so much so that I cared what happened to each character. Excellent characterisation, story and setting. 4 stars, an early reviewers copy.
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LibraryThing member elkiedee
This novel tells the story of an Iranian family in the late 20th century. The story opens in 1950. The house of the mosque is a very large house with 35 rooms, and a wealthy and influential extended family live there – 3 cousins and their families. They are the family who serve the mosque, as
Over the years a variety of social and economic changes affect members of the family, then comes the revolution of 1979, when the Shah of Iran is overthrown only to be replaced by the Islamic state ruled by Ayatollah Khomeini.
There is a huge variety of characters and a constantly changing political background in the story, but it is a very engaging good read. Apparently, the treatment of historical fact in the novel is not that accurate, but I think his concern is to tell a story of the effects on the individuals and the increasingly divided family. The family has prospered under the Shah, and some are very unhappy and scared at the changes of 1979. One is a left wing activist, and others become keen supporters of the Islamic regime, including Zinat, the woman who becomes a torturer.
I was interested in the portrayal of women’s roles in the novel. They are not exactly great feminist heroines, and mostly, not really fully-fledged as characters in the way that the men are, but they find a range of ways of asserting their own identity, and they are certainly not just the passive women behind the veil that are often a stereotype of modern Iranian society.
The novel includes a brief glossary at the end and a family tree at the beginning (in the form of a picture of a tree with birds on it). However, I didn’t look words and other references up when reading, I just enjoyed the story, and I didn’t even notice the family tree until well after I’d finished reading. Still, it adds a nice touch to the book for readers who like to spend time getting all the details of a novel straight.
I found the writing style, even in translation, very atmospheric and the story flowed very smoothly.
Thanks to the Early Reviewers scheme for introducing this author to me, and I’ve already brought another of his novels home from the library.
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imams and religious leaders. This appears to be a hereditary responsibility as the same family has lived there for centuries. Over the years a variety of social and economic changes affect members of the family, then comes the revolution of 1979, when the Shah of Iran is overthrown only to be replaced by the Islamic state ruled by Ayatollah Khomeini.
There is a huge variety of characters and a constantly changing political background in the story, but it is a very engaging good read. Apparently, the treatment of historical fact in the novel is not that accurate, but I think his concern is to tell a story of the effects on the individuals and the increasingly divided family. The family has prospered under the Shah, and some are very unhappy and scared at the changes of 1979. One is a left wing activist, and others become keen supporters of the Islamic regime, including Zinat, the woman who becomes a torturer.
I was interested in the portrayal of women’s roles in the novel. They are not exactly great feminist heroines, and mostly, not really fully-fledged as characters in the way that the men are, but they find a range of ways of asserting their own identity, and they are certainly not just the passive women behind the veil that are often a stereotype of modern Iranian society.
The novel includes a brief glossary at the end and a family tree at the beginning (in the form of a picture of a tree with birds on it). However, I didn’t look words and other references up when reading, I just enjoyed the story, and I didn’t even notice the family tree until well after I’d finished reading. Still, it adds a nice touch to the book for readers who like to spend time getting all the details of a novel straight.
I found the writing style, even in translation, very atmospheric and the story flowed very smoothly.
Thanks to the Early Reviewers scheme for introducing this author to me, and I’ve already brought another of his novels home from the library.
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LibraryThing member xtien
"The house by the Mosk" by Kader Abdolah. Abdolah isn't done with his past, yet, this is his second party autobiographic novel. There's a lot of similarities with his previous novel, "my fathers notebook". House by the mosk describes a history of an extended family living in a house next to the
The shah is chased, Khomeini comes, and terror starts. Unfortunately, a happy ending isn't possible because the islam radicals are still in power in Iran. The end of the novel is "kind of" happy. And very sad.
I wonder how many of these novels Abdolah will have to write before being able to write fiction, to write the novels I think he can write and will write, but he can't because his head is still full of anger, of sadness, of grief for his lost homeland.
The writing style of this novel is typical for Abdolah. The sentences are short and powerful. In some way, it reminds me of Frank Marinus Arion, but more powerful, and better, much better. I suspect that Abdolah's writing style is influenced by the fact that he learned Dutch only years ago, as an immigrant and refugee in the Netherlands. Most immigrants should be happy to be able to write a more or less ok letter in Dutch after a few years, but Abdolah writes prize winning novels, it's amazing.
I admire Abdolah, I admire his writing style, I admire his stories, and I'm looking forward to the novels he will write in the next few years, and especially to the first full novel that is not about Iran because then we'll know that finally, he'll have learned to cope with his past. I will certainly read every novel he'll write soon as it comes out.
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mosk they "own", one brother is the imam, another brother is the merchand who is like governing the city. But the shah is expanding modern society against the will of most people, and not being aware of the role islam plays in Persia. The shah could have done a so much better job by incorporating old Persian culture in his reign, as well as parts of moderate islam. The shah is chased, Khomeini comes, and terror starts. Unfortunately, a happy ending isn't possible because the islam radicals are still in power in Iran. The end of the novel is "kind of" happy. And very sad.
I wonder how many of these novels Abdolah will have to write before being able to write fiction, to write the novels I think he can write and will write, but he can't because his head is still full of anger, of sadness, of grief for his lost homeland.
The writing style of this novel is typical for Abdolah. The sentences are short and powerful. In some way, it reminds me of Frank Marinus Arion, but more powerful, and better, much better. I suspect that Abdolah's writing style is influenced by the fact that he learned Dutch only years ago, as an immigrant and refugee in the Netherlands. Most immigrants should be happy to be able to write a more or less ok letter in Dutch after a few years, but Abdolah writes prize winning novels, it's amazing.
I admire Abdolah, I admire his writing style, I admire his stories, and I'm looking forward to the novels he will write in the next few years, and especially to the first full novel that is not about Iran because then we'll know that finally, he'll have learned to cope with his past. I will certainly read every novel he'll write soon as it comes out.
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LibraryThing member emhromp2
A very very very brilliant book, that helped me understand so much more about the Muslim faith, Iran and its regime. One of my favourites.
LibraryThing member Bcteagirl
I didn’t know much about Muslim culture when I started reading this book. Even so, this book pulled me right in and gave me a better understanding of what is was like living in Iran at the time. House of The Mosque is set in Iran during a time of much upheaval. When you read this book you find
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yourself pulled in multiple directions. You feel yourself pulled toward the traditional, nice and safe life while at the same time drawn to the new and potentially dangerous. While life has slowly been changing all around them, the family of The Mosque is situated in a conservative town and has been relatively buffered from it. For them life has remained very much the same. You find yourself empathizing with this family despite the fact that they cling to the traditional (The women cover themselves; television is forbidden). Yet slowly they are being pulled along. No, not pulled along but rather forced along. You feel their confusion when they find that the ties of the community are fraying, that they no longer have control over what happens in their home town. You are surprised that government tried to outlaw women from covering themselves. You are angered when you read about the secret police attending the Mosque, lest anyone speak out against the new regime. As the tension slowly builds and it seems as if their way of life is slipping away, a new regime takes over. It is a return to the old, the traditional, and yet all too quickly it falls away as things take a violent turn. In fighting to cling to their way of life, the community began forcing the old ways on everyone. Just when you think things could not get any worse, war with America breaks out and the situation descends into chaos. And yet there are constant strings throughout, a feeling of hope. I enjoyed this book enormously and highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member wandering_star
The House Of The Mosque is the story of a family, who live in the the house of the mosque in a fairly religious city in Iran. The book starts during the rule of the Shah, and shows what happens to the family in the period up to and after the Islamic Revolution. Some of the developments impinge more
It's quite hard for me to explain how I felt about this book. My opinions kept changing as I was reading it.
The first 20 pages felt like a textbook example of how-to-write-a-Middle-East-bestseller: from the cover (a grubby but bright-eyed small boy, regarding the reader, despite the fact that no small boys feature very much in the story) to the opening magical-realism-tinged scene, with deliberately simple story-teller like language and nods to themes of the clash between tradition and the modern and the treatment of women.
As the book went on, though, it became more interesting, and much less cliched. It's certainly a more complex view of Iran than in most Iran-variant Middle-East-bestsellers. The characters - I can't say they were fully rounded individuals, but they certainly couldn't be summed up in a phrase. There was a lovely theme about the power of the spoken word - poetry, storytelling, Koran readings, and sermons (one of the ways the village changes is in the character of the different imams).
That said, in the end the shortcomings in the writing really undermined all the good things about the book. It doesn't seem to have been constructed at all: one thing happens, then the next thing happens, then the next thing happens, and we are told it all in sequence. After the Revolution, time telescopes so that all the key events can be fitted in (one chapter starts, "Five months later, at around noon, three Iraqi warplanes flew over Tehran"). It's terribly expository, with characters explaining politics and history to each other. And (probably related to the previous point), everything is explained immediately, which is one of my pet hates about books.* Trust your readers to fill in the gaps! It's probably not a coincidence that my favourite story within the book is the only one which remains unexplained, the story of the grandmothers' disappearance during the Hajj.
In the end, then, although there were good things about this book, I can't really recommend it to other readers.
Sample: "You're a special woman. I rarely meet women like you. As I listened to you read, I ran alongside those snorting stallions whose hooves make sparks fly. I've read that surah many times, but this is the first time it's ever touched me so deeply. I owe that to you." Zinat soaked up his words like a desert soaks up a sudden rain. And his last sentence did its work. That night, as she lay in bed, she thought of his "I owe that to you".
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on the family than others - at times, the village imam is non-political and life goes on quietly; then the next imam is more in touch with the religious leaders in Qom and encourages the villagers to protest against the Shah. One of the members of the family develops communist leanings; others become revolutionaries; and others just get on with their lives. It's quite hard for me to explain how I felt about this book. My opinions kept changing as I was reading it.
The first 20 pages felt like a textbook example of how-to-write-a-Middle-East-bestseller: from the cover (a grubby but bright-eyed small boy, regarding the reader, despite the fact that no small boys feature very much in the story) to the opening magical-realism-tinged scene, with deliberately simple story-teller like language and nods to themes of the clash between tradition and the modern and the treatment of women.
As the book went on, though, it became more interesting, and much less cliched. It's certainly a more complex view of Iran than in most Iran-variant Middle-East-bestsellers. The characters - I can't say they were fully rounded individuals, but they certainly couldn't be summed up in a phrase. There was a lovely theme about the power of the spoken word - poetry, storytelling, Koran readings, and sermons (one of the ways the village changes is in the character of the different imams).
That said, in the end the shortcomings in the writing really undermined all the good things about the book. It doesn't seem to have been constructed at all: one thing happens, then the next thing happens, then the next thing happens, and we are told it all in sequence. After the Revolution, time telescopes so that all the key events can be fitted in (one chapter starts, "Five months later, at around noon, three Iraqi warplanes flew over Tehran"). It's terribly expository, with characters explaining politics and history to each other. And (probably related to the previous point), everything is explained immediately, which is one of my pet hates about books.* Trust your readers to fill in the gaps! It's probably not a coincidence that my favourite story within the book is the only one which remains unexplained, the story of the grandmothers' disappearance during the Hajj.
In the end, then, although there were good things about this book, I can't really recommend it to other readers.
Sample: "You're a special woman. I rarely meet women like you. As I listened to you read, I ran alongside those snorting stallions whose hooves make sparks fly. I've read that surah many times, but this is the first time it's ever touched me so deeply. I owe that to you." Zinat soaked up his words like a desert soaks up a sudden rain. And his last sentence did its work. That night, as she lay in bed, she thought of his "I owe that to you".
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LibraryThing member pokarekareana
This novel charts the changing fortunes of an Iranian family in the turbulent period of the 1950s through to the 1970s. Political upheaval and religious extremism colour each of their lives in different ways, and characters come and go against the backdrop of a slow-moving revolution.
My knowledge
My knowledge
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of recent Iranian history was sadly lacking before I read this, and I went into it feeling a little apprehensive. My worries were totally unnecessary; I read it in two sittings, and found myself utterly absorbed. The cast of characters was huge and sometimes a bit confusing, and was supplanted by a not-particularly-helpful family tree at the front of the book, but I did eventually get it clear in my head who was who and who wasn’t who. The writing was exceptional, and the plot was quite unique. Definitely a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member riikkat
The novel tells the story of an Iranian family as they struggle to survive the changing times and the Iranian revolution. I started reading this novel with hardly any knowledge of Iranian history or Islamic customs. By the end of the book I was fascinated. Especially the start of the book told the
Things start getting darker and more complex very soon though. The revolution is approaching and it changes the lives of every individual living in the house and mostly not for the better. Towards the end of the book you feel like the heartbrake will never end. Luckily the ending is despite all very beautiful and hopeful.
Abdolah has a way of bringing all his characters to life and his writing is superb. I'd recommed this book to anyone who'd be interested to know more about life in Iran in the latter half of the 20th century and also to those who would like to get a climpse of family life at that period of time.
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story of a traditional Iranian family so well, I wanted to hear more about their customs and stories. The start of the book had an almost magical quality to it.Things start getting darker and more complex very soon though. The revolution is approaching and it changes the lives of every individual living in the house and mostly not for the better. Towards the end of the book you feel like the heartbrake will never end. Luckily the ending is despite all very beautiful and hopeful.
Abdolah has a way of bringing all his characters to life and his writing is superb. I'd recommed this book to anyone who'd be interested to know more about life in Iran in the latter half of the 20th century and also to those who would like to get a climpse of family life at that period of time.
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LibraryThing member Mikalina
An eyeopener!
This is the story of how Ayatollah Khomeini and Saddam Hussein rose to power. A story of how it is possible for a very very few ruthless people to exercise tyrrany. A story of a surprised people, of surprised persons that did not see what was coming, and even when it came could not
This is the story of how Ayatollah Khomeini and Saddam Hussein rose to power. A story of how it is possible for a very very few ruthless people to exercise tyrrany. A story of a surprised people, of surprised persons that did not see what was coming, and even when it came could not
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believe their eyes. It is a story of the mechanism of fear; How to rule by it, who rises towards it and who exploits it. Who become informers and who gets to know they actually is built around an inviolable core of humanity. It is a story of broken Tradition, of the misuse of an old and holy book full of wonderful poetry. Show Less
LibraryThing member zeborah
Explores the rapidly changing eras of Iran's recent history through the eyes of one family. I never quite kept up with all the relationships between the characters, but still felt like I knew them. The prose is beautiful and deceptively simple; often much meaning is packed in an allusion and a
A few tropes were a little cliched, so less effective than they could have been; but I had tears in my eyes more than once at the various dilemmas and difficulties faced by the main characters. The ending ring of autobiography, but I couldn't figure out whether that detracted from the fiction or added to the realism.
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silence. (As in the beginnings of a love affair where so little was explained in the characters' speech that a previous reader had pencilled in a question about this elision. I love marginalia, so pencilled in an answer: the trick was in applying the poetry under discussion as a metaphor to their relationship.)A few tropes were a little cliched, so less effective than they could have been; but I had tears in my eyes more than once at the various dilemmas and difficulties faced by the main characters. The ending ring of autobiography, but I couldn't figure out whether that detracted from the fiction or added to the realism.
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LibraryThing member starbox
"Now, for the first time, the family's foe was Islam itself", February 26, 2015
This review is from: The House of the Mosque (Paperback)
Opening in 1950, in the city of Senejan, this story tells the recent history of Iran by following a fictional extended family through the years and the impact that
The family are conservative in outlook, somewhat disapproving of the Shah's regime where women in big cities wear western dress, and America exerts an unseen influence. Yet they are far removed from the extremism which is starting to take hold in the 'religious' centres. As Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power, the evil of fundamentalism starts to become apparent.
If this makes Abdolah's novel sound like a dry political novel, that is far from the case, for this is primarily a family saga; headed by carpet merchant, Aqa Jaan, this highly readable novel features marriage, birth and death - and tragedy. Beautiful descriptions of the country bring to life a place that readers in the West tend to equate merely with war.
I have learnt so much from reading this - and enjoyed every minute.
This review is from: The House of the Mosque (Paperback)
Opening in 1950, in the city of Senejan, this story tells the recent history of Iran by following a fictional extended family through the years and the impact that
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politics had on everyday people.The family are conservative in outlook, somewhat disapproving of the Shah's regime where women in big cities wear western dress, and America exerts an unseen influence. Yet they are far removed from the extremism which is starting to take hold in the 'religious' centres. As Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power, the evil of fundamentalism starts to become apparent.
If this makes Abdolah's novel sound like a dry political novel, that is far from the case, for this is primarily a family saga; headed by carpet merchant, Aqa Jaan, this highly readable novel features marriage, birth and death - and tragedy. Beautiful descriptions of the country bring to life a place that readers in the West tend to equate merely with war.
I have learnt so much from reading this - and enjoyed every minute.
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LibraryThing member elizapoppy
An exceptional story that takes the reader from the brink of revolution in Iran to its aftermath.
LibraryThing member tchelyzt
Kader Abdolah is a pen-name, constructed from the names of two of the author’s friends murdered in the troubles surrounding the Islamic Revolution in Iran. This is my second experience of his writing, the first being Cunéiforme (My Father’s Notebook) and I conclude he will come to be
This is a book by an exile who loves the country he fled. He writes with a light touch, spanning decades and giving us a view of the country during both the Shah’s reign and the Khomeini years from the point of view of the peaceful head of a household who is repeatedly drawn by family members into confrontation with the authorities. The disgraceful conduct of America in supporting the Shah’s regime and in supporting Saddam Hussein’s savage chemical war gets a restrained and honest airing in the book.
It’s so easy to dismiss Iran, based on the country as reported to us in the evening news. Read this book for an entirely new perspective on a dignified and cultivated people living under two consecutive intolerable regimes.
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recognised as a great and subtle writer. Right now his books are slow to appear in English.This is a book by an exile who loves the country he fled. He writes with a light touch, spanning decades and giving us a view of the country during both the Shah’s reign and the Khomeini years from the point of view of the peaceful head of a household who is repeatedly drawn by family members into confrontation with the authorities. The disgraceful conduct of America in supporting the Shah’s regime and in supporting Saddam Hussein’s savage chemical war gets a restrained and honest airing in the book.
It’s so easy to dismiss Iran, based on the country as reported to us in the evening news. Read this book for an entirely new perspective on a dignified and cultivated people living under two consecutive intolerable regimes.
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Awards
Grinzane Cavour Prize (2009)
occamsrazorlibrary-award (2011)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Literary)
Original publication date
2005
2008 (Italian translation)