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The Septembers of Shiraz
 
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The Septembers of Shiraz (Hardcover)

by Dalia Sofer (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £14.99
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Picador (17 Aug 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330447696
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330447690
  • Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.4 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 407,841 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Review

I opened The Septembers of Shiraz one afternoon and that was me sucked in and trapped, relentlessly turning the pages and ignoring the world. I've read a high proportion of books lately that have earned 5* for reasons various and here's yet another. This one just flows along to give riveting total immersion reading and one I had to sit up late to finish or I wasn't going to be able to sleep... Religion, political turmoil, imprisonment, betrayal stalk every page but it is all handled with great maturity by the young...Dalia Sofer and this is a first novel too. --Dovegreyreader

A gripping tale. --Sainsbury s Magazine


Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven and Household Words

'a beautiful novel - rich and exact in its depictions of one
family's ordeal in Iran after the Shah.'
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A stark portrayal of the revolution..., 22 Jun 2008
By Lucy Talk (London) - See all my reviews
This is a hauntingly honest portrayal of the devastation wrought to families by the Islamic Revolution in Iran. It seems to be semi-autobiographical, as the author's own family fled Iran to the USA and clearly much of her own experience is reflected here. The story is not a surprising one, nor are there many twists and turns, but the characters are finely drawn and the minutaie of everyday life in Iran is beautifully portrayed. I don't think this is a great book, but it's one I appreciated reading.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Septembers of Shiraz, 12 April 2008
By Leyla Sanai "leyla" (glasgow) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Dalia Sofer's debut novel, the Orange Prize 2008 longlisted The Septembers of Shiraz, is set in Iran, the country of Sofer's birth, two years after the revolution in which the shah was toppled.

The story centres around the Amin family. Isaac Amin, who grew up with little, has worked hard at his gemstone business in order to bring him, his wife Farnaz, and their two children eighteen year-old Parviz and nine year-old Shireen a comfortable quality of life. Parviz has been sent to study architecture in New York, and, at this stage of Isaac's life, the world should be rosy.

However, Isaac is Jewish by birth, even though he has never been religious. This coupled with his wealth draws the attention and ire of the new revolutionary government. Isaac finds himself in trouble - and his family struggles to cope.

Sofer's novel is a disturbing and absorbing tale of the effects of revolution. The brutal horrors of incarceration and interrogation are vividly evoked, as is the irony of the imprisonment of those who campaigned against the Shah's regime in favour of democracy, only to find that democracy was not on the agenda.
The Amins' life slowly falls apart as relatives and friends either flee, are imprisoned, or are executed. Sofer captures this disintegration of society well, mingling the traumas of major life events seamlessly with the scents, sights and sounds of a country caught between two identities. The colourful bazaars, the vendors roasting corn on the cob on street corners, and the pattern of life for the middle class with servants living in their basements are all remnants of the past, while the rise of the Revolutionary Guards, adherence to strict Muslim laws and condemnation of westernised life look uneasily to the future.

This is powerful first novel about a country in turmoil.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very competent first novel, 13 Sep 2008
By BookWorm "BookWorm" (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
Rarely is a first novel as well rounded and flawless as this one. The characters are believable, the plot flows well, the descriptions are excellent, and it's just the right length. It's a seamless, complete story- there's no sense of different storylines being cobbled together.

Set in Iran, 'The Septembers of Shiraz' is the story of one family whose lives are turned upside down after the Shah is overthrown. It conjures up Iran very vividly and gives real meaning to the difficulty of the decision of whether to stay or leave faced by the characters.

I liked the emphasis on the relationships of the family as a whole, which gave it more originality than a straightforward romance or story of marital problems would have had.

There's very little to criticise, as it is an enjoyable read from start to finish, flows well and is written nicely. I suppose it lacked a certain 'wow' factor that would have lead me to give a five star rating - it's a highly competent, rather than brilliant, novel.
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