Welcome to the house of the mosque...Iran, 1950. Spring has arrived, and as the women prepare the festivities, Sadiq waits for a suitor to knock on the door. Her uncle Nosrat returns from Tehran with a glamorous woman, while on the rooftop, Shahbal longs only for a television to watch the first moon landing. But not even the beloved grandmothers can foresee what will happen in the days and months to come. In this uplifting bestseller, Kader Abdolah charts the triumphs and tragedies of a family on the brink of revolution.
The House of the Mosque
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Review
An impressive book [telling] a tragic story illustrating the power of the human spirit to conquer. --The Bookseller
Expertly mingles fiction and personal history to create a thought-provoking novel to please fans of Khaled Hosseini, Mohsin Hamid and Azar Nafisi. --Waterstones Books Quarterly
Abdolah's is a powerful voice --The Times Saturday Review
Fabulously powerful and heart warming --Good Book Guide
Sensual, beguiling and elegantly translated. --Herald Arts
Expertly mingles fiction and personal history to create a thought-provoking novel to please fans of Khaled Hosseini, Mohsin Hamid and Azar Nafisi. --Waterstones Books Quarterly
Abdolah's is a powerful voice --The Times Saturday Review
Fabulously powerful and heart warming --Good Book Guide
Sensual, beguiling and elegantly translated. --Herald Arts
About the Author
Kader Abdolah (a pen name created in memoriam to friends who died under persecution by the current Iranian regime) was born in Iran in 1954. While a student of physics in Tehran, he joined a secret leftist party that fought against the dictatorship of the shah and the subsequent dictatorship of the ayatollahs. Abdolah wrote for an illegal journal and clandestinely published two books in Iran. In 1988, at the invitation of the United Nations, he arrived in the Netherlands as a political refugee. Kader Abdolah now writes in Dutch and is the author of several novels, including My Father's Notebook (also published by Canongate) and two collections of short stories, as well as works of non-fiction.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
By Simon Savidge Reads
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
How does one describe `The House of the Mosque' because it's not as easy to explain as it is to read? The book really is centred around the family of Aqa Jaan who live in the house next to the mosque (and also own it) in the Iranian province of Senejan and have done for eight centuries. Based on facts around the late 1970's and the years after, with some real historical figures thrown in the book is set over a pivotal period in Iranian history as the reign of the American backed Shah comes to an end at the hands of the Ayatollah.
I have to say from the premise I wasn't too sure about the book, wouldn't it be a bit too much of a political read? How on earth would I keep up with all the religious references etc? I needn't have worried because the way that Abdolah tells this tale you learn a lot without having noticed. That for me, who had no idea of what was going on in religious or political climates - other than it's been volatile to say the least was a sign of masterly writing.
The first half of the book introduces you to the huge family, its servants and some of the locals in a very fable like way. Some people may only appear for a chapter or two, some last the whole book before you know it you feel like one of the family. It's then the fact that you are a fan of the family (I thought Aqa Jann was wonderful and in some ways reminded me of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird, you just cannot not like him and admire his passion for his family) that makes it so hard when everything changes in Iran and times of uncertainty and darkness effect the country and of course everyone in the house of the mosque.
The book is so filled with idea's, small plots behind bigger ones, characters galore and factual truth it's really hard to sum it up or in fact to do the book justice. It's a book that I think everyone should read as its eye opening, though provoking and magical story telling.
I have to say from the premise I wasn't too sure about the book, wouldn't it be a bit too much of a political read? How on earth would I keep up with all the religious references etc? I needn't have worried because the way that Abdolah tells this tale you learn a lot without having noticed. That for me, who had no idea of what was going on in religious or political climates - other than it's been volatile to say the least was a sign of masterly writing.
The first half of the book introduces you to the huge family, its servants and some of the locals in a very fable like way. Some people may only appear for a chapter or two, some last the whole book before you know it you feel like one of the family. It's then the fact that you are a fan of the family (I thought Aqa Jann was wonderful and in some ways reminded me of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird, you just cannot not like him and admire his passion for his family) that makes it so hard when everything changes in Iran and times of uncertainty and darkness effect the country and of course everyone in the house of the mosque.
The book is so filled with idea's, small plots behind bigger ones, characters galore and factual truth it's really hard to sum it up or in fact to do the book justice. It's a book that I think everyone should read as its eye opening, though provoking and magical story telling.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By sanddancer
Format:Paperback
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, 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.
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.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By orla99913
Format:Paperback
The House of the Mosque
My Significant Other recommended this book to me, he had become interested in it because it was written in Dutch originally by someone whose first language is NOT Dutch - and was beautifully written. Likewise, the English translation I read was exquisite, in prose that was both precise and evocative.
The House of the Mosque tells the story of an extended family of Imans who live in the house attached to the local Mosque, during the tubulent times of the Iran-Iraq war and lead-up to Saddam Hussein coming into power in neighbouring Iraq. Against this backdrop of religious and social unrest, their intertwined stories of thwarted love, ambitions and subsequent frustrations are told with sympathy towards the characters involved. This book also provides considerable and sensitive insight into Iranian Muslim family life during the war, and the importance of faith combined with love, compassion and understanding.
This is not your average holiday read, this is a book to savour and come back to in a few years.
My Significant Other recommended this book to me, he had become interested in it because it was written in Dutch originally by someone whose first language is NOT Dutch - and was beautifully written. Likewise, the English translation I read was exquisite, in prose that was both precise and evocative.
The House of the Mosque tells the story of an extended family of Imans who live in the house attached to the local Mosque, during the tubulent times of the Iran-Iraq war and lead-up to Saddam Hussein coming into power in neighbouring Iraq. Against this backdrop of religious and social unrest, their intertwined stories of thwarted love, ambitions and subsequent frustrations are told with sympathy towards the characters involved. This book also provides considerable and sensitive insight into Iranian Muslim family life during the war, and the importance of faith combined with love, compassion and understanding.
This is not your average holiday read, this is a book to savour and come back to in a few years.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful read!
This book was a fascinating read from start to finish. I could envisage the house of the mosque, and I could see the fish swimming around in the hauz. Read more
Published 4 months ago by ReshmiZulphay
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's a bit pedestrian and slow
as a very interesting subject but didn't have quite the excitement that I expected. It may be because the author does not have English as his first language.
Published 4 months ago by map toffal
3.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't quite live up to its' promise
The House in the Mosque is set in the Iranian city of Senejan, and follows the lives of an extended family from 1969, through the fall of the Shah to the repression many people... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jimbo
5.0 out of 5 stars
House of the Mosque
The House of the Mosque traces the history of a traditional Muslim family whose job it was to look after a centuries-old mosque in an Iranian town, from the 1950s till after the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing read
This book came quickly in amazing condition, it said it was used but in good condition in fact it still had the paper around it to show it has never been opened, it came on time... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Kerry 1992
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful insight
I downloaded this book out of curiosity and actually doubted whether I would ever read it - but I'm so glad I did. Read more
Published 11 months ago by kindletime
4.0 out of 5 stars
The House of the Mosque
An interesting family saga set against the backdrop of
turbulent times in Iran as the Shah is ousted and
religious fundamentalism means arrest, imprisonment and
even... Read more
turbulent times in Iran as the Shah is ousted and
religious fundamentalism means arrest, imprisonment and
even... Read more
Published 12 months ago by E Hartston
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good story that anyone can read.
Having never read anything like this before, I enjoyed learning about a country and history that I knew nothing about. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mumtolittledove
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best
After reading the Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Sewing Circles of Herat I was really looking forward to this book. Read more
Published 14 months ago by C. Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars
The house of the mosque
This book is beautifully written, telling a family saga set against the back drop of civil and religious unrest. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Bookworm
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