In the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, rare-gem dealer Isaac Amin is arrested, wrongly accused of being a spy. In the wake of his terrifying disappearance, his family must reconcile a new world of cruelty and chaos with the collapse of everything they had known.
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."beautifully written book suffused with human suffering and the longing for love and belonging." -- World Magazine -- Interview
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.'
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
family's ordeal in Iran after the Shah.'
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Lucy Talk
Format:Hardcover
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.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By BookWorm
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
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.
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.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By Leyla Sanai
Format:Hardcover
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.... Read more ›
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.... Read more ›
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Book Worm
Format:Paperback
Having recently read and been blown away by 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', I was itching for another brilliant book to transport me away from hectic London life. After trying and failing with a number of books, I stumbled across 'The Septembers of Shiraz' in a charity shop. Being half Persian myself, I was compelled to read it, and to see if the author had really captured the real unjust treatment of non-fanatical Muslims in Iran - a problem that started in the late 1970s but also still happening now to Jews and Baha'is in Iran.
All I can say is that this book really did the Persians who have been poorly treated, in the past and the present, justice. I was gripped from beginning to end. Read this book if you loved 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'.
All I can say is that this book really did the Persians who have been poorly treated, in the past and the present, justice. I was gripped from beginning to end. Read this book if you loved 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By stevieby
Format:Hardcover
I though this book is extremely well written - there is detail and pace; put simply, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened! Each of the four family members tells how their cosy life in the Shah's Iran is turned upside-down following the Islamic Revolution, and each perspective appears genuine and complete.
My only reservation concerns the politics - which is fairly central to the story. On one hand there are echoes of the holocaust - a brutal, corrupt, faceless regime torturing a Jewish man and his family; while on the other hand the story also reveals that torture was not invented by the revolutionaries, only a continuation of business under new owners; that Isaac Amin fell under `suspicion' for his past relations to the Shah, and that the jails and death lists were full of communists and intellectuals and not specifically Jews. And while we can feel nothing but sympathy for Isaac and his family it is also clear they are the ones with the wealth and connections to escape abroad.
Meant no doubt for an American market, there is no mistaking who the good guys are and who the bad. I would still applaud the author for giving the broader picture in all its complexity. For e.g. explaining how Isaac had cleverly used the patronage of the Shah's family to further his business - his intentions may have been purely financial but he can be judged as innocent, naive and complicit all at the same time. Also in the depiction of the family there is no idealism - they stick together in bad times but in their day to day life seem to relate little to each other and could be branded dysfunctional.... Read more ›
My only reservation concerns the politics - which is fairly central to the story. On one hand there are echoes of the holocaust - a brutal, corrupt, faceless regime torturing a Jewish man and his family; while on the other hand the story also reveals that torture was not invented by the revolutionaries, only a continuation of business under new owners; that Isaac Amin fell under `suspicion' for his past relations to the Shah, and that the jails and death lists were full of communists and intellectuals and not specifically Jews. And while we can feel nothing but sympathy for Isaac and his family it is also clear they are the ones with the wealth and connections to escape abroad.
Meant no doubt for an American market, there is no mistaking who the good guys are and who the bad. I would still applaud the author for giving the broader picture in all its complexity. For e.g. explaining how Isaac had cleverly used the patronage of the Shah's family to further his business - his intentions may have been purely financial but he can be judged as innocent, naive and complicit all at the same time. Also in the depiction of the family there is no idealism - they stick together in bad times but in their day to day life seem to relate little to each other and could be branded dysfunctional.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
still reading
most of my friends have read this book and say its really good and a easy read, for that reason I am trying to get into it in some places it grips me other not and i still reading... Read more
Published 7 months ago by kerry l
4.0 out of 5 stars
A complex story well-told
A complex story well-told
Set during the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, it tells the story of Isaac Amin, a rare gem dealer, his servants, his family and their... Read more
Set during the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, it tells the story of Isaac Amin, a rare gem dealer, his servants, his family and their... Read more
Published 10 months ago by B. Richmond-O'Neill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Iran after the revolution
A beautifully written account of the times following the Iranian revolution and the removal of the Shah. Read more
Published 13 months ago by daisyrock
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic debut novel
I really enjoyed this book & am hard pressed to find any fault with it. Like another reviewer wrote, as it lacks the wow factor, I will give it 4 stars. Read more
Published on 23 May 2011 by Wren
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful portrayal of awful times
This is the story of a man, a family, and a society torn apart; uprooted and devastated by the fostered vengeance of the islamic revolution in Iran. Read more
Published on 11 April 2011 by Noel
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great read
I was reccomended this book by a friend and it was brilliant, so well written . Gave me an insight into the way people from some countries have to survive.
Published on 2 Oct 2010 by Cleopatra
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb
What I really liked about this book is that the author was not afraid to portray the shortcomings in all the characters. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2009 by Om Aya and Essa
5.0 out of 5 stars
"no whiteness lost is so white as the memory of whiteness"
The story of the painful reckoning after the islamic revolution in Iran. A prosperous Jewish Iranian diamond merchant is arrested and tortured for his alleged links to Zionists. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by Cem Tanova
5.0 out of 5 stars
two worlds
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, for the reasons others have set out. What struck me particularly, however, is the two very different Jewish worlds that are described: the... Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2008 by J. C. Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Most Impressive Literary Debuts Of 2007
Young Iranian-American writer Dalia Sofer is one whose ample literary talents offer much promise of a bright career awaiting her, if her literary debut "The Septembers of Shiraz"... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2008 by John Kwok
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