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Another Tempest is on its Way

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Persian Books

6th Edition, Sold Over 17000 Copies

The story begins when Zinat, a well-known dancer and prostitute, meets the man she has been expecting to see. This takes place finally after about ten years. But though she knows haji Amin from the past and is prepared to meet him, haji Amin is absolutely stunned in the very first few moments of their visit. Some of the major events are revealed through the letters written between two of the major characters, Kamran and Zinat, and the characterization and the incidents are depicted in this manner within the intertwined plot of the novel. Haji Amin is Kamran’s father and has lost trace of his only son since years ago and all his efforts for finding him or even getting any news about him has been in vain all through. How could he ever imagine that Zinat, the young dancer and prostitute he knew in old days and has now indeed transformed in all aspects, has saved his wandering and so-called insane son and supported him just as his real mother and been in touch with Kamran until the very last moment of his life?! There is a lot to say and ask about the ten years which has seen many changes, but how can haji Amin understand and compensate for the lost years, in addition to his misbehavior towards his son and family. It is too late or has Zinat somehow filled in this gap for him?! And is there any chance that haji Amin could see his son at least just once more? Zinat knows how to speak and keeps him waiting while all through haji Amin finds a rare and exceptional opportunity to think about himself and what he has done with his life…

Another Tempest is on its Way is Seyyed Mehdi Shojaee’s latest novel. This story faced a high variety of different and controversial criticisms and acclaims. The novel shows how the author has enriched his talents in story-telling for creating suspense and a different atmosphere.

Scorching Plains

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Persian Books

Scorching Plain is the latest historical novel by Sadegh Karamyar. The story that dates back to the time when the British discovered oil in Khuzestan, southern part of Iran.

In this story the author transforms a less-viewed aspect of Iran’s contemporary history into a novel that keeps the readers riveted as it progresses.

The novel, sets in Khuzestan in the early 1800s, details the prevailing atmosphere of the time, the lifestyle of regional people of Arab origin and the tribal relations.

However, the most important part of the novel focuses on the role the British played there as well as on why they would not or could not set the stage for the secession of the region from Iran as was the case elsewhere.

Scorching Plains is not the first historical novel penned by Sadegh Karamyar who seems to have spent a lot of time researching the subject. After all, putting the lifestyle of regional people, their beliefs and personalities under the microscope from a distance is next to impossible.

The Spoil

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Persian Books

The US invasion of Iraq and its correlation with the war, Iraq waged against Iran is the main theme of this successful novel by Sadegh Kramyar. It focuses on the relationship between Aslan; an Iranian man and a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war who is opposed to the US, and his son Peyman who disagrees with his own father and supports the US –led invasion of Iraq.

The story is set in 2002 and 2003 and it focuses on Aslan’s family. Aslan was among Iranian soldiers who put up a fight against Saddam’s army to shield the Iranian city of Khorramshahr from invading forces.

He lost his daughter during the invasion. Twenty years on, he sees images of a woman on TV-during the US-led invasion of Iraq and thinks that she is the daughter he lost two decades earlier.

He travels to Iraq, which is now under occupation, in search of his lost daughter, locates her, and tries to bring her back home.

The approach of The Spoil, which is set in the thick of war and also features efforts by Aslan to save an American servicewoman involved in a serious road accident, is so humanly in nature that makes it an ideal read not just for the Iranians but people all over the world.

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Fellow Travellers

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Persian Books

“Fellow-Travellers” is the story of people who appear to be gradually becoming part of history while their generation is about to be wiped out. People who have not succumbed to requirements of the time such as opportunism and attainment to mass production at the expense of losing quality and … attempting to retain their correct ideological and existential approaches although these may not be welcomed by others in their heavy and obstinate loneliness – traditional human beings who are not ready to accept all manifestations of modernity in submissive way and surrender to it unquestionably.

Jalal and his family are the last farmers breeding bees in a mountainous region in the ranges of Sabalan (North West of Iran) producing honey in traditional forms, but time has changed. Smaller producers should be assimilated into the heart of the bigger ones or else subject to destruction and constant threats.

Meantime, new manifestations of civilization in the frame of telecommunication masts and mobile receivers have found their way into remote villages and their waves will trigger confusion and death of bees.

In such conditions, the wolf of confusion has attacked the village and has launched an enormous massacre and ruining the entire capital of a family in their worst financial conditions. They suffer very acute consequences, having been left abandoned in the plains and mountains along with a bell, a bell whose threatening voice is always being heard in the course of the story.

Family of Jalal who are under pressure by other producers migrate into the beautiful pass or gorge of Heiran in order to reach the syrup of mountain flowers and to prevent the death of bees (that has involved them only because others have settled the problem by using sugar), but the rival like a wandering wolf chases them in an attempt to eliminate and annihilate them. The story narrates this confrontation and highlights the life of subsidiary human being who rushes to the help of each of them. Finally, family of Jalal with the help of their attar friends succeeds in arresting a man who constantly worked to sabotage their living conditions. What will happen next…?

“Fellow-Traveller” is a story in admiration of nature that is doomed to destruction.

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Democracy or DemoCrazy

Posted on August 26, 2014 in Persian Books

Seyyed Mehdi Shojaie’s political satire, Democracy or DemoCrazy was written between the years 2002 and 2007. The book managed to receive the publishing permit from the ministry of Culture in the year 2008, but as a result of the unstable political situation at that time, the author voluntarily suspended the release of the book. The book was finally released 5 years later in 2013.

What follows are the title of some of the fourteen chapters of the book: “Those Who See More, Will Steal More; The King Lives in the Same Neighbourhood as God; Robbery is Bad Except For Sublime Purposes; Ruining is Prerequisite of Development; Having Enemies is Very Fruitful, if You lack One, Make One; etc.”

The following sections are excerpts of the speeches DemoCrazy gives to the government authorities hoping to teach the principals of governing an estate in a sarcastic and satirical language. Among this sections are:

1. All the people are sheep and we are the shepherd. Be careful, the biggest mistake in governing is valuing people. I want to make it clear, that if you value people more than sheep you can never have power over them later.

2. Always keep this important fact in mind that the people, I mean all of them, are thief, liar and manipulative unless proven wrong. However, many stupid people think it’s just the opposite and the principle of the presumption of innocence is valid…

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I Found My White Rabbit in the Spring

Posted on August 25, 2014 in Persian Books

Spring: The little girl wears the blossom dress in the spring. She loses her dress between the blossom but she sees her white rabbit is coming to her.

Summer: The little girl wears her green shoes in the summer. But her green shoes join the green summer. In the summer that blossoms change into fruits she finds her blossom dress between the green trees.

Autumn: The little girl has a yellow canary. In the fall the canary escapes and hides between yellow leaves. But she finds her green shoes between the yellow leaves.

Winter: The little girl has a white rabbit. In the winter when snow falls, the white rabbit is lost in the white winter. But little girl finds her yellow canary, then she lets her free and tells her to go anywhere she likes.

Spring: Spring comes back and the little girl wears her blossom dress and runs toward outside. She finds her little white rabbit in the green spring and lets her free.

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The Champion and The Elephant

Posted on August 25, 2014 in Persian Books

The paintings which accompany these stories are in Old Persian Tea House Style

This is a story from ancient Iran; tales of the braveries, courage, heroism and loyalty …

In this story there is a well- known champion whom everybody likes and respects, they like him not out of fear but because of his kindness, his devotion and his friendliness towards his people…

One day he has been invited to battle against an elephant, he refuses at first but he is forced to do it, in the end you find friendship between the two of them…

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The Story of the White Panther

Posted on August 25, 2014 in Persian Books

One day, without any explanation, the white leopard decides to leave the jungle and go to the town to live there among people in peace and quiet for the rest of his life. He is tired of being cruel and brutal.

On his way to the town, he meets some people who were passing by, he tries to show them that he is not dangerous and wants to make friends and to be nice and friendly with them. But soon he finds out that people can be even more dangerous than animals….

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Neither Friendship nor Hatred Will be Forgotten

Posted on August 25, 2014 in Persian Books

This book contains a new rendition of an animal fable from the book “Kalila & Dimmna” whose origins reach back to over 2000 years ago. Old Indian fable collection “Panchatantra”. The story of greed, betrayal and thankfulness concerns a jeweller, a snake, a tiger and a monkey who are caught in a deep hole in the forest together. A traveller who frees them from their peril, receives a necklace from the tiger as a thank– you gift. When the traveller meets the jeweller again, the latter is driven by greed to lie and betray his way to the necklace and get the traveller thrown in jail. The snake comes to the rescue and saves the traveller from a sentence.

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Talking with You

Posted on August 24, 2014 in Persian Books

This is the story of a little boy who is the only survivor of a voyaging ship which was wrecked during a storm at sea. He who is seriously traumatized and very frightened find himself in a small, small island. But before he feels lonely, an old Palm tree comforts him and asks all the animals and the trees on the island to be kind and friendly to him. The kind old Palm Tree named this boy Khoda-dad means god– given boy!

Khoda-dad grows up and he starts asking a lot of questions from the old Palm Tree, he asks about the Creation and the Creator: Who has created days and nights, the trees and plants, the animals and the birds… all he receives as an answer is: Mighty God !

Khoda-dad asks the old Palm Tree how we can thank God for all he has given us, the Palm Tree answers that every creature thanks God on its own special way: we appreciate Him by giving fruits and shadows to provide other creature something to eat and a nice and cool resting spot to rest…

Khoda- dad says but this is not a good way to thank God for me as a Human, he leaves the old Palm Tree to go and find out how other creatures thank God! On his way he finds many amazing things, until he comes to an old man…

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