So much potential and fell totally flat.
Magical realism trying to make sense of the 1953 Iranian coup. I hated this book passionately because it had so much potential and fell totally flat.
The writing was actually good, and each interwoven story had a compelling premise.
But I really struggled to derive any message from it other than: men hurt women, and sometimes women also hurt women. I wanted the magic to make sense of it all. Isn’t that what magical systems are for? Instead it’s: this is how bad things are, and here’s some magic sprinkled on top that doesn’t fix anything.
The one character I found compelling was the gardener, the one good man in the book, and I still don’t understand what he was there for. Is he a savior figure? But why a man?
Vibes
- interwoven stories
- magic sprinkled on top
- so much potential
Would recommend to
No one, really. It's short, so you won't waste much time — maybe worth it if you're tracking the International Booker Prize.
Part of
Tracking the International Booker Prize
Also reviewed: The Witch, The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran