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Read for the "Read a book that is set in the Middle East" category for the 2016 BookRiot Read Harder challenge (to be reviewed)
Since the other book I read for this category (Cleopatra: A Life) wasn't 100% set in the Middle East and was set so far in the past, I decided to add a second book for this category. Having seen and enjoyed the movie adaptation of The Complete Persepolis, I decided to try this graphic non-fiction memoir. It was a bit heavier than I was expecting. I haven't read many graphic novels, so I was surprised by how moved I was by the story -- the artwork and language conveyed just as much emotion, if not more, as a text-based account would have. I kept reminding myself that it was a non-fictional account of the life of Naseer Ali Khan, the author's great-uncle and a renowned musician who dies of a broken heart, and not a fictional story. The book is set mainly in 1950's Iran over the span of the last week of Naseer Ali's life, but travels back and forth in time to tell a more complete story. At the beginning of the week, Naseer Ali's beloved musical instrument is irreparably damaged, prompting him to take to his bed and renounce the world and all its pleasures. He is visited by several family members, but none are ultimately able to help him break out of his melancholy state. The story is universal and introduces aspects of Iranian history in a natural way. Although it was a fast read given its brevity, this one stuck with me long after I finished it.
Since the other book I read for this category (Cleopatra: A Life) wasn't 100% set in the Middle East and was set so far in the past, I decided to add a second book for this category. Having seen and enjoyed the movie adaptation of The Complete Persepolis, I decided to try this graphic non-fiction memoir. It was a bit heavier than I was expecting. I haven't read many graphic novels, so I was surprised by how moved I was by the story -- the artwork and language conveyed just as much emotion, if not more, as a text-based account would have. I kept reminding myself that it was a non-fictional account of the life of Naseer Ali Khan, the author's great-uncle and a renowned musician who dies of a broken heart, and not a fictional story. The book is set mainly in 1950's Iran over the span of the last week of Naseer Ali's life, but travels back and forth in time to tell a more complete story. At the beginning of the week, Naseer Ali's beloved musical instrument is irreparably damaged, prompting him to take to his bed and renounce the world and all its pleasures. He is visited by several family members, but none are ultimately able to help him break out of his melancholy state. The story is universal and introduces aspects of Iranian history in a natural way. Although it was a fast read given its brevity, this one stuck with me long after I finished it.
