Fiction

摘要

In the tradition of Persian storytelling, Iranian political exile Abdolah chronicles the life of Shah Naser, drawing on the real-life Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, king of Persia, and his grand vizier, Amir Kabir. Nineteenth-century Persia is at a turning point, with the grand vizier arguing that the country must modernize and improve conditions for its people. The shah's mother, who wants no such thing, fears that the vizier has too much influence on her weak son and will fight to retain power at all costs. Pressured from the inside by his court and from the outside by Russia, France, and England, the young king struggles to keep his throne. Tellingly, he wants contemporary conveniences such as pho- tography and electric lights in the harem quarters, but he cannot accept ideas such as democracy and the education of women. VERDICT Abdolah's novel is rich in Persian history and culture, with lavish descriptions of palace life, but the narrative style itself is unadorned, at times appearing naive and then sliding in something sinister. Especially satisfying for readers of historical fiction about foreign lands.