The House of the Mosque by Kader Abdolah ...

I have just finished reading a book I really enjoyed, whose Iranian writer I had never heard of, though  he has already been praised as a writer.

 

Primarily exploring how a privileged Iranian family coped during the 1971 Islamic Revolution the House of the Mosque is a sequence of intelligent dialogues which bear symbolism, and a parade of very interesting characters, who contribute towards this intricately beautiful novel.

 

Its auhor, whose nom de plume is Kader Abdolah, has been compared to Nabokov and Conrad in his mastery of alien literary language. His writting is interspersed with surahs of the Qur'an, but I don't think they have been much of a "burden" as their context is relevant and they enlighten one's view point on the Islamic religion and Iran. 

 

"I just simply have to say I think it is a masterpiece of our times. I admit I was sceptical and yet just fell into it, was carried away by it and couldn't put it down."

"Before I began reading it I thought, or at least hoped, that it was going to be something a bit special. But I didn't realise then just how special it would turn out to be. I said in my forethoughts that the book offered a real prospect of a culturally rich reading experience, and its author certainly delivers on that score."

 

 

 

"It's only very occasionally that a book comes along that touches me so deeply and so profoundly that I remember it for always. The House of the Mosque is one such book and I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone read it. If that's not convincing enough on its own than bear this in mind - it's rare enough for me to award a full five stars for any book there is, but for this one I was desperately seeking out a six."

 

 

 

"A sweeping, compelling story which brings to life the Iranian Revolution, from an author who experienced it first-hand."

 

 

 

 

I can't help looking forward to buying Abdolah's first book translated into English (My father's notebook) and his most recent one (The Prince).