Back in 2014 I had read two books by Iranian author Kader Abdolah, both of which I had been impressed by. It wasn't until recently that his name surfaced again as I came across "The King". Apart from the themes of his previous books, it was also his writting style I was touched by.
There's something of a magic-like subtlety similar to the 1001 nights narrator's that inevitably draws you in until you realise you've been reading for endless hours almost non-stop and were it not for the tiredness you'd like to continue doing so.
There's something of a magic-like subtlety similar to the 1001 nights narrator's that inevitably draws you in until you realise you've been reading for endless hours almost non-stop and were it not for the tiredness you'd like to continue doing so.
Said to be closely based on the life of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who ruled Persia from 1848 to 1896 the King though fictional is like a sequence of life events insterspersed by intrigues, moments of reflection and even power struggles.
"A strong and colourful story illuminating the complex forces that have shaped contemporary Iran." - Metro
"The King is utterly fabulous in both senses of the word: a sly, witty, knowing fable, full of charm and humour. Deceptively simple in its storytelling, it reads like one of Angela Carter's fairy tales transposed into the nineteenth century Qajar Persian court. Kader Abdolah is a masterful and completely addictive storyteller." - William Dalrymple
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