Simin Daneshvar

Mohammad R. Ghanoonparvar

Savushun chronicles the life of a Persian family during the Allied occupation of Iran during World War II. It is set in Shiraz, a town which evokes images of Persepolis and pre-Islamic monuments, the great poets, the shrines, Sufis, and nomadic tribes within a historical web of the interests, privilege and influence of foreign powers; corruption, incompetence and arrogance of persons in authority; the paternalistic landowner-peasant relationship; tribalism; and the fear of famine. The story is seen through the eyes of Zari, a young wife and mother, who copes with her idealistic and uncompromising husband while struggling with her desire for traditional family life and her need for individual identity. Daneshvar's style is both sensitive and imaginative, while following cultural themes and metaphors. Within basic Iranian paradigms, the characters play out the roles inherent in their personalities. While Savushun is a unique piece of literature that transcends the boundaries of the historical community in which it was written, it is also the best single work for understanding modern Iran. Although written prior to the Islamic Revolution, it brilliantly portrays the social and historical forces that gave pre-revolutionary Iran its characteristic hopelessness and emerging desperation so inadequately understood by outsiders. The original Persian edition of Savushun has sold over half a million copies.

A Novel about Modern Iran

Savushun

John Green

An Anthology

Iranian Drama

تصوير غرب و غربى ها در داستان ايرانى

در آيينه ايرانى

Persian Cuisine: Traditional foods

"In Translating the Garden, Ghanoonparvar offers readers an "over the shoulder" view of himself in the actual process of translating Shahrokh Meskub's Goftogu dar Bagh (Dialogue in the Garden) from Persian into English. This short philosophical work uses a conversation between a writer and a painter to delve into the Persian psyche and explore Persian perceptions of art, literature, nature, identity, spirituality, and the world in general. As he translates the text, Ghanoonparvar illustrates and discusses the myriad decisions that a literary translator faces, from word choices to the problems of conveying cultural concepts and deciphering authorial intent. He also compares some of his translated passages with those of other translators to highlight the uniqueness of each act of translation. The complete English translation of Dialogue in the Garden rounds out the volume."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Translating the Garden

"Reading Chubak is an examination of the life and works of Sadeq Chubak, one of the most prominent Iranian novelists and short story writers of the 20th century. A landmark in the development of modern Persian short stories and novels, Chubak's work has had a profound influence on the ensuing generations of writers. With his innovations in the language and structure of his stories, Chubak was considered an experimentalist and pioneer in modern Persian prose fiction. Although Chubak's characters are palpably Iranian, in an Iranian social milleu, his stories constitute a microcosmic reflection of the universe, as is the case with any great writer. In fact, his stories have been translated into many languages. In this book the author provides a descriptive analysis of all Chubak's short stories, novels, and plays including a detailed literary examination of The Patient Stone, his magnum opus, within the context of Iranian socio-political history and literature. Furthermore, he examines the life, character, and personality of this important literary artist in the light of his work and also in literary, extra-literary, biographical, social, and political contexts."

Reading Chubak

Mohammad R. Ghanoonparvar

About

Books

Join the club