Simin Daneshvar’s A Persian Requiem … goes a long way towards deepening our understanding of Islam and the events leading up to the 1979 Revolution … The central characters adroitly reflect different Persian attitudes of the time, attitudes that were eventually to harden into support for either the Ayatollah and his Islamic fundamentalism or, alternatively, for the corrupting Westernisation of the Shah. The value of the book lies in its ability to present these emergent struggles in human terms, in the day-to-day realities of small-town life … Complex and delicately crafted, this subtle and ironic book unites reader and writer in the knowledge that human weakness, fanaticism, love and terror are not confined to any one creed.
The Financial Times
A Persian Requiem is not just a great Iranian novel, but a world classic.
The Independent on Sunday
… it would be no exaggeration to say that all of Iranian life is there.
Spare Rib
For an English reader, there is almost an embarrassment of new settings, themes and ideas … Under the guise of something resembling a family saga – although the period covered is only a few months – A Persian Requiem teaches many lessons about a society little understood in the West.
Rachel Billington, The Tablet
This very human novel avoids ideological cant while revealing complex political insights, particularly in light of the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Publishers Weekly
A Persian Requiem, originally published [in Iran] in 1969, was a first novel by Iran’s first woman novelist. It has seen sixteen reprints, sold over half a million copies, and achieved the status of a classic, literally shaping the ideas of a generation. Yet when asked about the specific appeal of the novel, most readers are at a loss to pinpoint a single, or even prominent aspect to account for this phenomenal success. Is it the uniquely feminine perspective, allowing the reader to travel freely between the microcosm of the family and the larger framework of society? Is it the actual plot which mimics so presciently the events of the Islamic Revolution? Or does it lie in the deftly woven anecdotes and fragments which add up to a descriptive whole? It is each and all of these, and perhaps more.
Feminist Review
Daneshvar offers a fascinating, detailed view of what seems to Western eyes the complicated, rarified world of Iranian culture.
Belles Lettres
In addition to being an important literary document of historical events, [A Persian Requiem] represents a pioneering attempt to probe the multi-faceted aspects of Iranian womanhood in a period of great social and political upheaval.
San Francisco Review of Books
Daneshvar combines creative vision with an exceptional talent for conveying atmosphere to give a powerful portrait of the struggles and dilemmas of ordinary individuals caught in the maelstrom of war and occupation.
Middle East International
This is a colourful and accurate portrayal of Persian character and spirit, a beautifully evoked picture of traditional life in times of upheaval. Its popularity in Iran is eloquent of Persian perceptions not only of themselves but also of the role of the British in their country. Roxane Zand is to be thanked for giving the English reader the chance to enjoy this sensitive and important novel.
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies
A powerful portrait of a bygone era of Iranian social history.
The Jerusalem Post
“…a revelation of freshness and vivacity…”
Anita Desai
“Not to be missed.”
Shusha Guppy
“Beautifully translated, and many-layered, A Persian Requiem challenges convention, of east and west.”
Fred Halliday
“…a great work by a great Persian writer.”
Han Suyin