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Seasons of Purgatory

By Shahriar Mandanipour
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3.48 goodreads logo

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Seasons of Purgatory by Shahriar Mandanipour is a collection of short stories that delves into the complexities of life in contemporary Iran. Each story offers a profound exploration of themes such as love, freedom, and identity, intertwined with the socio-political challenges faced by the characters. With an artful blend of satire and poignancy, the book captures the essence of human struggles in a world oscillating between tradition and modernity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by profound and evocative storytelling that delves into the complexities of human experience. It offers a collection of hauntingly beautiful tales that explore themes of identity, longing, and the human spirit, crafted by an esteemed Persian author whose writing is both rich and contemplative.

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The first English-language story collection from "one of Iran's most important living fiction writers" (Guardian)

  • Co-op available
  • Significant bound galley mailing to media and booksellers, including bound galley promotional offer through the American Booksellers Association’s “Advance Access” program. Additional digital review copy distribution to media, booksellers, and librarians through Edelweiss
  • National print and online media campaigns
  • Excerpts in AGNI, CONSEQUENCE, EPOCH, Kenyon Review, Literary Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Words Without Borders, and Strange Times, My Dear: The PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature
  • Translator statement available in press material
  • Simultaneous eBook publication and promotion
  • Postcards available
  • Early outreach and giveaways through LibraryThing
  • Promotion through BLP’s social media channels and website: www.blpress.org
  • Editor: Erika Goldman
  • Agent: Georges Borchardt of Georges Borchardt, Inc.
  • Cover designer: Emily Mahon
  • Marketing and publicity efforts supported by Molly Mikolowski of A Literary Light

    • Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

    NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST

    The first English-language story collection from "one of Iran's most important living fiction writers" (Guardian), "a playful, whip-smart literary conjuror: a Kundera or Rushdie of post-Khomeini Iran" (Wall Street Journal)

    In Seasons of Purgatory, the fantastical and the visceral merge in tales of tender desire and collective violence, the boredom and brutality of war, and the clash of modern urban life and rural traditions. Mandanipour, banned from publication in his native Iran, vividly renders the individual consciousness in extremis from a variety of perspectives: young and old, man and woman, conscript and prisoner. While delivering a ferocious social critique, these stories are steeped in the poetry and stark beauty of an ancient land and culture.

    Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

    Seasons of Purgatory, by Shahriar Mandanipour, is highly acclaimed for its haunting and nuanced storytelling, featuring visceral and emotionally impactful scenes. The collection of stories is praised for its vivid portrayal of post-war and post-revolutionary Iran, exploring personal struggles amid societal turmoil. Mandanipour's work, skillfully translated by Sara Khalili, combines subtle storytelling with subversive themes and places readers in complex, rich narratives that resonate deeply.

    Book Hero reading reviews

    Book Details

    INFORMATION

    ISBN: 9781942658955

    Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press

    Format: Paperback / softback

    Date Published: 10 March 2022

    Country: United States

    Imprint: Bellevue Literary Press

    Illustration: Illustrations

    Contributors:

    • Translated by Sara Khalili

    Audience: General / adult

    DIMENSIONS

    Width: 133.0mm

    Height: 209.0mm

    Weight: 250g

    Pages: 208

    Collections

    Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Shahriar Mandanipour

    About the Author

    Shahriar Mandanipour is an award-winning, exiled Iranian author and journalist who served in the Iran-Iraq war. His fiction has been published throughout the world, including two acclaimed novels published in English and the story collection Seasons of Purgatory. In 2006, Mandanipour moved to the United States, where he became a citizen in 2021. He has held fellowships at Brown University, Harvard University, and Boston College and has taught at Brown University and Tufts University. He lives in California.

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