Review by JD: Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

 

(Left is softbound/right is hardbound)

• Rooftops of Tehran
• by Mahbod Seraji
• ISBN: 978-0-451-22681-5
• Pages 345: paperback
• New American Library/Penguin Books, 2009
• A gripping novel – a romantic story set in harsh Middle Eastern times.

John’s Thoughts:

It’s the early 1970s and in Iran the Shah is coming towards the end of his reign. For the population at large the end cannot come soon enough as they live under the tyranny of the Shah’s rule and the savage secret police that enforce his regime. Meanwhile in a reasonably affluent neighborhood in Tehran a teenage boy, Pasha, is going through adolescent growing pains, besotted by the girl next door and guilt-ridden as she is engaged to his hero, the learned and independent-minded ‘Doctor’.

As the plot unfolds you get to experience the very strong family bonds that tie together Persian culture, and in particular Pasha’s developing relationships with the girl next door, Zari, his father, and his best friend, Ahmed. There are laughs aplenty, particularly caused by the high-spirited and rebellious Ahmed, but the whole neighborhood is dragged into misery as the secret police targets anyone who doesn’t conform to what they believe is right. It’s a downright scary portrayal of life under a brutal and heartless regime.

For me this was a bit of an odd book. There is so much about it that is admirable, educational and enjoyable. I learned a lot about a country and a culture of which I knew little, and Seraji populates his book with rich and interesting characters. You also get an insight into the somewhat schizophrenic attitude of Persians towards the United States (I liked the interview with Seraji at the end of the book). But personally I found the romantic side of it just a bit too much, and ultimately that detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

I really wanted to rate this book more highly, but in truth for me personally this was a 3 ½ star read (which is still a good rating). If you like a romantic novel that has a gritty and realistic setting, I‘d highly recommend Rooftops of Tehran. And my thanks to Charlie, whose review of this book led me to seek it out.

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Here is a link for more information about the author - Mahbod Seraji at the book’s website.

Amazon purchasing information links for US/UK/Canada.

As usual John will be addressing the comments for this review. Thanks for reading Layers of Thought.