This is one of the better books I’ve read on Iran.
But
It drove me mad with all:
– the lists (actual, and cleverly disguised by stringing them together with commas / semi-colons). It’s great to do research, but maybe he didn’t need to put all of it in?
– the whining about cab drivers asking for money. See his list on pp370-1. These men are truly poor (they’re not lying to him about this). They work to feed their families, in a high inflation economy, with petrol rationing. While the author gets to gallivant around on his book-writing-holiday.
– The end. Well, whatever happened at the end? The beginning and middle were unctuously detailed. But the end? A pretty standard first-time tourist trip through Iran. It’s all very strange.
I’m sorry that he doesn’t seem to have liked Iran much – except, of course, his time with a few middle-/upper-class mates.
I’m confused as to whether he feels comfortable in Persian.
I’m confused as to whether he has anything to say about Persian art.
I need to re-read his points about the maidan in Isfahan. It had that huge revamp / slim down in 1602. How do his ideas fit in with this? Does he even know about this?
His book on Afghanistan is SO much more perceptive, more loving, more inside.
What will the author write now?
I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads. The Guardian was much more complimentary