Chicken with Plums
2 journalers for this copy...
Sourced for one of my favourite bookcrossers in a land far far away. This one looks so intriguing, it will probably sneak onto Mt TBR before it wings its way over the oceans!
From Publishers Weekly...
'The question of what makes a life worth living has rarely been posed with as much poignancy and ambition as it is in Satrapi's dazzling new effort. Satrapi's talent for distilling complex personal histories into richly evocative vignettes made Persepolis a bestseller. Here she presents us with the story of her great-uncle Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran's most revered musicians, who takes to bed after realizing that he'll never be able to find an instrument to replace his beloved, broken tar. Eight days later, he's dead. These final eight days, which we're taken through one by one, make up the bulk of this slim volume. While waiting for death, Nasser Ali is visited by family, memories and hallucinations. Because everything is being filtered through Satrapi's formidable imagination, we are also treated to classical Persian poetry, bits of history, folk stories, as well as an occasional flash forward into lives Nasser Ali will never have a chance to see. Each episode is illustrated with Satrapi's characteristic, almost childlike drawings, which take on the stark expressiveness of block prints. Clear and emotive, they bring surprising force and humor to this stunning tribute to a life whose worth can be measured in the questions it leaves.'
From Publishers Weekly...
'The question of what makes a life worth living has rarely been posed with as much poignancy and ambition as it is in Satrapi's dazzling new effort. Satrapi's talent for distilling complex personal histories into richly evocative vignettes made Persepolis a bestseller. Here she presents us with the story of her great-uncle Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran's most revered musicians, who takes to bed after realizing that he'll never be able to find an instrument to replace his beloved, broken tar. Eight days later, he's dead. These final eight days, which we're taken through one by one, make up the bulk of this slim volume. While waiting for death, Nasser Ali is visited by family, memories and hallucinations. Because everything is being filtered through Satrapi's formidable imagination, we are also treated to classical Persian poetry, bits of history, folk stories, as well as an occasional flash forward into lives Nasser Ali will never have a chance to see. Each episode is illustrated with Satrapi's characteristic, almost childlike drawings, which take on the stark expressiveness of block prints. Clear and emotive, they bring surprising force and humor to this stunning tribute to a life whose worth can be measured in the questions it leaves.'
Journal Entry 2 by zzz at Rakovica / Раковица, City of Belgrade Serbia on Thursday, February 2, 2012
Oh fantastic pick! I opened it this morning before going out to the Indian Embassy to apply for visa (since beside book we share traveling bug I wanted to put this here as well and share with you :-)) and took it with me. By the time I reached home the book has been read.
This is not "Persepolis" but nevertheless it's lovely. Strange a bit (with the end of the story in the middle of the book) but even though it's short (quite short actually) and seemingly simple the story has several layers. As always lives of common Iranians we aren't aware and somehow find ourselves surprise how they are the same as we are :)
Thank you so much Lynn!
PS- LOVE the bookplate :)
This is not "Persepolis" but nevertheless it's lovely. Strange a bit (with the end of the story in the middle of the book) but even though it's short (quite short actually) and seemingly simple the story has several layers. As always lives of common Iranians we aren't aware and somehow find ourselves surprise how they are the same as we are :)
Thank you so much Lynn!
PS- LOVE the bookplate :)
