Iran's national epic, the "Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, has traditionally been regarded by both Persians and Westerners as a poem celebrating the central role of minarchy in Persian history, In this groundbreaking book, Dick Davis argues that the poem is far more than a patriotic chronicle of kingly deeds. Rather, it is a subtle and highly ambiguous discussion of authority, and far from being a celebration of monarchy, its most famous episodes and heroes amount to a radical critique of the institution. Davis demonstrates that the public world of kingly authority is shadowed in the poem by a series of tragic father-son relationships, and that in both the royal and familial spheres, authority figures are invariably presented as morally inferior to those whom they govern. The "Shahnameh's complex aesthetic structure and its tragic resolution of problems of authority and hierarchy make it an artistic artifact able to take its rightful place beside the major masterpieces of world literature.
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Editorial Reviews
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"...can be considered as the best book on the Shahnameh yet written, as an introduction/guide to the work..." -- Dr. Ehsan Yarshater in Iranshenasi
"Davis explores the main themes of the Shahnameh with great insight and provides some convincing answers to these questions." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Davis has succeeded in bringing alive the issues and the conflicts which inform the Shahnama in a study..." -- Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
"Davis explores the main themes of the Shahnameh with great insight and provides some convincing answers to these questions." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Davis has succeeded in bringing alive the issues and the conflicts which inform the Shahnama in a study..." -- Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Persian
Original Language: Persian
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Sheds light on a great piece of world literature,
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This review is from: Epic & Sedition : The Case of Ferdowsis Shahnameh (Hardcover)
Davis shows that Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is not just a celebratory chronicle of Persian monarchy, but an examination of the relationship and duties between ruler and ruled. My first encounter with the Shahnameh was in high school where I was informed that the story of Rostam and Sohrab indicates an Iranian penchant for treachery. A Viking romance with essentially the same story somehow does not indicate the same for Norwegians.It is hoped that Epic & Sedition will bring more attention to this great piece of world literature or at the very least dispell some of the more extreme Orientalist analyses of the poem.
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