Customer Reviews

Houri

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the good fortune to live in pre-revolutionary Iran for three years. Although I was never a fan of the Shah or his government, I so enjoyed the Iranian people, their wonderful sense of hospitality, the many rich cultures of the country's diverse inhabitants, and the beautiful topography of the land itself. To this day I remember the many friendships I made there. Thus, when I read the description on the back of "Houri's" dust jacket, I thought "this book is for me!" The description reads: "A gripping novel, based largely on the personal experiences of an Iranian-American journalist, about life in Iran; from the repression of the Shah to the brutality of the Islamic fundamentalist government. A must read for anyone desiring a better understanding of this country, its citizens, and its current turmoil."

I am so disappointed. Although the novel is interesting in parts, it basically deals with the life of our protagonist, Shahed, (his name means "witness"), with special focus on his unhappy childhood. To me, it gave no NEW insight into a better understanding of Iran, its people or government. "Houri" certainly does not offer any meaningful material that is not already available in other books, fiction and non fiction, newspaper articles, and even news broadcasts. Most people already know about the repression and corruption under the Shah, as well as his dependence on the US and his efforts to "modernize" the country, just as most people know about the repressive government that exists in that land today. No new observations are offered here, at least not for me. And that disappoints me greatly because I don't believe that the book is publicized truthfully. Others may enjoy this novel more than I did, because their expectations are not the same as mine were/are. So please take this into consideration when reading my review.

We meet Shahed as he returns to Iran after spending about 14 years in the United States. This visit to his homeland, which he left in late adolescence, will be his first encounter with the Islamic Republic of Iran. It will also provide an opportunity for him to seek closure with his past. The trip coincides with the third anniversary of his father's death.

Much of the novel deals with the Shahed's dysfunctional family, emphasizing his especially distasteful relationship with his profligate father, Baba, whom he hates. Baba is a narcissistic, spendthrift - a womanizer who is in constant debt. Shahed's mother lives the life of a martyr, destined to live out her years with her good-for-nothing husband. His uncle is an opium addict and a burden to all. And Shahed is a petty thief at age 12. Most of the youth's male relatives and their friends basically fall into the same category - failures at life. The constant repetition of tales of the boy's unhappiness are grating and depressing. I really didn't like any of the characters in the book. The one exception and, perhaps, a positive male role model, is his grandfather, a truly pious man who is called Hajji, an honorific title given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Haj to Mecca. But Shahed does something terribly dishonest to the old man who loves him dearly.

The narrative bounces back and forth between three time periods - Shahed's boyhood, his life as an expatriate in America, and his visit to post-revolutionary Iran. The segues between timeframes are often awkward and confusing. They are, for the most part, written in relatively short paragraphs which skip from one period to another. Many of the paragraphs are too brief to give one a good handle on the story. I was certainly left wanting, especially when I really "got into" certain parts of the novel. I felt rudely interrupted as the storyline switched abruptly to another time, place and subject. I think the novel would be richer, more coherent, if the time periods were consistently differentiated by chapters rather than by paragraphs. The text also needs proofreading. I encountered several spelling and grammatical errors.

As for the title, "Houri" means a voluptuous, alluring woman, one of the beautiful virgins of the Koranic paradise. Shahed's "Houri" is no heavenly creature. She is a sensual neighbor woman who does not wear the chador in an area of the city where all women wear this covering garment. Thus she becomes an object of men's derision and lust. She also becomes the object of preteen Shahed's fantasies and will have an enormous effect on his life.

Overall, as I stated above, "Houri" does not give any in-depth sense of the changes in Iran, pre and post revolution. So, in this sense, the novel does not enlighten the reader. Also, the author gives little feel for Shahed's primarily unsuccessful experience in the US, where an American friend tells him, "I like you. You're a nice guy and trustworthy." (Apparently he has given up stealing). "The problem with you is that you don't have enough aggression in you...your feet aren't planted solid on the ground." And with his terrible childhood, how could he really be anything else than a seriously troubled man.

There are some elements of the novel that I did like, precisely because they give an unusual look at Iranian customs, holidays, etc. Mr. Balali's description of the Iranian New Year, "Nouruz," is fascinating, as is his description of the "Festival of Fire," and his experience taking his younger brother to the bath house for the first time. But I did pick up the novel looking for a more in depth narrative. I was not looking to read about dysfunctional families, foreign or domestic. Perhaps you are and will enjoy the book more than I did. It provided me with a slightly below average read. But I am rating it 3 stars, as there are saving graces here - the author writes well, although unevenly at times - and I always enjoy reading about Iran.
Jana Perskie

Beside the political and social aspects of the book comparing Iran during the Shah to that after the revolution of 1979, the book has a strong message about how we choose to live our life.
The author brings in to light the conflict that probably exists in all of us. Should we live the moment without thinking of consequences, or should we abide by social rules binding us at every turn? Should we live a care free life as Baba, an adventurous selfish man, yet likeable, charismatic and in no way intends to hurt anyone intentionally, or should we try to appease all those around us, take on responsibilities that are dictated by social rules which gradually chip away at our soul leading us to a life in a glass cage?

In Persian, "houri" translates to a "nymph". The object of desires of men and pubescent boys alike is a central character in this book, which nonetheless, stands on its own even with her limited presence. The book takes place shortly after the fall of the Shah of Iran and traces the societal impacts in Iran as it transitions into a theocracy. Mr. Balali's description of city life and the characters that occupy it (the coalman; Usta, the barber; the muscular butcher; Khan, the debt collector; and Taj, the street idiot who owned a donkey) are reminiscent of the characters in the Middle Eastern folk tales of "One thousand and one nights" that I read as a child. It was a nice feeling to re-visit familiar landscapes and figures.

Our narrator is a young boy, Shahed, coming of age at that time. Shahed, like most boys of his age, is influenced by two emotions: filial obedience to his father and the growing curiosity towards the opposite sex. His father, as presented in the narration, is for the lack of a better word, a horrible lout. The father's center of attention is his "bride", a Buick that gets more respect, love and attention than the boy's mother. The father does not appear to earn a living, choosing to instead live off the proceedings of Shahed's grandfather and the many creditors who are constantly looking for him. Shahed, in turn, submits to humiliations wrought on him by the school for lack of fee payment, the pederasts that hound the bus he is forced to take to school, and the vagaries of his father's mood swings. Among this version of hell comes Houri, like a breathe of fresh air. The boy is smitten and gets close to Houri; in the eyes of Shahed, he is the perfect match for her. But alas, his father has the same designs, and succeeds to the point that Shahed cannot. The boy is crushed and enters a cocoon from which is unable to escape even when he comes to America and spends 14 years pretending to study while working at gas stations.

Shahed goes back to Iran after 14 years to find a devastated country that resembled little of what he remembered. Holy festivals celebrated with joy when Shahed was young are now dreary affairs overseen by the clerics and their minions. His Uncle E, the gregarious opium smoking addict, is now afflicted with Alzheimers. His brother has grown to be a man sacrificed to the insatiable demand for recruits to fight the war against Iraq. Moral patrols comb the streets, inflicting brutal punishment on women for showing a strand of hair or a sliver of an ankle.

The book's central tussle is between Shahed and his father. His father is presented as a gregarious, although authoritarian, figure who ruled the household with an iron fist that on times, visited Shahed's face as well. As the book closes, Shahed comes to terms with his father's role in making Shahed the broken person that he is; it is true that time salves even the deepest wounds. I read somewhere that this book is Balali's autobiographical account of his childhood. Unlike Shahed, I hope he was able to connect with his houri.

"Houri" is an interesting work because it allows readers to study a culture with which they may not be familiar and follow the life of the protagonist, a son of an extremely dysfunctional family, as a young boy in Iran, and as a grown man in the U.S. Personally, I liked the abrupt transitions from the protagonist's childhood to his life in a new country as an adult. Some readers may be confused by the abruptness of these constant changes. It also describes the life of Iranians under the regime of the despotic last Shah, contrasted by the equally tyrannical rule of the mullahs who overthrew him.

I have two problems with the book. First, Shahed the young hero (not quite 13) is too precocious a child. He may be sexually mature for his age, making serious advances to a much older woman, in competition with his own lecherous father. But he also plays the role of the omniscient narrator, having an uncanny insight into the many seriously disturbed adults surrounding him. One wonders whether the author has had much experience with children.

Young Shahed is a bit of a street urchin, given to serious thievery, though he is enrolled in a prestigious school, which his parents can't afford. He is far from a simpleminded child. Yet he appears on the scene in the U.S. (with no explanation how this came about) and turns out to be neither a conniving nor a successful adult. He is a lost soul, without street smarts or intellectual achievements. The cunning child turns into a wishy-washy adult. The sex driven youngster can't even have a lasting relationship with an ungainly woman. There is a disconnect between the premature boy and the adult he has become.

Still, the book is interesting and enlightening.

It is not easy for a Persian to write his memoires since the pain is still ongoing....this was a brave step this author took...

As I read this book, my eyes were open to a different world. A world that was going on in my lifetime, but thousand of miles away, Iran during the years of the Shah. Shahed looks back on his childhood to try and make sense of his life and he is conflicted. His father, Baba, is an appalling father, and an appalling husband, but there is an admiration there. Baba is a man who tries to get the most out of his life. Maybe he should have never married and had children, but he did and at times he did bring them happiness. His wife and children were thrilled when he threw them a bone and spent time with him. Can you really hate a man that you so wanted to be with?

"Houri" gives you a little glimpse into pre-Revolutionary Iran while telling the story of a young man trying to make sense of his life. I truly enjoyed reading this book!

A refreshing fusion of reality and irony, with a subtle hint of fantasy. The authors brilliant ability to chronicle the main character's life, with a witty back-and-forth jump between time periods, kept me in constant anticipation of what was next to come. This would be a great read for anyone!

One of my old friends got this book for me. I have not finished the book yet, but it has been an outstanding book so far, I will update as soon as possible.