Customer Reviews

Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an expatriate like Firoozeh Dumas, but not Iranian and in my case living in Europe, I was thrilled to hear that Firoozeh had written another memoir.
Laughing Without An Accent continues to delight and amuse, much like her earlier book Funny In Farsi. Each of the stories seem to somehow touch the heart and can connect with people of any culture. She tells her stories about her family with wit and affection.
Many of my friends live outside of the country they were born in. All found Funny In Farsi to be right on the mark and they could really relate to the situations and family issues in the book.
If you're reading Laughing Without An Accent as you relax on vacation, you should know that people will constantly be asking what you're reading that's so funny.

Got this for my wife, peeked at it, and was hooked. Dumas' family is MY family, only from somewhere else. I have uncles and aunts that are loopy (but whom I love), and sisters that I turn to when my parents do something crazy. No, there's no rocket science here - that we all tend to drive each other to distraction occasionally, and often in ways that are funny in retrospect, but a book doesn't have to be rocket science to have value and be something good and worthwhile. I was surprised by how much this book moved me, and that is rare. I liked it so much I contacted the author for an interview in The Blotter Magazine (www.blotterrag.com).

If you liked Funny in Farsi, then you will love this book.

Another collection of short stories with insightful and funny observations.

My favorite is the last chapter, where she tells the story of where she met one of the people that was taken hostage in the US embassy in Tehran years ago.

I learned about Funni in Farsi when my children had to read the book as part of their school work in Junior High School. They laughed so much, at first I thought they were playing a prank on me. But when Mom and I read it too, we knew we had found something special. This was the only book that the whole family enjoyed reading and re-reading together. We often joke about things that happen and remind us of that book.

So it was with great anticipation when we got Ms. Dumas' new book "Laughing without an accent". This book too is a masterpiece. We all loved it and we were fighting about who should be reading it at any time. Ms. Dumas, you have brought great joy and understanding to our family and we thank you for it.

I recommend this book to all. It is easy reading, enjoyable, and awakens something deep inside you about our humanity. Way to go Ms. Dumas.

We can't wait for the next book!

I just purchased this book and read it while commuting on the NY subway. It made my commuting experience a pleasure.

Both books are very human and also very funny. Almost every paragraph has a surprise. She is finely attuned to the differences between Iranian and American culture. She does succeed in having us "laugh with her." I have read both of her books and highly recommend them.

I have zero sympathy with the Iranian regime, but we do need more "cultural ambassadors" like Ms. Dumas who can maintain perspective and a sense of humor, and fewer Reading Lolita in Tehran's.

Humor isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Iranian Americans, but Firoozeh Dumas may just change that! Each vignette highlights the craziness both of her family and of various culture: American, Iranian and French. She writes with such conversational ease, as if telling you a funny story over a cup of tea. Each family member is drawn with clarity, as if you've known them all along. Her family is like a favorite sitcom family - familiar, funny and slightly over the top. The reader can imagine them getting into all kinds of wacky situations and can't wait to tune in for more.

Part of Dumas' great writing skill lies in the simplicity of her descriptions. She is able to set a scene with few words, but provide such keen observation that she cuts right to humor of the moment. She illuminates the humor of cultures and personalities with lightheartedness and respect. She seems to find idiosyncrasies to be both precious and maddening. She clearly loves her family very much, and is able expose the absurdity of their everyday lives. Her command of humor makes even the most mundane of subjects like oversized desks, 10 lb. bags of rice and the "Midnight Chocolate Buffet" on a cruise, a cause for chuckles.

Laughing Without an Accent has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for readers of any accent. Dumas' keen observations expose the silliness of herself and those around her with an endearing grace and genuineness, causing the reader to embrace her every word and yearn for just one more story.

Armchair Interviews says: Humor lies all around this talented writer.

I just had the privilege of meeting Firoozeh Dumas and her stories are so real. Laughing without an Accent is a great follow up to Funny in Farsi; it's a bit more serious and brings us to into Firoozeh's family in recent years. She is a master storyteller, sharing her thoughts, her perceptions and most importantly, her feelings about life, family and the American way. Reading Laughing is like spending a few hours with the author. It leaves you wanting more.

Laughing Without an Accent, By Firoozeh Dumas

Reading Laughing Without an Accent recently written by Firoozeh Dumas is the most entertaining thing I can think of. I have laughed and cried many times reading each chapter of this book. The chapter I laughed and cried most when reading it is "Seyyed Abdullah Jazayeri", which I think is for this same reason.

The book has stories from early 60's to the present time, ranging geographically over Iran, Europe and America. The reader is taken to restaurants with exotic foods, funeral ceremonies that celebrate life, homes with maids that climb up trees instead of attending to their duties or fall in love and get married to pregnant maids. It ends with a beautiful story of reconciliation; the friendship of the author with a former hostage.

It is a well written book, with few minor typos. I have read the book two times, so far, and have enjoyed it more the second time. Such a wonderful book deserves to be read many times. Her beautiful stories can be enjoyed again and again. The reader will really appreciate all the wonderful effects Firoozeh's writing has, as a bridge builder, in introducing the Iranian culture not only to Americans but also to the world.

I recommended her first book Funny in Farsi to all friends and relatives and gave at least half a dozen copies to some of them as gifts. They all loved it and said that by reading it they died from laughing. Now, it is her second book, "Laughing Without an Accent", truly a masterpiece, that the readers should read and enjoy much more than the first.

Javad H. Zadeh, Ph.D.

Call it what you want, but Firoozeh Dumas' second book, Laughing Without an Accent,is a fantastic follow up to Funny in Farsi. Her style of writing is so fluid and real, it's hard to believe you are reading something written by a stranger. Offering no apologies for being smart and sensitive, she writes about her awkward college years so honestly, you can't help but root for her to come out on top. And it looks like she has! I can't wait for the next book.

I got this book from the library. The moment I finished it I found myself wishing I had bought it because I wanted to lend it to friends and then read it again. It was recommended to me by my 22 year old niece. As I started to read it, I thought it might be too lightweight, but this book is full of substance, delivered in a sweet, gentle, entertaining manner. I found myself wishing I could be friends with the author. In all my years of avid reading, this was a first. I highly recommend this book, both for its entertainment and substantive value.