Customer Reviews

Mullah with No Legs and Other Stories

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
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Initially, seeing the word "Mullah" in the title, I thought this was going to be mostly about politics and Mullah/Islam bashing.... I was so off!
This is a must read. I enjoyed this book on so many levels. I was able to see a side of Iran and the Iranian culture not usually talked about, through the eyes of a child, an Iranian adult, with a twist of an American perspective making serious subjects/moments humorous to read. It was well written. Sanazbanu N.

The Mullah With No Legs and Other Stories by prominent and popular Iranian author, Ari B Siletz, offers a gripping and sincere portrait of life in contemporary Iran. Crafted in language that brilliantly fuses the author's poetic camber with piercing philosophical observation, this collection of short stories furnishes an unforgettable path into the hearts and minds of Iranians as it subtly serves platters of fresh ideas about why the Iranian ethos is at odds with that of the contemporary West. This book is the most compelling work of fiction written about Iranians in modern times as well as a triumph for world literature.

Here's a book I wish everyone would read. What a pleasant antidote to the hostility of our media and leaders! Meeting a variety of Iranians facing common life dilemmas with uncommon grace, we're nourished with a delicious and fascinating taste of Persian culture. In his introduction, Siletz promises kinship between Iranians and Americans. In his deftly poetic stories, he delivers.

this is an excellent book written by a master writer. The stories are captivating, characters are unique and deep. this book shows an excelent perspective of an Iranian American and how all cultures are intertwined.

Siletz has a graceful manner in telling stories that leads the reader into territory that feels unfamiliar at the outset, but brings understanding of the commonality of the human condition by the end.

His stories have an autobiographical feel to them, but they are fiction. They are based on his childhood experiences in Iran and are written with an eye towards enlightening American audiences about life in Iran.

One of my favorite stories was "The Dog" for it showed the cultural differences in how dogs are perceived between Iranians and Americans. The funniest aspect was showing how his Iranian family was surprised to hear that anyone could make money selling dog food, dog toys and dog soaps. Because dogs, while not forbidden are considered to be unclean.

A favorite line of mine was "Give a parched Iranian the choice between a glass of water sniffed by a dog and a glass of radioactive waste, and he will have to think about it."

I highly recommend this book, and it will soon be back in print!

I have read so many so called memoirs about Iranians, mostly about Iranian women, with a few exceptions, such as Persepolis and funny in Farsi, I have found most of them dishonest and insincere; full of illusions and delusions not memoirs! However, "The Mullah with no legs and other stories" by Ari Siletz is the most honest account of a society going through rapid changes and a true experience of a little boy trying to come to terms with his society, his family, and himself. I enjoyed reading this book tremendously and I visited the "garden of memory" with Ari in every page of this book. I was laughing in one moment and crying in another moment. It touched my heart. I recommend this book to everyone who loves literature and enjoys reading and learning, Iranians, non-Iranians, men, women, adults, and children! Ari, please write more, we need more of you and less of those who write for an emerging marker of the "Iranian women memoir industry".

There is a reason why all the reviewers (so far) give this book 5 stars; it belongs on the national best-seller list. The Mullah With No Legs and Other Stories is a thin volume (perfect for busy lives)of beautifully crafted short stories. Written by Iranian-American Ari Siletz, it has to be THE book for academics and lovers of literature with an interest in cross-cultural literary themes. The characters in Siletz's stories are acutely drawn and treated with a degree of sensitivity and mischievous humor normally attributed to some of the best writers of our era. His stories are infused with warmly depicted, foible-ridden individuals whose lives unfold in completely recognizable ways to the Western reader, albeit laced with an Iranian gestalt: ancient Persian traditions, religious custom, and highly complex familial motivations. Because he is a masterful story-teller with a brilliant affinity for evocative prose, Siletz belongs firmly in the world of literature; but he has the insight and observational acumen of a skilled anthropologist. These are the reasons I think The Mullah With No Legs And Other Stories belongs on the bestseller list. His talent eclipses that of many contemporary writers whose names are now household words.

This is a mesmerizing collection of stories taken from the author's experiences growing up in Persia(Iran). Although it is a candid look at Persian culture, the stories are of family and deal with cultural and political realities - they could have been told anywhere. Each tale is a chocolate for the mind, and compels you to try the next one in the box. The only bad part about this book is that it ends.

In the last few years, so many memoirs and stories have been written by Iranians and published in English (mostly by Iranian women). It looks like the market is hot for these titles. This has resulted in publication of many disingenuous works that are politically reactionary and artistically inferior (such as Reading Lolita in Tehran).
"The Mullah with No Legs and Other Stories" is politically progressive (even though it does not directly deal with politics) and artistically superb. It is a personal journey of an Iranian boy written with an excellent humor and wit. The stories are mostly sad, but you can't stop laughing! This book reserves recognition. Read it! (I have heard that the author's name is a pen name. I don't know why he did not publish this work with his real Persian name.)