My Uncle Napoleon: A Novel (Modern Library Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Iraj Pezeshkzad (Author), Dick Davis (Translator), Azar Nafisi (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Paperbacks | Publication Date: April 11, 2006

The most beloved Iranian novel of the twentieth century

“God forbid, I’ve fallen in love with Layli!” So begins the farce of our narrator’s life, one spent in a large extended Iranian family lorded over by the blustering, paranoid patriarch, Dear Uncle Napoleon. When Uncle Napoleon’s least-favorite nephew falls for his daughter, Layli, family fortunes are reversed, feuds fired up and resolved, and assignations attempted and thwarted.

First published in Iran in the 1970s and adapted into a hugely successful television series, this beloved novel is now “Suggested Reading” in Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran. My Uncle Napoleon is a timeless and universal satire of first love and family intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A gift both to readers fascinated by other cultures and to lovers of fiction for fiction’s sake.”
–The Washington Post Book World

Readers can gain a more balanced impression of Iran from this novel, which looks at life from the kind of humorous perspective few Westerners may associate with the current regime in that country.”
–The Christian Science Monitor

“A masterpiece of contemporary world fiction.”
–Baltimore Sun

“Howlingly funny . . . [a] tender, salacious and magical Iranian import.”
–Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A giddily uproarious mixture of farce and slapstick.”
–The Atlantic

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812974433
• ISBN-13: 978-0812974430
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern > Persian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A World-Class Comic Masterpiece!, August 10, 1997

By 

David "David" (Dunn Loring, Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Uncle Napoleon (Hardcover)

Americans have become so accustomed to seeing televised images of dour Ayatollahs and grim-faced Iranian demonstrators shouting "Death to the Great Satan" that we have forgotten that Iran is also the land of Omar Khayyam. Pezeshkzad and his characters have more in common with the 12th century poet than the religious revolutionaries who overthrew the Shah would like, and the readers will give thanks with laughter. Early in World War II, the unnamed 15-year-old narrator becomes infatuated with his first cousin Layli, the daughter of the narrator's uncle, derisively nicknamed Napoleon for constantly voicing admiration for the French general. At a family gathering, the narrator's father vents annoyance with Uncle Napoleon's unending inflation of his military record (Uncle Napoleon's four-man gendarmerie squad over the years had been transformed into dozens of army battalions thwarting the plans of British imperialism). For his father's offense, the narrator is banned from seeing his beloved Layli, who Uncle Napoleon betrothes to the narrator's horse-faced cousin Puri. The narrator turns to his cousin Asadollah, a bon vivant and womanizer extraordinaire, for advice in stopping the wedding and winning Layli. The action builds to a climax when the British occupy Tehran. The results . . . well, I won't give it away. But if you like laugh-out-loud farce mixed with sharp-eyed satire, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It belongs on a very short list of comic masterpieces of world literature

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Iranian Classic Finally Translated Brilliantly in English, January 18, 2001

By 

Mehrdad Modjtahedi (Placentia, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Uncle Napoleon: a Comic Novel (Paperback)

My Uncle Napoleon (aka: Daei Jon Napelon) is one of the great Iranian masterpieces. Although the story is sure to inform the non-Iranian reader about WWII era Iran, its true topic is one that anyone can relate to - true love. This book will remind you what it was like to have a crush on someone that was unavailable. Much like Charles Shulz's Charlie Brown and the "Little Red Haired Girl," our novel's protagonist has fallen madly in love with someone that is inaccessible to him. Meanwhile, interfamily politics keep rocking the young man's already unstable boat. What I like most about this book is how heart wrenching emotions and laugh out loud comedy go hand in hand, much like in real life. It is this book's realism that is its greatest asset, everything from the characters to the emotions within this book are a true reflection of real life. Dick Davis has done a magnificent job translating this novel, all of the characters' original dialogue and various ethnic colloquialisms remain intact. As a result this book is a fantastic insight into Iran for the non-Iranian reader. Not to mention that you are sure to win many Brownie points with your Iranian friends/colleagues if they find out that you have read this book. This is because My Uncle Napoleon is a part of Iranian culture that is very personal to most Iranians. It was made into a famous television miniseries in the seventies (alas it is still left untranslated) that to this day is one of the most popular shows in Iranian history. Most Iranians have a worn out set of VHS tapes somewhere in their house that attest to this. So please hesitate no more, and order this wonderful book. I'm sure that you will treasure it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Delightful, February 12, 2001

By 

Bukkene Bruse (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Uncle Napoleon: a Comic Novel (Paperback)

My Uncle Napoleon is a hilarious examination of a part of Iranian society in the 1940's. The character development is the strongest aspect of the book and the situational comedy is also very good. I recently read A Confederacy of Dunces; these two novels share many qualities.

My Uncle Napoleon gives a portrayal of Iran that is very different from what is provided by the mainstream press. While the aristocratic characters belong to a place and time that is long gone, the mannerisms and character types satirized in the book are still present to some degree in many Iranians.

Read this book if you want a good laugh or a glimpse of Iranian culture you could not otherwise get.