Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Christiane Bird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2001

A fusion of eloquent travelogue, historical inquiry, unforgettable portraits of people and interviews with Iranians from all walks of life, Neither East Nor West is a landmark contribution to both travel writing and cultural studies, as well as a timely illumination of an enthralling nation deeply misunderstood by Westerners. Bird, who spent several years of her early childhood in Iran, sets out to write a safarnameh- the Persian word for travelogue or, literally, travel letter- but soon delivers much more. In describing the sights, sounds and overall tenor of life in Iran today, she helps to break through the silence that has surrounded the country's culture- as opposed to its politics- for nearly twenty years. Bird's travels take her from the sacred pilgramage site of Mashhad, visited by more than 12 million Shi'ites every year, to the haunting, isolated valley of Alamut, once home to the legendary cult of Assassins. She visits mosques, public baths, Khomeini's former home and a Caspian sea resort; she attends prayer meetings and a horse racing meet. Along the way, she talks to everyone from muleteers to ayatollahs, Kurds to Turkomans, Westernised Iranians to Traditional Iranians- many of home invite her home for dinner or a cup of tea.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The recent opening of Iran has been met by the curiosity of a number of writers wanting to understand and illuminate a country that has been shrouded by a lack of access--and by prejudice--for three decades. Neither East Nor West joins Honeymoon in Purdah by Alison Wearing and Persian Mirrors by Elaine Sciolino in its humane examination of Iran and its willingness to lay aside the received orthodoxies of both nations and listen with a receptive (if not always open) mind. Once again, Iranians reveal themselves to be a generous, literate, and fun-loving people, and their nation far more complex, multilayered, and Westernized than news stories reveal.

As a young child, Bird spent three years in the northwestern town of Tabriz where her father served as a doctor for the Presbyterian ministry. She returned in 1998 to see the effects of the Islamic Revolution herself. One of her first acts was to look for the infamous DEATH TO AMERICA sign which hung at the Laleh International Hotel.

Two hotel employees with grizzled cheeks gave me a half-flirtatious, half-interrogatory stare. Taking a deep breath, I asked them about the sign.

"Gone! Gone!" they said, laughing as if I were asking about ancient history. "You are American?"

This could be the theme of Bird's travels, where everyone--from security police to government officials to men yelling "Welcome to Iran!" as they whiz by on their scooters--are practically ecstatic to meet an American. In the privacy of their homes they watch the Flintstones and CNN, listen to Michael Jackson and Metallica, drink alcohol and complain, mostly about the economy. In the end, Iranians start to seem not so unlike Americans in many ways--criticizing their government while loving their country all the same.

The fact that Bird, like Sciolino and Wearing before her, is a woman makes her story even more interesting, as she looks behind the veil and finds both the power and the constrictions that it represents. Her biggest strength is in asking direct questions about such ticklish issues as women's rights, but at times, her of lack heavy-handedness is enough to make you squirm. Wearing, with her lovely sense of humor and openness, did a superb job befriending and capturing the people. Bird, on the other hand, seems to have no sense of humor and has an irritating habit of getting irritated. Nevertheless, she fills in the essential historical and political background Wearing couldn't be bothered with. Together, the two paint a penetrating portrait of a rich and evocative land. --Lesley Reed

From Publishers Weekly

Bird's account of her travels in Iran is enriched by her having spent three years of her childhood in Tabriz during the reign of the Shah. Not na‹ve about popular Western misconceptions of Iran, she sets out to debunk them in this book: "we had demonized Iran so completely that it no longer seemed to be populated by human beings." Still, she is surprised by encounters with her own assumptions. In a relatively liberal section of Tehran, for instance, she finds young people flirting with one another, in open defiance of the komiteh (a watchdog for illicit activities), and even drinking alcohol--forbidden in Islamic society. Even so, she encounters religious devotion in people of every class and level of education. "What is it," she asks, "about the human mind that likes to categorize so, neatly slipping people into slots, which in Iran usually translates into: educated, middle-class, and Westernized = nonreligious; uneducated, poor, or working class = religious." Gradually, and only to a certain degree, Bird comes to understand the Iranians' dedication to Islam. This travelogue affords fascinating portraits of people of many social circumstances, while not sugarcoating the gritty realities of life in Iran. But it is Bird's continual investigation of her own and her culture's prejudices that distinguishes this book, and that will help shine light into a part of the Middle East hitherto hidden from the West by its own misunderstanding. (Mar.)Forecast: While booksellers shouldn't expect breakout sales, they should take note that with the recent publication of Persian Mirrors by Elaine Sciolino and Honeymoon in Purdah by Alison Wearing, Bird's narrative indicates a trend of books written by women traveling in Iran.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 396 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1ST edition (February 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671027557
• ISBN-13: 978-0671027551
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,909,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neither East, Nor West, August 27, 2001

By 

Carolyn Males (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran (Hardcover)

"I went to Iran to flirt with my childhood. I went to Iran to court the unknown. I went to Iran to see the effects of the Islamic Revolution for myself." Thus, begins Christiane Bird's engrossing journey through today's Iran. As Bird notes, "Pre-or post-Islamic revoution Iran has always been a cipher to the West." Indeed, much of what Americans know about Iran is from the political headlines of the 1980s and the dour picture that emerged from them. In this very readable book, Bird demystifies this fascinating country. Bird, who spent some of her early childhood in Iran in the 1960s, returned to view this politically changed land through adult eyes. She walks us through the streets filled with shrouded women, through bazaars where merchants wield financial and political power, through religious shrines teeming with pilgrims, and through cities and small villages where we glimpse the everyday lives of Iranian families. As she travels around this complex country, we learn about how Iranians have adapted to some of the more restrictive changes brought about by the revolution. For example, we learn how they cope with and often circumvent the "Big Brother" watchfulness of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance which monitors the media, tourism, education, and just about all aspects of Iranian life. As Bird points out, "Every Iranian lives in two worlds--the public and the private. The public is for wearing dark colors, obeying the laws of Islamic society and generally presenting a serious and pious face to the world. The private is for wearing bright colors, laughing and socializing with family and friends, and quiet contemplation and prayer." It's interesting to note that the private, particularly in middle and upper class families in large cities, sometimes includes watching banned TV shows, wearing miniskirts, drinking alcohol and even criticizing the government. Along the way, Bird introduces us to the variety of Iranians--shopkeepers, housewives, university students, ayatollahs, religious pilgrims, bathhouse keepers. As she explores the historical, political and cultural landscape, she paints vivid pictures--a congested downtown Mashad, the "gray, worn town" of Sanandaj, a colorful wedding in a Kurdish village, the religious center of Qom. Neither East Nor West offers insightful glimpses into Iran, well beyond the stereotypes we've all been accustomed to think in. It's a great read for the traveler, the armchair traveler, and anyone who is interested in this part of the world.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No disappointment here!, April 10, 2001

By 

Debra Fasciano (Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran (Hardcover)

This insightful and warmly written work was a pleasure to read, to the degree that I was sorry to have it end. The style of writing invites a cup of tea and blanket as it reads like a story rather than a strictly factual travelogue. Intelligently written, it serves to educate and enthrall the reader. This wordsmith (Bird) sent me to my dictionary several times! The people and places are so richly described and certainly come to life, so much that I would love to really know and see them. For we Americans, it is a wonderful opportunity to more fully understand the Iranian culture, and clarifies some of the differences in religions and political alliances. It gives such insight into the many stratums of their society. It gives such humanity to the Iranian people without being obsequious or naive to their faults. This would be a great choice for book clubs to read!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest and personal account, May 26, 2003

By 

Steve Muhlberger "stevem1621" (North Bay, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran (Paperback)

I've read several personal-point-of-view books about Iran recently, and I have a lot of respect for this one. I rate it as an honest book because Ms. Bird is very clear about her personal standards, background and feelings and where they come from. She doesn't pretend to be objective; she's giving one person's perspective. In particular, she includes her own reactions even when she knows that readers will find them unsympathetic. How much more can you ask?

I enjoyed reading it very much, and I think many others will find it an interesting view of an interesting country