The Immortals of Tehran by Ali Araghi

Synopsis

The Torkashvand family reveres their seemingly immortal patriarch, Agha, the trunk of their widely branching, family tree. When we come to the story, Agha is so old that he spends his days sitting in the family orchard, drinking tea and telling stories to his great-great-great-great grandson Ahmad. Agha’s favourite story tells of a family curse that seems to shed light on the political turmoil roiling Iran and foretell Ahmad’s fated role in the country’s future. There is certainly something plaguing Ahmad’s family. At the age of ten Ahmad witnesses his father’s suicide and consequently loses his voice. But this is only the beginning of what will become another very long life: of many loves and losses, of evertangled family dramas, a doomed career in politics, and of incendiary poetry, all of which converge and catch fire at the centre of the Revolution.

Review

When I was offered the opportunity to review The Immortals of Tehran the title alone intrigued me,and I realised that I hadn’t actually read a book set in Iran during it’s more recent history, only when it was part of the Ottoman Empire, so I jumped at the chance. This is the story of Ahmad and his family, a family with a curse told by Ahmad’s great great great great grandfather that effects the male in every other generation. At ten years old Ahmad is witness to his father’s suicide in the local mosque, a an act that left him mute. After the occupation by the Russian’s during World War II, and the Torkash-Vand’s affiliation with a Russian tutor, the family are forced to leave heir village an head to Tehran to start again. Following Ahmad and his family as they face life in a country that faces famine, revolution and an ever changing political climate. This is a sweeping tale of love, loss, politics and ultimately the power of words, with a touch of mysticism.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I’m so glad I read it, I was transported into Ahmad’s world and his memorable family. When the book starts Ahmad is ten years old, living with his parents, sister and grandfather Khan, in a big house on their orchard. Ahmad’s life is changed forever on the day of his sister’s wedding when he is witness and unwilling participant in his father’s suicide. The trauma of this leaves him mute, communicating by pen and paper, which ultimately led him to become a poet; the beauty of words do not need to be spoken. In Tehran, Ahmad and his mother are seperated from his grandfather, who loses his business after the orchards he owns are destroyed, so not only are they in a new city but also they are no longer rich. Being mute, and not having had much of an education in his village, school in Tehran is a difficult time for Ahmad, he is highly intelligent but is bullied. However, his experiences make him a stronger person and we see him grow from boy to man, from son to husband to father and face all the hurdles life puts in his way. The family dynamics were fascinating and I loved learning more about the culture of Iran, the importance of family, and how the curse still effects the male members of the family especially Ahmed’s grandfather Khan who thinks cats are the portents of all that goes wrong. Probably the most fascinating character is Agha, Ahmad’s great great great great grandfather, who lives in a tree in the orchard and is travels around in a wheelbarrow, and the person everyone goes to for advice.

Part of the reason I love reading histrical fiction is because I enjoy learning something new, and as I know very little about Iran’s recent history. It was fascinating reading about the famine that tore through the country during and after the war, people tried to eat clothing resorting to boiling and eating hats. I also learned more about the political history, the revolution, the riots on the streets and the horrors of the prisons for those arrested for activism. Ali Arghi really captures the atmosphere of these times, the fear and desperation of the people, in a way that really brings the book to life. His writing also captures the personalities of his characters, for their good and bad, their dreams, their philosophies and how they change over time. The changing family dynamics are intriguing and full of emotion that Ari Araghi brilliantly conveys through his wonderful prose. The writing itself is beautiful, it flows with ease and really drew me in with it’s lyricism making this book such a pleasure to read.

I found The Immortals of Tehran to be a sweeping and epic read that had me captivated. The multi-generational family saga is compelling in its dynamics and shifting relationships over the period of the book. The backdrop of the War and the ensuing political turmoil, resulting in revolution, adds an anchor for all happens in the Ahmad’s life and that of his family. The added mystic element just adds a ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the story, giving it a bit of magic. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel as it is written and crafted with such skill; the characters so well drawn and with impressive knowledge of the period written about. This is an extraordinary book, that shows the importance and the power of the written word. Simply stunning!!!