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To talk to you about the harshness of life, we have chosen to bring you the new book by Mehdi Asadzadeh, “The ram”, a book in which pessimism and hope come together, showing us the face of the new Iran.
The ram
Hamed is a twenty year old from Tehran who, like many of his peers, is doing military service. A stubborn, impulsive and passionate young ram, who cannot forget his ex-girlfriend, Samira, with whom he had shared an endless number of odd afternoons, spent hanging out among theaters and used bookstores or visiting old shrines and cemeteries. When she learns that she is getting married to her new boyfriend, she loses her head and leaves the barracks without permission. Thus began a ruinous and daring day, in which he chased the mirage of regaining it by presenting himself by surprise at the wedding with a collection of rare books as a gift. To buy them, however, he needs a lot of money, which at the moment he doesn’t have …
Young iranians
Asadzadeh’s novel shows us the reality from the eyes of young Iranians, often stuck in a limbo of pessimism and fantasy. The protagonist of the book, Hamed, in this is absolute representation: having heard the imminent marriage of an old love, he leaves the military service to buy rare books, thanks to which, surely, he will manage to get the never-so-coveted hand. To a particularly optimistic vision of the future, however, an absolutely pessimistic one of everyday life is added, with a tragic past that is present but never intentionally focused.
Asadzadeh takes us to a reality in some ways very similar to that of the new Egyptian literature, in which this condition is extremely and constant, almost to become a mantra. The differences between the two worlds are however evident and for this reason the condition that comes out of it is extremely fascinating, indicative of a common way of thinking that becomes more and more alive with the passing of the years.
Imposing Tehran
One of the characteristics that most impressed us was the particular way of narrating the Iranian capital. In his frenetic turn, in fact, Hamed will lead us to explore one of the largest and most complex cities in the world in a hurry, highlighting really interesting details. In addition to the ethnic complexity, the elegance and grandeur that Tehran has to offer has amazed us. Just think of its proximity to the Elburz mountains, the legendary mountain range in which Damavand stands, the highest peak in the Middle East. A detail that will often be shown in the novel and that will be only one of the details about this incredible city.
To end our week with patience and wisdom, tomorrow we will have the pleasure of introducing you to Ponte33, the publishing house of “The Ram”, the only one to deal with Persian literature in Italy. Follow us on our facebook, YouTube and Instagram page, every like, sharing or support is welcome and helps us to dedicate ourselves more and more to our passion: telling the Middle East.
