I don’t have a lot of well-formed thoughts about Persepolis. I understand, every bit, why it’s a valuable (graphic) novel, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as part of the standard reading curriculum for American teens, who can use all the diverse perspectives they can get. In fact, I think the classroom — under the tutelage of a sympathetic instructor — could be the ideal place for a book like this, because it allows for the integration of historical background in which independent readers […]
“It’s fear that makes us lose our conscience. It’s also what transforms us into cowards.”
This year as I began making my epic list of things to read for Cannonball I asked some of my friends what they would suggest. While having these conversations my coworker mentioned that she hadn’t read Persepolis yet, but kept meaning to, and had I. I had not, so on the list it went, since she’s the mom of two small kiddoes, I could certainly do a little market research for her reading intake. Good news for her and you is that I *really* liked […]
An Islamic adventure story filled with djinn and revolution
This highly imaginative debut novel by an American-born convert to Muslim has garnered praise from all and sundry. Part fantasy, part mythology, part religious tract and part political tract, Alif the Unseen is as hard to pin down as it is fun to experience. It is the story of a young half-Arab/half-Indian man living in an unidentified Arab sheikdom known as “The City.” Alif (his “label”) is a computer hacker par excellence, and from his mother’s apartment is happy to sell his services to any […]
“You have to find your own rules.”
I became interested in American Dervish because I wanted to read something from a different perspective: in this case, a novel by a Pakistani author reflecting on a young American Muslim boy’s experience. The story opens with Hayat Shah when he is college-aged, as he attends an Islamic Studies class. The professor, with whom Hayat is friendly, makes statements that are blasphemous to some of the other Muslim students in attendance, but Hayat himself has a somewhat blasé attitude toward his professor’s claims. Afterward, a friend […]