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Revision as of 16:38, 29 December 2011
, 16:38, 29 December 2011no edit summary
|reviewer=Clare Reddaway
|genre=Literary Fiction
|rating=34
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
However, even if you don’t understand precisely what the characters represent in Iranian society there is much to appreciate in this novel. It is a howl of protest against every political party. There are visceral scenes of torture drawn from the author’s own experiences and those of his friends. The arrival of the torturer at the home of his victim, with the tables turned against him, is emotionally powerful. The portrait of a father rendered near insensible by the death of his child is universal and the portrayal of his search for the wherewithal to conduct a burial in the middle of the stormy night is heartrending and completely comprehensible. This is a world where allegiances are reversed and friends become enemies overnight, where a parent’s advice can lead to unforeseen horrors and brothers can turn against sisters, fathers against daughters. It is about a society convulsed and even if you are not sure quite what is going on, it remains important and interesting.
Mahmoud Dowlatabadi is described as a ‘colossus of contemporary Iranian literature’. His novels pioneered the use of the everyday language of Iranian people. He spent 25 years writing ""''The Colonel"" '' – it is his response to the Revolution. He conceived of it in a dream, or a nightmare, which remained when he woke up. He saw the whole of contemporary Iranian history running like a time-lapse film in front of his eyes, and it is that that he has tried to capture in this work.
''The Colonel'' is not an easy read. Stylistically, the author grapples with time-lapses and flashbacks, which can be challenging. For those unfamiliar with Iran the work needs explanation, so I would advise reading the Afterword first. However, for those who are interested in literature from the non-English speaking world, and for anyone who is interested in the universal consequences of revolution, it is definitely rewarding.
