We Are Iran

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Nasrin Alavi

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Pages: 384 (Paperback)

ISBN: 1846270030

Pub: Portobello Books Ltd

Pub date: 2006-06-08

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 67377

Reader Reviews:

We Will Be IRan (7/8 people found this helpful)

I loved this book. But I half-heartedly bought it after an overenthusiastic recommendation by an Iranian friend. Yet I was so moved that I must have reread many passages again and again. But I have to warn you this is not a techi book about blogs and the internet and more about Iran in general. It's rather an odd book in that the serious factual stuff is skilfully fused in with the poetic or funny posts by bloggers. We get to hear about the firsthand accounts of revolution, war, falling in love, relationships, and customs to passion for football or cinema. We get to hear from Islamic cleric bloggers to fans of David Beckam.

Above the unique insight it offers are the promises of hope. In a country were 70 per cent are under 30 and educated the future is bound to be promising. With informative societal historical cultural background on all things Iran, the narrative tries to highlight the views and aspirations of Iran's highly educated post-war baby boom generation, and as we get to read: "Throughout the 20th Century baby boomers' have had enormous impact on society during every stage of their collective lives, leading to the post-war transformation of the Western world. Baby-boomers are the drivers of change and Iran's new up-and-coming youth may well prove as significant and influential."

As a member of this baby boom generation, I have always felt that (if only by sheer numbers) we are Iran or will be the future of Iran anyway. I can't think of a better tribute than this book to my generation and the youth of Iran, rich or poor, religious or secular and so on. And I can't see any other way that you could truly see us the way you can in this book. It is amazing how though its diversity it captures the fundamental nature of my generation. We are all there in this moving yet at times very amusing and unflawed narrative.

A worthy Book of the Year (6/8 people found this helpful)

I bought this book after finding it on the 2006 books of the year list of one of our broadsheets. I can’t remember which one it was now. The book is made up of a skilfully constructed tapestry of fascinating, funny and poignant quotes that are mixed together with a factual background about everything anything Iranian, from religion, culture, history to pop music.

And I have to say that I was totally mesmerized throughout. Not only because it was such a pleasant and enjoyable read, but as it also somewhat went against my assumptions (or ignorance) about Iran and Iranians. Yet some of this was so startling that I even found myself sceptical and doubting the author’s factual assertions that I had to check them out. But his facts did always check out.

At a time when we are hearing rhetoric about Iran, reminiscent of noises made before the Iraqi invasion. Iran is one country we must all take time to understand and I can’t recommend a more enlightening and pleasurable way than reading We Are Iran.

court's out (1/2 people found this helpful)

This is the construct of a tiny minority purporting to represent a much larger majority than they do.
Fun and nice - even when indignant, but a mass movement it ain't.

Arrogant beyond belief (4/5 people found this helpful)

Comparing poor Afghans and Iranians to "blessed cheesemakers" is a typical example of the upper-class and exile snobbery that characterises the thinking behind this book. The idea that a sample of internet users can truthfully say "We are Iran" is a total absurdity. This is the kind of book you can dip into from time to time, but to claim it speaks for Iran is arrogant beyond belief. And you can get this book in Iran, by the way, or even (shock horror) take in a copy with you.

Amazing Book - Could not put it down! (3/4 people found this helpful)

The only negative ‘reviews’ seem to be from people in Iran, where the book hasn’t been published and Amazon doesn’t deliver to! What’s that all about?

I have just finished reading this book, and the critics of this book are factually correct…the author did not interview 60 million Iranians, and our friend from Tabriz is indeed correct, in that unmarried Afghan building workers are underrepresented in this book. I can also reveal, having actually read the book, that there are no blogs from blessed cheesemakers explaining the joys and difficulties of making cheese in today’s Iran. But I don’t think the book is the poorer for it.

If our Tabrizi friend is really worried about this, he could publish a periodical to reveal his in depth insight in to the feelings of young unmarried Afghan building workers. But newspaper publishers don’t seem to have a long shelf life in Iran lately. Maybe as he has a computer, it might be safer to start a blog and address this imbalance in the blogesphere?

Yes, by selecting blogs as a source, the book can not be 100% proportionally representative of every Iranian thought. People who can’t read, don’t have a computer, cheesemakers etc.

But that doesn’t make the book less insightful or less unique. What is the next best thing to really reflecting the thoughts of Iranians then? Friday prayer speeches? Deluded dubiously funded royalist satellite stations?

For me this book is the most insightful revelation of ANY society I have read. It’s not the view of one or two political analysts, politicians or academics. It really is a slice through all sections of society in Iran that keep a blog. Which is why, short of finding a 60 million page book with an interview on each page you will not get a better glimpse of Iran from any other source that I have seen.

But it is much more than that. It’s about people anywhere and how they experience life, but it just happens to be Iran. But because it is written by Iranians they are more revealing, more poetic and more moving than an average emotionally constipated teenager who has grown up in a less challenging environment. I don’t think I made it through many chapters with dry eyes.

To the critics in Iran who haven’t read this book, I would say read the book. You might be surprised to realise that your views are actually represented and at the same time find out what your neighbour is really thinking when he gets home from Friday prayers.

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