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Women without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur (1989): A Review

Title : Women without Men Author : Shahrnush Parsipur Publication Year: 1989 (translation 1998, 2011, 2026) Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Pages : 192 Source : ebook @storytel.tr Genre : literary fiction, Magical Realism Awards : longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize Shahrnush Parsipur’s Women Without Men creates a magical world where the supernatural and the real intertwine to expose how women in 1950s Iran are suffocated by patriarchy, religion, and the confines of the domestic sphere. The novel follows five women from different social backgrounds whose paths converge in a garden in Karaj. Each woman suffers under patriarchy in a distinct way and each ultimately takes a different path and reaches a different kind of ending. The book does offer a form of closure for each character, but not an easy or triumphant emancipation. Some remain entangled in, or even complicit with, patriarchal structures—either by internalizing them or learning to manipulate them for survival. What I ...
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Today in Bookish and Literary History, June 14

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1965 A Spaniard in the Works by John Lennon | UK | 96 | 2022 The World As We Knew It: Dispatches From a Changing Climate | 288 | 2022 Horse by Geraldine Brooks | US-Australia | 401 | 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 2022 The Novelist by Jordan Castro | US | 208 | 2022 The Men by Sandra Newman | US | 272 | 2022 The Twilight World by Werner Herzog | GR | 144 | 2022 Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky | US | 240 | 🔗 Check this list for Today in Bookish History for June: https://fable.co/list/2067ba4d-156b-4ab9-9cc3-350565bf7a9b/share
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Today in Bookish and Literary History, June 13

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1863 Erewhon Part 1 by Samuel Butler | UK | 240 | 1991 Wise Children by Angela Carter | UK | 256 | 2022 The Inmate by Freida McFadden | US | 388 | 2023 The Mythmakers by Keziah Weir | US | 368 | 2023 Mater 2–10 by Hwang Sok-yong | South Korea | 486 | 🏆 2023 The Forbidden Territory of a Terrifying Woman by Molly Lynch | CAN-Ireland | 288 | 🏆 2023 Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine | US | 304 🔗 Check this list for Today in Bookish History for June: https://fable.co/list/2067ba4d-156b-4ab9-9cc3-350565bf7a9b/share
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The Story of Antigone by Ali Smith (2011): A Review

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Title : The Story of Antigone Author : Ali Smith Publication Year : 2011 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 100 Source : audiobook @storytel.tr Genre : retelling, Greek Mythology, Historical fiction, YA, Children Who better than Ali Smith to give Greek mythology a cheeky twist, turning it on its head by letting a crow do the talking and a dog sit quietly, presumably thinking about snacks? In this wild retelling, we, the readers, are mere spectators in a feathery soap opera where a mama crow narrates the story of Antigone to the dog (not us). It’s such an unconventional choice that you might forget you are navigating a tragedy—until you find yourself laughing at the crow's perspective on humans. They seem so dramatic and tragic, yet the crow can't help but wonder how delicious they would be if only they weren’t so busy wallowing in their own misery! After reading a few of Ali Smith’s books, I thought I had a grasp on her quirky style and themes. But just when I felt like I was in the...
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The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman (2017): A Review

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Title : The Deal of a Lifetime Author : Fredrik Backman Publication Year : 2017 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ Pages : 65 Source : audiobook @storytel.tr Genre : literary fiction, novella I’ll keep this short, just like the book itself. I listened to the audiobook while trying to stay awake amidst the turbulence of my exhaustion—and I might’ve dozed off about 13 times. When I finally came to, I realized I had accidentally finished it. Oops! From what I can piece together—like a jigsaw puzzle missing half its pieces—it was an emotional saga about a guy who was seriously considering sacrificing his existence to save a random kid. I mean, talk about overthinking things! It's all very touching, but honestly, it felt flatter than my plane seat after a long flight. So, that’s about it!
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