Reviews

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

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chromeorange's review against another edition

3.0

This was a very average memoir, in my mind. It had interesting bits that I'll remember, and it had some minor issues that detracted from it.

PROs
Just compelling enough to keep me reading without protest

Teaches a lot about Persian culture.

Gives a good perspective of what is probably a very "typical" story of being a refugee.

Some poor writing (lots of "teeth sucking") but outweighing this were some very well-written, poetic, and insightful sections.

CONs
The dialogue was overly casual and "stream-of-consciousness" to the point of coming across as amateurish ("...so, do you know what XYZ is? Have I told you about it already?? Maybe, I can't remember. I'll tell you about now it anyway, hoping that I won't bore you too much.")

The mother's decision to

Spoiler

unnecessarily flaunt her Christianity

put not only her life, but the lives of her husband, children, and the Christians around her at risk. It was a thoughtless thing to do and, even though she's supposed to be the hero of the book, I never again found myself respecting her.

The book jumps around a bit too much, which was sometimes confusing to the reader on what was happening when. Also, the first third of the book was simply introducing characters via a series of anecdotes. The story doesn't start until this is done.

The story is not quite good enough. As stated in the "PROs" section, it seems very typical to me, which some might consider worthwhile on its own, but I personally wanted it to be more hard-hitting and...just more compelling; especially after reading "Educated" very recently.

OVERALL
In the end, it's another "solid" but pretty average book. I expect a lot out of reading someone's memoirs, and this didn't quite cut it.

tarocannotread's review against another edition

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5.0

What a lovely book. The author has such a beautiful way with words. I had already read half of his sister's book last year, that I never ended up finishing, so I already had half the story, when I went into this one. I was surprised by how much I recognised from Dina's memory, and I'm finally motivated enough to finish her side of the story, too. Thank you also for including Kurds in the way that you did. Most people like to forget us, but you and your sister make sure to name us again. Thank you. 5 out of 5 stars.

nenafp's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

brob1856's review against another edition

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4.0

A very entertaining way to pen a memoir - especially one like this that is full of such horrible persecution and challenges. Turns out this was the only way the author could reflect and remember, which contains just the perfect amount of fiction.

haltena's review

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

chelford's review against another edition

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I read this on the recommendation of a friend. It was so beautifully, almost indulgently written without ever crossing the line into purple prose. It probably should be a five start read, but I got stuck and found it hard to keep reading once I found out the reason for the fatwa. Those with

Spoiler

religious trauma

should carefully conside before reading