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snailslowreader's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
While the novel was well plotted and the story had an ending that made sense for the narrative, I personally found it difficult to immerse myself in the story and in the characters. I have no problem with simplistic writing, but oftentimes Kamali's writing was too straightforward and left little room for the readers to form their own interpretations and observations. In particular, we learn little about the nuances of Roya and Bahman's personalities, and they can easily be summed up in one to two sentences. The story itself would work much better for something like a TV show with its jumping perspectives and dramatic events; I just didn't really like it as a novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death and Grief
jackyy93's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“For Roya Joon, my love. May you always be happy and may all your days be filled with beautiful words.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt
Minor: Police brutality and Abortion
zosiablue's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
I've inadvertently read a romance and I'm not mad about it. This was about those young loves you never recover from, in the backdrop of 1950s Iran's political unrest. It was aching and sweet and sad. I've been lucky to be in love several times, some I keep waiting to recover from, and maybe the not recovering is the point. It sure was in this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
katonthejellicoe's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
tier: liked it a lot
this book was filled with melancholy, nostalgia, and love that could never be forgotten. i didn't cry (tho i was certain i would) but it caused a pang of pain on my chest for so many reasons.
(thirteen hours after i've read this book...)
this was perfectly written — from the characters and their complex personalities and dynamics to the atmospheric setting to its seamless timeline. it was accessible yet poetic in its own way. the historical and romance aspects of it intertwined smoothly with one another which made it a well-balanced novel.
objectively, this is a five-star book. it was probably the best historical fiction i've read in a while. but as you all know, i NEED to cry in books (lols). hence, from personal experience, it wasn't a favorite but it was almost there. in numbers, this may very well be a 4.95 out of 5 stars.
this book was filled with melancholy, nostalgia, and love that could never be forgotten. i didn't cry (tho i was certain i would) but it caused a pang of pain on my chest for so many reasons.
(thirteen hours after i've read this book...)
this was perfectly written — from the characters and their complex personalities and dynamics to the atmospheric setting to its seamless timeline. it was accessible yet poetic in its own way. the historical and romance aspects of it intertwined smoothly with one another which made it a well-balanced novel.
objectively, this is a five-star book. it was probably the best historical fiction i've read in a while. but as you all know, i NEED to cry in books (lols). hence, from personal experience, it wasn't a favorite but it was almost there. in numbers, this may very well be a 4.95 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Police brutality, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Death, and Abortion
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I picked this up as part of a Patreon book club selection.
“The Stationary Shop” follows a woman named Roya throughout the majority of her life. As a teenager, she seeks refuge from her war torn country in Mr. Fakhri’s stationary shop. One afternoon, she meets Bahman and they instantly bond over their love for Rumi. When they are driven apart, they continue to communicate via letters they leave each other in books in the stationary shop. Unfortunately, on the day they are set to reunite disaster strikes, and they never hear from one another again. Now, decades later, Roya is living her life in America with her loving husband and now grown children. She is quietly content, until she learns that Bahman is not too far from her. Will she finally be able to get the answers from him that she needs?
This book will simultaneously break your heart and make you believe in love again. Roya and Bahman’s love is so pure and you want with all of your soul for them to be together. You are enraged at their circumstance and heartbroken to read about their country falling apart. I really loved seeing them profess their love, adoration, and hope for one another through letters. Writing is slowly becoming a last art and seeing a love story play out in this way was incredible.
The writing itself in this novel is beautiful. Marjan Kamali is an immensely talented author. Once I started this book, I devoured it within 24 hours because I needed to see Roya and Bahman have their redemption as well as I was continually in awe of the prose.
I also really enjoyed reading about the politics of Tehran in such an approachable way. There is so much turmoil that occurred in this country and it was interesting as a reader to see the revolution that was brewing in 1953, but not have it take away for the story. The discussions about the corrupt leadership and violence told through an innocent citizen’s life were humbling.
Marjan Kamali has quickly become a new favorite author and I look forward to reading more of their books in the future.
“The Stationary Shop” follows a woman named Roya throughout the majority of her life. As a teenager, she seeks refuge from her war torn country in Mr. Fakhri’s stationary shop. One afternoon, she meets Bahman and they instantly bond over their love for Rumi. When they are driven apart, they continue to communicate via letters they leave each other in books in the stationary shop. Unfortunately, on the day they are set to reunite disaster strikes, and they never hear from one another again. Now, decades later, Roya is living her life in America with her loving husband and now grown children. She is quietly content, until she learns that Bahman is not too far from her. Will she finally be able to get the answers from him that she needs?
This book will simultaneously break your heart and make you believe in love again. Roya and Bahman’s love is so pure and you want with all of your soul for them to be together. You are enraged at their circumstance and heartbroken to read about their country falling apart. I really loved seeing them profess their love, adoration, and hope for one another through letters. Writing is slowly becoming a last art and seeing a love story play out in this way was incredible.
The writing itself in this novel is beautiful. Marjan Kamali is an immensely talented author. Once I started this book, I devoured it within 24 hours because I needed to see Roya and Bahman have their redemption as well as I was continually in awe of the prose.
I also really enjoyed reading about the politics of Tehran in such an approachable way. There is so much turmoil that occurred in this country and it was interesting as a reader to see the revolution that was brewing in 1953, but not have it take away for the story. The discussions about the corrupt leadership and violence told through an innocent citizen’s life were humbling.
Marjan Kamali has quickly become a new favorite author and I look forward to reading more of their books in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and War
schausjk's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Blood, and Pregnancy
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this absolutely wrecked me. i cried in public reading this.
it was so enlightening on the tribulations many Iranian people faced during that time. i felt my heart break when the characters faced grief and loss.
i would recommend this 1000%, please just check trigger warnings!!!
it was so enlightening on the tribulations many Iranian people faced during that time. i felt my heart break when the characters faced grief and loss.
i would recommend this 1000%, please just check trigger warnings!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Classism
Moderate: Infertility, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit, Police brutality, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
agiali's review
5.0
*:･ﾟ190/ 108
I want to sue Marjan Kamali solely for the cause of my emotional distress.
I did not expect to love this as much as I do. I originally heard of this book years ago but figured it wouldn't be for me as it has a very historical setting. I am so upset at my 16-year-old self for not reading this sooner as I am so incredibly unwell but also so thankful that I got to read this work of art. Not only did this book tick me off but it made me fall in love, want to fight people, and then, as we know, I ✨ cried ✨ <i>The Stationery Shop</i> also shocked me many times with the twists I did not see coming.
This is such a beautiful book, but please check the content warnings because it is FULL of them. This reminded me mildly of the book <i>Alone With You in the Ether</i> by Olivie Blake, but only because it really asked a lot of questions that would ultimately hurt my heart to answer.
I love Bahman and I will not shut up about him and Roya :')
I want to sue Marjan Kamali solely for the cause of my emotional distress.
I did not expect to love this as much as I do. I originally heard of this book years ago but figured it wouldn't be for me as it has a very historical setting. I am so upset at my 16-year-old self for not reading this sooner as I am so incredibly unwell but also so thankful that I got to read this work of art. Not only did this book tick me off but it made me fall in love, want to fight people, and then, as we know, I ✨ cried ✨ <i>The Stationery Shop</i> also shocked me many times with the twists I did not see coming.
This is such a beautiful book, but please check the content warnings because it is FULL of them. This reminded me mildly of the book <i>Alone With You in the Ether</i> by Olivie Blake, but only because it really asked a lot of questions that would ultimately hurt my heart to answer.
I love Bahman and I will not shut up about him and Roya :')
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
bandysbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A couple months back, I found The Stationery Shop on the shelves of my local used bookstore. The cover was so stunningly beautiful that I picked it up without really knowing what it was about. Lucky for me, it is mostly a historical fiction set in Iran with some romance mixed in. The book follows Roya and Bahman as they witness political protests, attempted coups, and eventually fall in love with each other.
First of all, I really loved the way the author brought Iran to life. The setting is almost a character of its own as it is so present and involved in the plotline. I could fully imagine the stationery shop, the markets, and everything in between. It reminded me a lot of some of my own travels in the Middle East and I absolutely loved that sense of nostalgia from the reading.
Additionally, I loved Roya as a main character. She is clever, opinionated, and knows what she wants. She is a good daughter to her family and a loyal partner to Bahman when they fall in love. I felt a rapport with her immediately and continued to feel it throughout.
I also enjoyed the way the story was split between past and present. Sometimes when there is a split timeline in stories, one timeline is stronger than the other. That is not the case here. I loved both timelines and love the way the two timelines eventually come together.
My only real critique of the book is that the main source of conflict could've been so easily resolved. I won't give details here as I don't want to spoil the book, but suffice it to say, that you can't think about the conflict too deeply or it creates a bit of a hole in the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it without reservation to anyone who likes historical fiction and romance.
First of all, I really loved the way the author brought Iran to life. The setting is almost a character of its own as it is so present and involved in the plotline. I could fully imagine the stationery shop, the markets, and everything in between. It reminded me a lot of some of my own travels in the Middle East and I absolutely loved that sense of nostalgia from the reading.
Additionally, I loved Roya as a main character. She is clever, opinionated, and knows what she wants. She is a good daughter to her family and a loyal partner to Bahman when they fall in love. I felt a rapport with her immediately and continued to feel it throughout.
I also enjoyed the way the story was split between past and present. Sometimes when there is a split timeline in stories, one timeline is stronger than the other. That is not the case here. I loved both timelines and love the way the two timelines eventually come together.
My only real critique of the book is that the main source of conflict could've been so easily resolved. I won't give details here as I don't want to spoil the book, but suffice it to say, that you can't think about the conflict too deeply or it creates a bit of a hole in the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it without reservation to anyone who likes historical fiction and romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism