Reviews

The Ministry of Guidance by Golnoosh Nour

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carinaa_khl's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sbletham's review

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Overall I enjoyed the stories in this collection, and would recommend the book to others. In theme, all of the stories are in some way about living in (or being from) Iran and being LGBTQ+, and how those together shape the protagonists of each story. The stories are about internal life with its disappointments and limiations; the plots are small so that there is room to feel the full expanse of the characters' emotions. Nour expertly utilizes visual, sensuous language to place you in the feeling and experience of the characters. Most of the stories hit similar beats: an Iranian bisexual woman whose relationship to Islam is complicated has sexual escapades with women or feminine men; or, an Iranian bisexual woman living abroad in Europe reflects on her relationship to Iran and her aging family members. If those concepts sound interesting to you, definitely grab The Ministry of Guidance ASAP.

05hamiltonk's review against another edition

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5.0

This collection of short stories is definitely worth reading. I love how unapologetically queer the stories are and how raw, passionate and honest they feel too. It shows lots of different sides to Iran and all of the characters are fully formed and complex. I absolutely loved it!