A review by snailslowreader
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

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.
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