16/07/2024
Look at what the Miles Franklin Literary Award judges have to say about Hossein Asgari's 'Only Sound Remains', one of six shortlisted works for the 2024 !
'This is a powerful story of a complex relationship between a son, Saeed, and his father, Ismael, that reflects on life in Iran from the vantage point of Adelaide. At one level, this is a tale where a father recounts to his son details of his own life in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary Iran, his hopes for Iran’s future and the richness of Iran’s history. Ismael’s story is framed by his obsessive love for Forugh Farrohzad, the famed Iranian poet. Although Saeed is a conflicted listener, it is imperative that he hears his father’s story. At another level, then, this novel is also about sound, about listening after years of silence and, perhaps, wilful silencing about a past and a culture that has undergone dramatic upheaval, shaping the lives of ordinary Iranians like Ismael. This is what Saeed must come to terms with, and what readers are privy to via Hossein Asgari’s skilful narration. As a diaspora author, Asgari integrates Iranian literary forms, namely Farrohzad’s poetry and the story of Shahnameh, in the English language to reveal to his readers a unique dimension of the modern Australian story.'
Add it to your bookshelf now! https://puncherandwattmann.com/product/only-sound-remains/
