The Book of Fate
Parinoush Saniee
Abacus
Originally banned in Iran, and now translated into seven different languages, Parinoush Saniee’s bestselling The Book of Fate follows protagonist Massoumeh as she struggles to keep afloat through five decades of political and social turmoil in Tehran. A girl with academic ambitions in a family reigned by ruthless and small-minded brothers, Massoumeh is subjected first to their cruelty and then to the indifference and neglect of a loveless arranged marriage. Despite beatings, humiliations, and a never-ending string of calamities, Massoumeh is relentlessly brave, recovering with a vengeance from a severe bout of pre-wedding depression to ‘find a way to take revenge on life and make [her] existence tolerable’. Along the way, Saniee presents us with an impressive array of characters whose comings and goings make up much of the book, with little time spared for detail or description. Along with the ever-present threat of danger, this rushed pace contributes to making The Book of Fate a page-turner.
For some, the novel simply represents a condemnation of Middle Eastern cultures’ perceived treatment of women. Yet although many of Massoumeh’s experiences may be alien to western women, her devotion – bordering on martyrdom – to family seems more familiar. Massoumeh is intelligent and outspoken, yes; but it is precisely Saniee’s deft juxtaposition of the character’s brashness and dutifulness that makes her such a compelling persona. Were Massoumeh to have followed her ideals at the expense of her children, as her Marxist husband does, she would be utterly unsympathetic. In fact, her political values are hardly relevant, as she generally only espouses these ideals in so far as she desires her husband’s safety, and thus her children’s well-being. Massoumeh is well aware of this injustice: ‘it is as if I never existed’, she laments in a rare moment of self-pity. Although deeply rooted in recent Iranian history, this story of one unassuming housewife throws an uncomfortable light on patriarchy everywhere.
Words: Mònica Tomàs
Image: The Whimsy Bookworm
