I just love my book club. The fact that
each time the host/ess chooses a book, which we all then read and discuss,
gives me the opportunity to get a taste of new genres, authors and countries
that I may otherwise not have experienced.
So when our Iranian hostess informed us of the
Book of Rustem, and I got to see the beautiful illustrations, I knew I was in
for a treat: a sort of fairy-tale, set in beautiful Persia.
The book reads very comfortably - it helps that
I've read the Bible, because the style is comparable. Continuous
repetitions and use of the superlative set the scene and provide the background
for the reading experience.
The main character is Rustem and his adventures -
but before that, we get a glimpse of his predecessors, who are implicated in a
repetitive pattern of family feuds, heroic fights, plenty of courage shown, as
is the quest to avenge for any wrong-doing...
