Paper

by Bahíyyih Nakhjavání

Bahiyyih Nakhjavani

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Bahiyyih Nakhjavání is a Persian writer educated in the United Kingdom and the United States. After teaching literature at universities in North America and Europe, she came to live in France where she has been conducting workshops in creative writing/reading for the past decade. Bahiyyih Nakhjavání's books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been translated into many languages. In 2007, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Liège.

Reviews

[Zanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Faithful to its purpose...

Nakhjavani has subtitled her book 'The Dreams of a Scribe' and the work's structure and logic is profoundly dreamlike, sliding back and forth through recollection and prophecy as though the witness' testimony of events is written on loose leaves read in disarray. This device is appropriate, if not always perfectly applied, and the effect, though sometimes confusing, seems faithful to her purpose.

The unnamed Scribe's dreams, formed from classical Persian literary motifs, form a cycle which frame the undramatic events of a short, spiritually significant period of his life. The author uses the same classical symbolism liberally to season descriptions throughout the book, mixing them with modern sensibilities to subtle and alluring effect. Her narrative touch is light as a feather; much of the intriguing context passes through the book unexamined, questions are raised rather than answered, the human spirit and the universe retain their mystery, only seeming more profound and obscure as Nakhjavani delves into them.

At the end of the book, a selective chronology of paper making and use reveals the liberties her fiction has taken with events of recorded history, incorporating them, in the manner of a well-read scribe, into her own dream-like poem.

The hazy mood and narrative simplicity of this book might invite accusations of a lack of focus, and I sometimes felt my attention drifting when the strands became difficult to follow, but ultimately I feel that the effect is caused by a strict discipline; a careful synchronisation of structure and content, rendered with a very refined aesthetic sensibility.

"A scribe defines his faith on the empty page"

[Lynne King · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book about a scribe living on the frontiers of Central Asia who is searching for the perfect paper. He feels this is essential to write his masterpiece.

However, knowing that the ancient practice of paper-making is in decline, he sets off on a quest to find this elusive paper.

Centred around five dreams about different kinds of paper: straw, rag, wood-pulp, silk and spirit, it's really quite an introduction into how these are all made.

Nevertheless, I don't know why, but I cannot take to this book. Thinking about it, one cannot fault the book in any way.

There is, however, a wonderful Paper Chronology at the back of the book relating to the history of paper from AD 105 through to 2002 where one of the paragraphs state that:

"The first edition of Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', printed by William Caxton in 1470, is digitalized and made available to the British Library on the Internet."

Now how about that.

And yet I did so love "The Saddlebag" by this author. I'll try "Paper" again in the future. Perhaps I'm in the wrong state of mind at the moment?

[Fionnuala]

Beautifully poetic book by the author of The Saddlebag and The Woman Who Read Too Much.

[Mae Walters · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like historical fiction and I even like books that don’t follow conventional plots, like Virginia Woolf’s novels. Unfortunately this book did not develop its premise enough to make it worth the time of reading the novel.

If a novel doesn’t follow a genre plot, I expect it to do something else. I also expect a feeling of momentum and change as I read, or an insight that results from the experience. A chapter about a rotting log might convey to me the passage of time or the teeming chaos of microbial life, for instance.

It was unclear to me what the book was building up to. We glimpse the interior lives of 8 characters or so, but they feel more like symbols than people. The prose is so elaborately written that it interferes with comprehension. The author spends so much time in the characters heads that the relationships between them feels like a handful of interactions. Their character is expressed through dreams, thoughts and metaphor. Physical descriptions tend to the grotesque. The first few chapters were the strongest, but the book needed more structure and to just come out and say things more.

The Prisoner we hear rumors about in this book is Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith. He was imprisoned for progressive teachings like the equality of women and men. The novel doesn’t say who the prisoner is, but Im a Baha’i (so is the author) so the reference was obvious to me. The author’s point is to show these petty minded characters going about their pointless lives in a corrupt society, oblivious to Baha’u’llah’s presence and the revolutionary potential of his teachings.

I was turned off by fat shaming descriptions of the Warden’s Daughter.

[Pinar Celebi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daha fazlası için: Pinuccia'nın Kitapları

Kitap çok akıcı bir dille yazılmamış ama yine de yormadan okunabiliyor. Karakterlere isim vermemek yerine Katip, Başgardiyan, Molla, Katip, Elçi, Başgardiyanın Kızı gibi isimler kullanılmış. Her bir karakter belirli bir insani niteliği simgeliyor. Kitabı her okuyan bunlara kendine göre farklı bir içerik yükleyebilir. Sanırım yazar okurun simgelere içerik yüklemelerini sağlayıp bunlara bağlı olarak her okuyucuda farklı çağrışım yaratmaya çalışmış. İşte bu durum da beni çok yordu. Belki de yoğun iş temposunda okuduğum bir kitap olduğu için kafa yormaya üşendim ve o arada da kitabı beğenmedim.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't remember the last time I read a book and had absolutely no clue what the whole point was.... I don't even know how many characters there were in this book, despite the fact that it must have been less than ten. What?!?!

[Effie]

Awesome

[Fozia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite novels.

[Sugar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. A little weird and hard to get into.

[Rnºld · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me more than a year to read this :))

Like the section on the history of paper, even more so than some parts of the actual book.

[Chris R · Rating 3 out of 5]

somewhat surreal. very poetic and evocative. the style reminded me of Kafka. I enjoyed dipping into it and savouring the words rather than the plot.