Review (PDF) Then They Came For Me: A Family's Story Of Love, Captivity, And Survival
THE BASIS FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE ROSEWATER, DIRECTED BY JON STEWARTWhen Maziar Bahari left London in June 2009 to cover Iran’s presidential election, he assured his pregnant fiancée, Paola, that he’d be back in just a few days, a week at most. Little did he know, as he kissed her good-bye, that he would spend the next three months in Iran’s most notorious prison, enduring brutal interrogation sessions at the hands of a man he knew only by his smell: Rosewater. For the Bahari family, wars, coups, and revolutions are not distant concepts but intimate realities they have suffered for generations: Maziar’s father was imprisoned by the shah in the 1950s, and his sister by Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1980s. Alone in his cell at Evin Prison, fearing the worst, Maziar draws strength from his memories of the courage of his father and sister in the face of torture, and hears their voices speaking to him across the years. He dreams of being with Paola in London, and imagines all that she and his rambunctious, resilient eighty-four-year-old mother must be doing to campaign for his release. During the worst of his encounters with Rosewater, he silently repeats the names of his loved ones, calling on their strength and love to protect him and praying he will be released in time for the birth of his first child. A riveting, heart-wrenching memoir, Then They Came for Me offers insight into the past seventy years of regime change in Iran, as well as the future of a country where the democratic impulses of the youth continually clash with a government that becomes more totalitarian with each passing day. An intimate and fascinating account of contemporary Iran, it is also the moving and wonderfully written story of one family’s extraordinary courage in the face of repression. Praise for Then They Came for Me “I really connected to Maziar’s story. It’s a personal story but one with universal appeal about what it means to be free.”—Jon Stewart “An important and elegant book . . . a prison memoir enlarged into a family history.”—The New Republic “Clear and compelling . . . engaging and informative—a gripping tribute to human dedication and a cogent indictment of a corrupt regime.”—Washington Independent Review of Books “Then They Came for Me is not only a fascinating, human exploration into Bahari’s personal experience . . . it also provides insight into the shared experience of those affected by repressive governments everywhere.”—Mother Jones“A damning account . . . Then They Came For Me turns a lens not only on Iran’s surreal justice system but on the history and culture that helped produce it.”—The Washington Post “Then They Came for Me is a unique achievement. It is a story not just of political cruelty (a subject Bahari treats movingly), but also about the two poles of Iranian political culture, bent together in upheaval.”—The Guardian (UK) “A beautifully written account of life in Iran, filled with insights not only into the power struggles and political machinations but into the personal, emotional lives of the people living in that complicated country. Maziar Bahari is a brave man and a wonderful storyteller.”—Fareed Zakaria
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Random House; First edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400069467
ISBN-13: 978-1400069460
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (184 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #389,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #46 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Canadian #154 in Books > History > Middle East > Iran #176 in Books > History > Middle East > Turkey
Oddly enough I learned about this book while watching the author (a very likeable fellow) be interviewed on what I believe was THE DAILY SHOW. His sense of humor, obviously a protective device effectively used to keep his sanity despite the tragic losses of several important family members, was quite impressive. As the book jacket indicates this "A riveting, heart-wrenching memoir..." offering "insight into the past seventy years of regime change in Iran, as well as the future of a country where the democratic impulses of the youth continually clash with a government that becomes more totalitarian with each passing day. An intimate and fascinating account of contemporary Iran, it is also the moving and wonderfully written story of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of repression."What has struck me most about the book was the author's deep devotion and dedication to getting the story out of what was happening in his native country. Much of the book describes the brutal treatment he receives from a ruthless interrogator he nicknames Rosewater after he is arrested for filming a peaceful demonstration protesting the rigging of an election where the incumbant had clearly NOT been reelected. The author is accused of working for American intelligence because of his coverage for NEWSWEEK magazine. Both the author's father and sister had at one time been arrested and imprisoned for their own political involvements. It is his British wife however and his brother-in-law who become instrumental in helping him get out of prison. During the time he is imprisoned, however, the author draws strength from remembering his father's and his sister's words.The author concludes the book with an Epilogue, Acknowledgements, a Who's Who and a Time Line.
I can't believe this book has only 10 reviews.The summary of this book is pretty straight-forward: It is an account of journalist and filmmaker Maziar Bahari's life, along with the lead-up to and his detention by Iranian authorities in the wake of the 2009 presidential elections.The real gift of this book is Mr. Bahari's writing. Maziar is a great writer, and this book is extremely accessible and easy to get through. The details are poignant, the story is compelling, and there is enough elaboration, background, and personalization in the right places. The presentation of his experiences; his family's history; Iranian politics; it is all weaved together seamlessly to make for a really engaging text. Moreover, you are absolutely drawn into Maziar's experience, you feel as if you were with him, yet in a perfectly balanced way which neither gives nor takes too much. Simply, this book was a pleasure to read for its writing--its lucidity, wit, and of course the experiences it communicates. It's very clearly written by a talented journalist and was wonderful to read after a spat of poorly written books. Truly, it was a pleasure to read your writing, Maziar.Maziar's family is also intimately weaved into the story. The son of Communist activists--who also experienced prison--different eras of Iranian politics are touched upon. Maziar's touch in portraying his family is done with the care and skill of a formidable writer. His family is a part of him, and he relies on their memory during his time in prison. Their experiences seamlessly mesh with the entirety of the account...His endearing 83-year-old mother, Moloojoon, weary after decades of repression, her unique humor and resilience forged by having been beat down by the world.
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