<![CDATA[The Rug Merchant]]>

false <![CDATA[The Rug Merchant]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174662210m/427248.jpg 427248 9 A sparkling debut novel about an unlikely romance between an Iranian immigrant and an American college student Isolated and far from his native Iran, Ushman Khan has worked hard to build a wealthy, reliable clientele for his wares: exquisite hand-woven rugs from his home city of Tabriz. With perfect rectitude, he caters to clients like New York's Upper East Side grand dame Mrs. Roberts, who plies him for stories about his exotic origins and culture to feed her own imagination. But like many immigrants, he's living only half a life. He dreams of the day his beloved wife, Farak, will be able to join him in New York and complete his vision of the American dream. But when she tells him that she is leaving him for another man, Ushman is shattered. He begins to wander aimlessly through the terminals of JFK Airport, imagining a now-impossible reunion with Farak. Unexpectedly, he meets Stella, a Barnard College student who has just bade farewell to her parents en route for an Italian vacation. After Stella, isolated in her own way, finds herself at Ushman's Manhattan store, they embark on an improbable and powerful romance. Together this American girl from the Deep South and the Iranian aesthete form a tender bond that awakens them both to the possibility of joy in a world full of tragedy. The Rug Merchant is an inspiring, character-rich tale about shaking free from disappointment and finding connection and acceptance in whatever form they appear. And in a novel of many extraordinary pleasures, Ushman Khan stands as one of the great characters in recent fiction. 416271 16 3 2006 The Rug Merchant total:271|5:24|4:99|3:107|2:33|1:8| 271 911 383 60 3 1 false true Wed Jun 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 06:56:31 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 04:41:24 -0700 2009 Sempet bingung mengapa hubungannya seperti berakhir begitu saja..tapi bisa dibayangkan bila filmnya sudah tayang nanti.]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 02:15:40 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 05:19:55 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Jun 02 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 04 06:40:26 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 27 08:52:00 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 29 20:28:12 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 30 19:31:38 -0700 2009 This is a book about an Iranian living in New York City. It is full of loneliness, humor, and hope. The main character is lost in his life in America. He does not feel he belongs to the culture, the people. He meets a young woman, who is also ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 05:22:39 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 13:27:16 -0700 2009
OK. I continued lis...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 06 08:55:46 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 06 09:10:18 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 09 18:52:30 -0800 2007 Mon Nov 26 16:28:45 -0800 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false true Wed Nov 21 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Aug 29 09:59:25 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 06 11:15:27 -0700 2008
It was a rather mundane but very real look at an unconventional romance. It details the characters and their delicate interactions.

Warning--spoiler:

The romance ultimately falls apart for no concret...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Oct 14 09:35:37 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 14 09:38:55 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Mar 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 16:50:58 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 16:53:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sun Sep 09 18:44:33 -0700 2007 Sun Sep 09 18:44:43 -0700 2007
The main character comes to American planning to work and eventually send for his beloved wife when he had created a good life for her. As ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 13:50:03 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 13:52:20 -0700 2009 The story is melodramatic...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 27 06:50:09 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 27 06:54:01 -0700 2009
There were moments of joy amidst this pain, and the way the author captured the protagonist's humility and raw em...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 22 02:38:07 -0700 2008 Wed May 07 10:10:06 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 22:41:45 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 22:44:10 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jul 16 17:45:09 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 16 17:45:09 -0700 2009
I did not really like the ending, plot-wise, but I understand why the author did it that way.

Also, I'm not sure if Mullins' cultural references are always spot on. She uses certain terms differently than Persians friends of mine have. ]]> 3 0 false true Wed Jul 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 16 00:25:35 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 22:22:04 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 08:16:03 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 08:18:16 -0700 2009 1 1 0 false false Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 20:23:49 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 11:19:04 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat Dec 13 15:23:50 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 15:25:39 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=427248