This new Readers Circle edition includes a reading group guide and a conversation between Firoozeh Dumas and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite...
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reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Andrea
rated it: 
Currently, I am on a Middle East kick, so to speak. I read Kite Runner last year and finished A Thousand Splendid Suns last week. I began a mission to find books about the Middle East and found an interview with Khaled Hosseini where he recommended this book; thus, off to the library I went and took it out along with Lipstick Jihad.
Overall, it is a light read. Each chapter is a separate story. The author takes the reader through her childhood up until she is a married woman with More...
Overall, it is a light read. Each chapter is a separate story. The author takes the reader through her childhood up until she is a married woman with More...
Oct 02, 2007
Samaneh
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I read farsi translated of this book (عطر سنبل/عطر کاج). It was percet. It really deserved the funniest book prize in US. I will buy the english version and read it again. Most of the time reading I were in stitches. I could not control my laughing even in my doctor's waiting room and sometimes my laughing ended to cry! I really recommend to read this book. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
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Jul 12, 2008
Christine
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Here's the run down: Firoozeh Dumas is an Iranian who immigrated to the US in the early 1970's. Dumas' collection of biographical essays examine her life in the US, specifically California, from the time she arrives until she marries, starts a family of her own, and writes the book.
Here's what I liked about the book: How her reflections humanized Iranians, Her amusing reflections, especially about her father, Kazem, Her observations about how Californian geography determined how More...
Here's what I liked about the book: How her reflections humanized Iranians, Her amusing reflections, especially about her father, Kazem, Her observations about how Californian geography determined how More...
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Feb 29, 2008
Shaghayegh
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Memoir of Miss Jazayeri Dumas is a delightful journey to the heart of Iranian family living in America, a mixture of traditional culture and daily modern life, a recipe for hilarious situations which you can't find any where but between clashes of these two very different cultures.
I enjoyed reading it immensely and even laugh out loud at her imagination to describe situations like babysitting the French kid!
All along reading it I was smiling and nodding vigorously every time I read More...
I enjoyed reading it immensely and even laugh out loud at her imagination to describe situations like babysitting the French kid!
All along reading it I was smiling and nodding vigorously every time I read More...
Mar 01, 2009
Kerry
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What a fun read! Delightful! The style reminded me a bit of Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Alright so Firoozeh Dumas is Iranian and a woman, but the humorous vignettes and inclusion of family were certainly reminiscent of that style. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book and I happened to learn some interesting information about Iran and immigrants and Iranian culture along the way. Voila!
Jun 19, 2008
Janette
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A delightful memoir written by an Iranian woman who came to America as a young girl. It reminds me of “A Girl Named Zippy” in that, it is more like a collection of humorous essays than a chronological history of her life. It was interesting, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. I loved seeing the ‘deliciously absurd’ aspects of the American and Iranian cultures through her witty, immigrant eyes.
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Jan 29, 2009
Gayle
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I am not one much for middle grounds. Either I am among the first to read the new new book, or among the last, long after the buzz has moved on to a far distant land. And so it is that Funny in Farsi, published in 2003, has come to the top of my reading list. Firoozeh Dumas (she is married to a Frenchman) describes how her family came from the warm extended family network in Iran to the delights of California. Her affectionate ribbing of her family's maladjustment to American culture brings to m
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Sep 19, 2011
Jill
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I put this on my to-read list years ago and finally got around to picking it up...only to realize there is a sequel, so I got that, too. Firoozeh tells amusing stories, but not quite as funny nor as touching as I had anticipated based on some reviews. Much lighter than I expected, nothing gets too deep, whether it's cultures or family...we just skim the surface. Probably because she moved here so young, this seems more the tale of a child of immigrants than an immigrant herself. We don't lea
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Sep 05, 2011
Michelle
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Dumas is a terrific storyteller and a very funny woman. She spent early childhood in pre-revolution Iran before her family came to California for two years. Her family returned to Iran then immigrated permanently to the US around the time of the revolution. Her observations of what it meant to be an Iranian growing up in America and how attitudes changed toward her family after the hostage crisis in Iran were enlightening. Even the heaviest topics with significant lessons are shared with a l
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Jan 02, 2011
Kirei
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This book by an Iranian-American woman is mainly about her nutty family and their life adjusting to America. It is a cute and easy read.
Before I read this, I had two major impressions left on me about Iran. The first is that once long ago, I had to meet with an Iranian woman--all I knew from her description was that she was Iranian. I expected her to arrive in a some sort of head covering and long sleeves. Instead, she wore a short skirt and a sleeveless blouse. I asked her ab More...
Before I read this, I had two major impressions left on me about Iran. The first is that once long ago, I had to meet with an Iranian woman--all I knew from her description was that she was Iranian. I expected her to arrive in a some sort of head covering and long sleeves. Instead, she wore a short skirt and a sleeveless blouse. I asked her ab More...
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Jan 21, 2010
Tony
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In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since.
Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas More...
Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas More...
May 28, 2009
Mohammad
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"عطر سنبل، عطر کاج" نوشته فیروزه جزایری دوما، نویسنده ایرانی مقیم آمریکاست. کتاب در اصل به زبان انگلیسی و تحت عنوان سال 2003 در آمریکا منتشر شده. اواخر سال 1384 این کتاب توسط نشر قصه به مترجمی محمد سلیمانی نیا به فارسی ترجمه شد و تا امروز 16 بار تجدید چاپ شده. عطر سنبل، عطر کاج با استقبال خوب مردم و منتقدان روبرو شده و کاندید نهایی چندین جایزه معتبر شده است. خانم دوما کتاب دیگری به نام "Laughing Without Accent" هم نوشته اند که نمی دونم به فارسی ترجمه شده یا نه.
کتا More...
کتا More...
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Jun 21, 2011
Susie
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I laughed a bit during the first few stories, then after that felt like I was reading some "clash of the cultures" stuff that seemed really obvious/predictable to me. This book is probably best suited for people who know nothing about Iran except what they hear on the news... Except, I fear being cornered by those well-meaning but ignorant white people at parties, saying "Have you read Funny in Farsi? Did ___________ happen to you, too? Does your mom/dad do <<insert embarras
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Jan 10, 2011
Dorothy
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When I mentioned to my daughter the librarian that I needed something light to read after some of my recent reading, she recommended Firoozeh Dumas' Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America. Ms. Dumas had attended a Houston Library event within the past year and my daughter just happened to have an autographed copy of the book that she would lend me. She guaranteed that it would make me laugh.
It did make me smile, chuckle, and once or twice even laugh out loud. It More...
It did make me smile, chuckle, and once or twice even laugh out loud. It More...
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Mar 07, 2009
Jack
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 15, 2008
Parvane
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کتاب جالبی بود. مترجم( آقای سلیمانی نیا) نثر کتاب رو ساده و روان ترجمه کرده بودند و این یکی از نقاط مثبت کتاب از نظر من بود که باعث تشویق شما در خوندن کتاب میشد. ارتباط برقرار کردن باهاش خیلی راحت بود طوری که این کتاب رو توی لیست کتابایی بذاری که به همه توصیه کنی :)
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Nov 25, 2007
Pantea
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I was really excited to read this book but was pretty disappointed by it. It wasn't much of a memoir... really just a bunch of stories thrown together with no real theme or attention to chronological order. It was a bit all over the place and the author kept changing topics even within chapters. Having said that I definitely could appreciate some of her experiences - I especially liked the chapters about adoption of American holidays and marrying a non-Iranian!!!
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Jan 31, 2010
Peacegal
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I was pleasantly surprised by this quick and clever book group selection. Dumas relates many chuckle-worthy moments from her experience growing up as an Iranian-American; many of which are good-natured ribs at her parents’ attempts to fit in (often unsuccessfully).
When the author’s family first stepped foot in America, their homeland was only known for its beautiful rugs and cats (assets for which they were praised repeatedly by well-intentioned Americans). Unfortunately, the family More...
When the author’s family first stepped foot in America, their homeland was only known for its beautiful rugs and cats (assets for which they were praised repeatedly by well-intentioned Americans). Unfortunately, the family More...
Aug 13, 2009
okyrhoe
rated it:
Funny in Farsi is a pleasant read, but I have to admit I didn't find it that funny overall, compared to other narratives with a similar theme (eg. the collections by David Sedaris).
I think this genre has been promoted a lot in the US and it is difficult for a writer to come up with something fresh and unique. I could easily substitute 'Greece' (my nationality) or 'Lebanon' (where I grew up) for Iran and many of the remarks regarding weddings, food customs, moral codes, family relations, e More...
I think this genre has been promoted a lot in the US and it is difficult for a writer to come up with something fresh and unique. I could easily substitute 'Greece' (my nationality) or 'Lebanon' (where I grew up) for Iran and many of the remarks regarding weddings, food customs, moral codes, family relations, e More...
Mar 29, 2009
Mimi
rated it:
3.5
I really enjoyed the first parts of the book. Then the stories evolved more about her relatives and her parents because she became too assimilated (in my opinion). The older generation still struggled with the move to the US but she was "Julie" with no accent.
I love that in Persian there are many names for relatives like "snow" for Eskimos, because relatives are your immediate family.
The story about Einstein commenting on the beautiful More...
I really enjoyed the first parts of the book. Then the stories evolved more about her relatives and her parents because she became too assimilated (in my opinion). The older generation still struggled with the move to the US but she was "Julie" with no accent.
I love that in Persian there are many names for relatives like "snow" for Eskimos, because relatives are your immediate family.
The story about Einstein commenting on the beautiful More...
Jan 06, 2009
Funny in Farsi: a Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America,
Firoozeh Dumas.
Narrated by the author, Firoozeh Dumas. Produced by audible. Downloaded from audible.com.
Publisher’s note:
In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country
beyond her father's glowing memories of his graduate school years here. In a series of deftly drawn scenes Funny in Farsi chro More...
Firoozeh Dumas.
Narrated by the author, Firoozeh Dumas. Produced by audible. Downloaded from audible.com.
Publisher’s note:
In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country
beyond her father's glowing memories of his graduate school years here. In a series of deftly drawn scenes Funny in Farsi chro More...
Dec 04, 2007
مريم
rated it:
کتاب جالبی بود. از نظر تفاوتهای فرهنگی ایرانیان و خارجیها خیلی حرف برای زدن داشت. حرفهایی که بیشتر جنبهی طنز پیدا میکرد!!! من رو به فکر انداخته که بشینم و راجع به خانوادهی خودم که حوادثی کمابیش این چنینی براش پیش اومده بنویسم!!!
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Feb 15, 2011
Carol
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Read this a couple of years ago when it was being promoted by the library here and "everyone" here seemed to be reading it. It is a lighthearted read about a family who moved from Iran to America and tried to adapt to the new culture while keeping their own culture also. As light hearted as it was, it was also poignant as regardless of what culture you come from, it is important to embrace the new while holding on to the old. The only other time I have recognised this was from watching
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Feb 22, 2010
Anne
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Firoozeh Dumas came to the U.S. from Iran in 1972 at age 7 at a time when Iranians were exotic, but not reviled as they were after the hostage crisis of 1979. This timing allowed her to experience a warm American welcome, which was not the case for Iranian-Americans during the Iranian Revolution. So this memoir takes a very positive look at the U.S. with brief chapters about her extensive and close-knit family and often focusing on her father, an eccentric somewhat in the mold of the father in '
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Jun 03, 2010
Julie is just a typical American girl. She loves hanging out with friends, going to Disney World, and learning at school. Like all teenagers, she has family problems, but she also has a burden unknown to most adolescents: Iranian parents. Julie’s real name is Firoozeh. She moved to California with her family at the tender age of 7, when her father, oil enthusiast, decided to try his luck in the land of opportunity. Firoozeh’s first challenge consisted, not of mastering her ABC’s, but of ensu
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Jun 03, 2010
Michelle
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I always enjoy seeing American life from the perspective of another culture, and this book has some fun with that. However, I felt like her tone toward the US was condescending, and that always bugs me. It's not that I expect everyone who comes to America to love it, but I suppose if I wrote a book about my experience in France and focused on the odd or negative, a French person reading it might not appreciate my appraisal. The other problem I had was the patronizing tone she takes toward her
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Nov 30, 2009
Jennifer
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This was a quick but thoroughly enjoyable read, following vignettes from the life of an Iranian woman who grew up in Iran and America. I like very much how Dumas uses clean humor in a subversive way even, to show how something foreign can be funny, and therefore be understood. I was reluctant at first to read it upon hearing that it dealt with Iran and America and just thinking about the anti-Middle East prejudice that has been floating around for years and the horrible revolutions and wars th
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Aug 05, 2010
Amin
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a funny memoir, despite its utter honesty I assume the manner of white lies is used. this 'Anne of the fables' is caught in the hands of an Iranian family who insist on their cheap peasant like behavior even after such long time of living in US. in fact it's not only the contrast between American and Iranian life, but also the contrast between any free or/and modern thinker with ordinary Iranian mind and tradition.
I recommend it to Iranians, but I see no effect in reading it, as she knows More...
I recommend it to Iranians, but I see no effect in reading it, as she knows More...
Jun 26, 2010
Dree
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Yes, it's funny. But I felt as though I was prying. She says her parents weren't insulted or hurt...maybe.
That said, the chapter on lunch of Costco freebies made me snicker. My parents do the exact same thing. They are proud of it. They think we are crazy for not doing the same thing. They think they are tricking "the man." (Does my dad not realize many consider him to be "the man"?) They eat samples they don't like. Repeatedly. They love it when the sample servers More...
That said, the chapter on lunch of Costco freebies made me snicker. My parents do the exact same thing. They are proud of it. They think we are crazy for not doing the same thing. They think they are tricking "the man." (Does my dad not realize many consider him to be "the man"?) They eat samples they don't like. Repeatedly. They love it when the sample servers More...
Feb 07, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
The whole time I read this book I kept thinking about the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." So if you liked that movie you will like this book and maybe if you didn't like the movie you will still like the book.
Anyway, this was an okay book. It was nice to laugh during a book instead of cry. Also, it was interesting to see someone else's life through their eyes.
This book also reminded me of another book called "House on Mango Street." What these tw More...
Anyway, this was an okay book. It was nice to laugh during a book instead of cry. Also, it was interesting to see someone else's life through their eyes.
This book also reminded me of another book called "House on Mango Street." What these tw More...
