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The Soul of Iran: A Nation's Struggle for Freedom
The truths about Iran; quite different truths from versions put forward by Washington, Tehran, and the media. Iran thundered onto the world stage in 1979 with an Islamic revolution that shook the world. Today that revolution has gone astray, a popular democracy movement boldly challenges authority, and young Iranians are more interested in moving to America than in chanting "Death to America." Afshin Molavi, born in Iran and fluent in Persian, traveled widely across his homeland, exploring the legacy of the Iranian revolution and probing the soul of Iran, a land with nearly three millennia of often-glorious history. Like a master Persian carpet maker, Molavi weaves together threads of rich historical insight, political analysis, cultural observation, and the daily realities of life in the Islamic republic to produce a colorful, intricate, and mesmerizing narrative. Originally published in hardcover under the title Persian Pilgrimages , this paperback edition is revised, with a new introduction and epilogue.
392 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 18, 2012
This was a pretty decent crash course in Iranian history & current affairs (says someone who is not an expert on either of those things). The cover (or one of the review/blurbs inside, I don't remember which) called this book "ambitious," and I agree. I'm not sure that it achieved all it wanted. After all, it's a really difficult thing to do to weave together ancient history, many political manuevers over the last 100+ years, popular culture, analysis of an entire country... The most skilled pen could write volumes and still be lacking. Some sentences or even entire paragraphs seemed superfluous and/or clunky, and but overall I really enjoyed it. It held my attention. I learned a lot and would love to learn more. I feel a lot of identification with Iranians and would love love love to go there. I kept looking up all the sites mentioned on Flickr and they are just absolutely breathtaking. I would recommend this book to any US citizen--it really does seem that the western media and western politicians hate Iran. Coverage seems overwhelmingly negative and always focuses on the crazies and the weapons. (Side note: I am completely opposed to nuclear weapons and really most weapons, but the biggest stockpiler and user of them is...USA!!! So turn those news cameras back to your own country, media-types.) This is a much broader view than that. When I'd read a few paragraphs to Peter, he'd usually want me to keep going--he found it all pretty engaging as well.
I really would have liked it if he'd interviewed more women, because the perspective is very much a male one--almost every single person the author talks to is male. I understand that cultural customs in Iran pretty much dictate the separation--people have to be careful not to be seen associating with the opposite sex in front of the "moral" police. So I understand the omission and it was probably necessary. Even so, that's the main reason it loses a star: women make up a humongous portion of Iranians so the omission was quite noticeable to me.
PS The author included pictures of himself & is totally cute...fyi
I really would have liked it if he'd interviewed more women, because the perspective is very much a male one--almost every single person the author talks to is male. I understand that cultural customs in Iran pretty much dictate the separation--people have to be careful not to be seen associating with the opposite sex in front of the "moral" police. So I understand the omission and it was probably necessary. Even so, that's the main reason it loses a star: women make up a humongous portion of Iranians so the omission was quite noticeable to me.
PS The author included pictures of himself & is totally cute...fyi
May 24, 2011
A total waste of time. Same typical stuff written by Iranian-Americans, apparently it doesn't matter which book you choose you will the same stereotypes all over. I expected reading a different account of the history and politics of Iran as the author is a Tabrizi (not a Tehrani as usual) and holds a master's degree in Middle East history from John Hopkins University.
His long explanations about the country's history are repetitions of the same old cliches, lacking any insight or real depth, that can be read in any other book of the same characteristics. Same can be said about his description of the society, I expected to learn more about Iran's ethnic minorities and the lifestyles and opinions of people from non-Persian/non-urban areas of Iran, but this is simply another Fars/Tehran-centric book.
It's very unfortunate, as he is a good writer and the book had potential of being very interesting and original but it didn't meet my expectations at all.
His long explanations about the country's history are repetitions of the same old cliches, lacking any insight or real depth, that can be read in any other book of the same characteristics. Same can be said about his description of the society, I expected to learn more about Iran's ethnic minorities and the lifestyles and opinions of people from non-Persian/non-urban areas of Iran, but this is simply another Fars/Tehran-centric book.
It's very unfortunate, as he is a good writer and the book had potential of being very interesting and original but it didn't meet my expectations at all.
December 8, 2009
if you, along with a great deal of our generation, felt solidarity with the threatened, arrested, and otherwise hurt writers and protestors in the recent highly publicized crackdown of open press in Iran, but didn't do shit that might help anyone, save wearing more green or something, and also failed to grasp the larger issues of what was going on and what all this might say about Iran's past and hint to for her future, then this might be a read for you.
Moldavi has written an accessible, inviting even, introduction to Persian history, culture, life and conflicts, based on his own research, travels and conversations. in The Soul of Iran he presents us with a country that wildly contrasts with the familiar nuclear armed, "die Israel, die!" nation who frequently has sleepovers with the US media.
i don't know if anyone can tell a story of their birth country that is not biased, delusional in its optimism or altogether hopeless and defeated, but Moldavi comes damn close. while he is ultimately rooting for a secular democracy, he doesn't paint the religious or other opposing sides as inhumane, gravely mislead or backwards. he interviews people from a variety of classes and beliefs. and it really seems like he does his best not to slant what they have to say.
from pre-Islamic Iran to the current generation that is stifled by the regime in power and apathetic as a result of their parents' idealism that failed to yield the change sought, the complexities and contradictions of the Islamic Republic are presented in a much more brilliant manner than my drunken review (sorry, guys) can reflect.
for ideas on why the road to democracy isn't and can't be a short one, but may still loom closer than we expect, and a review of how toxic decisions of the west both motivate and discourage discourage and change, please find your way to this book. it also includes pretty fascinating statistics on iran's population. great for cocktail parties.
hmm. it's a worthwhile read, and i'm sorry my review doesn't do it justice. buy the book and right your own superior review, please.
Moldavi has written an accessible, inviting even, introduction to Persian history, culture, life and conflicts, based on his own research, travels and conversations. in The Soul of Iran he presents us with a country that wildly contrasts with the familiar nuclear armed, "die Israel, die!" nation who frequently has sleepovers with the US media.
i don't know if anyone can tell a story of their birth country that is not biased, delusional in its optimism or altogether hopeless and defeated, but Moldavi comes damn close. while he is ultimately rooting for a secular democracy, he doesn't paint the religious or other opposing sides as inhumane, gravely mislead or backwards. he interviews people from a variety of classes and beliefs. and it really seems like he does his best not to slant what they have to say.
from pre-Islamic Iran to the current generation that is stifled by the regime in power and apathetic as a result of their parents' idealism that failed to yield the change sought, the complexities and contradictions of the Islamic Republic are presented in a much more brilliant manner than my drunken review (sorry, guys) can reflect.
for ideas on why the road to democracy isn't and can't be a short one, but may still loom closer than we expect, and a review of how toxic decisions of the west both motivate and discourage discourage and change, please find your way to this book. it also includes pretty fascinating statistics on iran's population. great for cocktail parties.
hmm. it's a worthwhile read, and i'm sorry my review doesn't do it justice. buy the book and right your own superior review, please.
September 13, 2010
my AP comparative government book gives me something to release my angst and anger. A Nation's Journey to Freedom: The Soul of Iran is its name and the author, Afshin Molavi is Iranian. I appreciate his passion for Iran, passionate enough to travel back to Iran and write a whole book about it, but can anything get anymore boring? He's a journalist...he needs to expose the conditions in Iran and the history of Iran! Why is he going out of his way to learn the real purpose of writing a piece of journalism to describe everything he sees even though it does nothing to the real point of the story? Why are his sentences so freaking awkward? Why is he trying to sound all professional? Dude should just tell it like it is! He said, "The weather was hot, but not oppressive." We don't care and since you're talking about human rights and oppression in Iran, stop using the word oppressive carelessly and out of context. "...he said: "We will use my cousin's truck. I hope you like Mashhad melons." I found out later that the two statements were linked. Mohammad's cousin, it turned out, drove a melon truck." Well, obviously we would've figured that out by now and the fact that "these two statements were linked" is not important at all. "...a thin man in a red shirt and black sandals." - Well, was he not wearing any pants? Is there any reason you didn't include the texture or the color of his freaking pants?
I.am.so.angry.right.now.
I.am.so.angry.right.now.
August 20, 2012
Like China Road, this book covers the ins and outs of a lot of people's daily views of life in Iran, right from the actual people, from both sides of the story, from conservatives to liberals. While it does sometimes retread concepts now and then, mainly when dealing with particular events (Usually the different revolutions) it generally stayed fresh enough to keep me interested, and only goes to show me that the general picture shown to you is often just bits and pieces taken out of context to paint a picture for you that matches up with something that someone wants you to believe. In the US, that being that Iran is full of a lot of radicalist Islamic terrorists-in-waiting. This book helps pull back the veil (or hijab, if you want to be topical) on what is a life that should be familiar with a lot of people: Disappointment with government, anger at a lack of positive change, and fear of poor economic foresight and authoritarian ideas that chip away at freedoms. It shows that once you tear away our government and theirs, what would be left would be a lot of people, from different cultures, that want the same thing; a positive future.
January 14, 2026
This book was exactly what I was looking for. Curious about contemporary Iran, but largely clueless as to its history—either ancient or modern—I wanted a book that would at least situate me within the broader scope of events. Molavi does this admirably in this thoughtful and deeply empathetic travelogue, examining the long history of the country through the lens of contemporary political struggles.
Throughout the book, Molavi takes various “pilgrimages,” often to tombs: that of Cyrus the Great, Omar Khayyam, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Ali al-Rida, and Mosaddegh, among others. In Molavi’s account of his journeys, each of these quite different figures sheds a light on both the past and the present of Iran—its many contradictions, disputes, and uncomfortable truths. We see a country fought over by advocates of theocracy, monarchy, and democracy, whose compelling traditions seem to survive in spite of the country’s political disfunction.
Molavi does not just interrogate the dead, however. This book is full of contemporary voices, from every facet of life. Nevertheless, echoing throughout these pages is a single refrain: the need for better economic conditions. Indeed, though Molavi talks of Iran’s “struggle for freedom,” the struggle that seems to preoccupy all of the taxi drivers, students, and workers is a far more basic one—the struggle to make ends meet. That a country so rich in natural and human resources can be in such dire economic straits is a testament to the decades of mismanagement by the powers that be.
It is only a coincidence that I read this finished reading this book during the massive protests against the government which are taking place now. Reading the news coverage, it strikes me that not much has changed since this book was published, over twenty years ago. Now, Trump is now threatening to use military force if the protests are violently suppressed. This is more than a little ironic, considering the large role that my own country has played in the impoverishment of Iran—starting with the ousting of Mosaddegh for being unfriendly to American oil interests. But we shall see how this ends.
In any case, I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand contemporary Iran better. Molavi is a thoughtful and sensitive guide, and he manages to evoke the day-to-day reality that can get lost behind the headlines.
Throughout the book, Molavi takes various “pilgrimages,” often to tombs: that of Cyrus the Great, Omar Khayyam, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Ali al-Rida, and Mosaddegh, among others. In Molavi’s account of his journeys, each of these quite different figures sheds a light on both the past and the present of Iran—its many contradictions, disputes, and uncomfortable truths. We see a country fought over by advocates of theocracy, monarchy, and democracy, whose compelling traditions seem to survive in spite of the country’s political disfunction.
Molavi does not just interrogate the dead, however. This book is full of contemporary voices, from every facet of life. Nevertheless, echoing throughout these pages is a single refrain: the need for better economic conditions. Indeed, though Molavi talks of Iran’s “struggle for freedom,” the struggle that seems to preoccupy all of the taxi drivers, students, and workers is a far more basic one—the struggle to make ends meet. That a country so rich in natural and human resources can be in such dire economic straits is a testament to the decades of mismanagement by the powers that be.
It is only a coincidence that I read this finished reading this book during the massive protests against the government which are taking place now. Reading the news coverage, it strikes me that not much has changed since this book was published, over twenty years ago. Now, Trump is now threatening to use military force if the protests are violently suppressed. This is more than a little ironic, considering the large role that my own country has played in the impoverishment of Iran—starting with the ousting of Mosaddegh for being unfriendly to American oil interests. But we shall see how this ends.
In any case, I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand contemporary Iran better. Molavi is a thoughtful and sensitive guide, and he manages to evoke the day-to-day reality that can get lost behind the headlines.
May 26, 2020
A well written analysis of Iran and its people. The writer gives a detailed historical account of Persia and the formation of current day Islamic Republic of Iran. He speaks to wide cross section of Iranian society and gives us a glimpse into the problems facing the man in the street.
Given that this book was published in 2005, he emphasizes on the events leading up to Khomeini’s uprising, the unseating of the Shah and more importantly the sentiments after the Islamic Revolution.
The Revolution has not created the utopian society it promised and many Iranians battle with high employment rates, inflation and a lack of opportunities causing a large brain drain of the educated middle class. There is widespread corruption by the ruling clerics and people just want some sense of personal freedom leading to an high rate of emigration to Europe, US and Canada.
Perhaps this should be an interesting study to any nation who is considering rule by the clerics..... ultimately the success of any society is based on good governance and economic management as not on scriptures.
Given that this book was published in 2005, he emphasizes on the events leading up to Khomeini’s uprising, the unseating of the Shah and more importantly the sentiments after the Islamic Revolution.
The Revolution has not created the utopian society it promised and many Iranians battle with high employment rates, inflation and a lack of opportunities causing a large brain drain of the educated middle class. There is widespread corruption by the ruling clerics and people just want some sense of personal freedom leading to an high rate of emigration to Europe, US and Canada.
Perhaps this should be an interesting study to any nation who is considering rule by the clerics..... ultimately the success of any society is based on good governance and economic management as not on scriptures.
March 16, 2024
A decent crash-course in Iranian history and a lively snapshot of Iran at one particular turning point. It was dated even when published (the epilogue notes ongoing EU-Iran talks and the then-recent election of Ahmadinejad, which occured after Molavi's trip to Iran and marked a rather sudden change of direction after the apparent trend towards liberalisation that the book is celebrating) and obviously even more has happened since, but what's 20 years in a 3000 year history?
There is I think one fatal flaw though - Molavi talks to many Iranians from all walks of life... but only men. With women's rights being perhaps the biggest cultural flashpoint in Iran (just see the recent Mahsa Amini protests and the world-famous "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan), the absence of any significant female voice hugely limits how much the book can tell us about life under the rule of clerics. Maybe the law made it genuinely impossible for Molavi to talk to women (Even feminists? Even wives of the men he stays with?), but if that's so he never acknowledges this. Molavi's Iran is full of sensitive poets and grumbling taxi drivers, but the women are only ever half-heard from another room.
There is I think one fatal flaw though - Molavi talks to many Iranians from all walks of life... but only men. With women's rights being perhaps the biggest cultural flashpoint in Iran (just see the recent Mahsa Amini protests and the world-famous "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan), the absence of any significant female voice hugely limits how much the book can tell us about life under the rule of clerics. Maybe the law made it genuinely impossible for Molavi to talk to women (Even feminists? Even wives of the men he stays with?), but if that's so he never acknowledges this. Molavi's Iran is full of sensitive poets and grumbling taxi drivers, but the women are only ever half-heard from another room.
March 28, 2020
Pravděpodobně nejlepší cestopis o Íránu, který jsem kdy měl v ruce. Afšín neprezentuje pouze svou cestu, vlastně bych řekl, že je to méně o jeho cestě a více o Íránu - jeho historii a důležitých událostech téměř od počátků až do dnes. Zachycuje pohledy těch nejdůležitějších, obyčejných Íránců. Kniha je velmi poučná i pro člověka, který se Íránem zabývá. Afšín odvedl skvělou práci a řekl bych, že se mu podařilo nebýt zaujatý ani na jednu stranu a popisuje poměrně věrný stav Íránu, jak jsem měl možnost ho poznat i já. A pro člověka, který v Íránu byl, je to melancholické vyprávění, které je krásné zažít. Knihu mohu vřele doporučit.
March 16, 2018
Even though it was written nearly twenty years ago it still captures the details forming Iraninian soul. The right mix of history and human stories make the book really enjoyable.
August 30, 2009
I picked this up because I realized I knew nothing about Iran except the standard American media images from my childhood of hostages, Ayatollah Khomeini, flag-burnings, and angry men chanting "Death to America".
I don't think I could have picked a better book for my introduction to Iran. Molavi's writing style is conversational and engaging. As a student, I was fascinated by the history and the politics, but as an American I was equally fascinated by the conversations Molavi had with people he met during the course of his travels to various shrines. I found myself laughing at myself a few times when students in the book would ask Molavi how Americans felt about such-and-such political figure, I would think, "who?" just before reading Molavi's response that most Americans don't know who so-and-so is.
Molavi's numerous references to books and essays he read while researching the sites he visited should also prove valuable to readers who want to continue their own explorations. Highly recommended.
I don't think I could have picked a better book for my introduction to Iran. Molavi's writing style is conversational and engaging. As a student, I was fascinated by the history and the politics, but as an American I was equally fascinated by the conversations Molavi had with people he met during the course of his travels to various shrines. I found myself laughing at myself a few times when students in the book would ask Molavi how Americans felt about such-and-such political figure, I would think, "who?" just before reading Molavi's response that most Americans don't know who so-and-so is.
Molavi's numerous references to books and essays he read while researching the sites he visited should also prove valuable to readers who want to continue their own explorations. Highly recommended.
September 7, 2010
A really long book with small prints. Most of the book is about pre-revolution Iran with continuous repetition of certain main points. This book is a mixture of history, cultural analysis, journalist interviews, and just travel journals. With the repetition, a lot of different names made my head hurt a bit while reading, jointing down key points, and comprehending.
This book focuses more on the post-revolutionary 1979 Iran where the Iranians are suffering economically with their currency that used to be 7:1 to U.S. dollars to 400(I forgot the exact but either 400 or 4000) :1. A huge inflation! This book also touches upon one of the greatest talking points about U.S. and the media.
In page 148 a question asked by an Iranian stood out to me, he asked “Why does Western media hate Iran?”
This is a pretty history oriented book, so I would only recommend it to those individuals that like global history one and two. A lot of Molavi’s pilgrimage is of global history one historical figures.
This book focuses more on the post-revolutionary 1979 Iran where the Iranians are suffering economically with their currency that used to be 7:1 to U.S. dollars to 400(I forgot the exact but either 400 or 4000) :1. A huge inflation! This book also touches upon one of the greatest talking points about U.S. and the media.
In page 148 a question asked by an Iranian stood out to me, he asked “Why does Western media hate Iran?”
This is a pretty history oriented book, so I would only recommend it to those individuals that like global history one and two. A lot of Molavi’s pilgrimage is of global history one historical figures.
July 31, 2013
Fantastically enlightening story from the open-minded and highly intelligent perspective of this journalist returning to his ancestral homeland. Equal parts historical, cultural, spiritual, and loaded with wit - follow Mr. Molavi on a journey of cultural understanding both historical and modern with classic pilgramages to the tombs of revered poets, as well as modern pilgramages by opportunity seeking engineers to the Canadian embassy in Damascus. Molavi's is exactly the perspective needed (and sorely lacking yet easily accessible from people like him!) by those who dictate our country's own foreign policy to massive intelligence failures. Artfully written so that as the reader I feel like I can see through Molavi's own eyes... and desire more than ever to find a way in to visit.
September 7, 2010
Though slightly less entertaining than Out of Mao's Shadow, Afsin Molavi also did a good job on both teaching and entertaining the reader. Originally, I thought Iran was a crazy, nuclear obsessed country tryin to destroy the United States. However, after reading Molavi's book, I realized the struggles the Iranian people must endure, especially the youth. Iran's history has always been complicated even to the people of Iran, but now I at least feel I have enough knowledge to discuss the topic without being ignorant. What I didn't like is that Afsin Molavi metioned the tradition of tarof in too much detail.
August 28, 2009
This non-fiction book was a TERRIFIC read. Very easy to follow. NOT a chronological history of Iran. Instead, the author goes on various pilgrimages throughout Iran and tells the back story of the person (usually a shah, a martyr, a a prime minister, etc) whose shrine he's visiting. He also talks with NUMEROUS current day (written in 2002) Iranians who give him their opinions on modern day Iran. Overall, I'd certainly recommend the book if you're interested in Iran, currently and historically.
September 8, 2010
This wasn;t my favorite book. It begins with the narrarator in an Iranian airport lurking around the libarary books. She constantly picks up information on Iran's regime in the past. I learned that Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers spearheaded a revolution that would change Iran's government forever. The Shah (king) would be replaced. Clerics would have political power as oppose to one absolute ruler. This amongst many other historical events that impacted the politics of Iran was essentially the content of the book
April 14, 2013
Molavi was born in Iran but moved early to the US and has written for e.g. Washington Post and Financial Times so he is somewhat an outsider though he is familiar with the language, religion and culture of Iran. In this book, which is the updated version Persian Pilgrimages, he goes on pilgrimages to shrines of poets, politicians and historical and religious figures. And in doing so he creates a sympathetic and wonderfully readable view of modern Iran through his mixing of history and the stories of various people, taxi drivers and clerics and students, etc., that he meets along the way.
Read
July 30, 2011Very well done book. Initially I was a little disappointed to see that it was a political travelogue, but as I read on I realized that it was a good way to introduce the schisms within Iranian society. It seems very clear that but for a minority of conservative religious hardliners, Iran is a country inclined towards democracy. The question now becomes: what can the US do to responsibly encourage democracy in Iran?
February 22, 2007
Equally sympathetic to both halves of the Iranian society. One of the most balanced and least prejudiced works by a young Iranian journalist that I have ever read.
I read the old version (lots of minor typos) and the new edition came out with an extra chapter and a new title (something about a soul!).
I read the old version (lots of minor typos) and the new edition came out with an extra chapter and a new title (something about a soul!).
June 16, 2010
Although all the Iran terms for political figures, clerics, and Iranian places were overwhelming at first, the book offers great insight into the history of Iran and the various factors that led to the 1979 revolution. It was interesting for a comparative government student to see the similar ways both the Chinese and Iranian authoritarian states maintain their legitimacy.
May 23, 2011
Molavi is an Iranian who lives in the U.S. He travels to Iran & interviews Iranians from all walks of life. He also visits memorial shrines of past leaders, poets, & martyrs. He speaks fluent Farsi & Farsi words are scattered throughout this book. The history of Iran and the culture are examined by Molavi. An excellent book - one I would like to read again.
July 17, 2007
Excellent! I read a whole bunch of books on Iran to immerse myself before my 1st trip there. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Iran. The personal woven with the political - a great travelogue and a wonderful way to learn about a country, it's history and it's people.
January 30, 2008
A wonderfully sensitive portrayal of present-day Iran. I love the way Molavi weaves in ancient & modern history, and current political struggles, along with portraits of the people he meets in his journeys.
April 14, 2008
Given my limited knowledge of Iran, I fully enjoyed the historical, literary, cultural and literal tour of Iran, often hoping that I could find English translations of the literary references, usually to no avail.
April 24, 2015
Though a bit dated, it gives an idea about Iran and its recent history, especially for the lay reader. The problem is, it is full of cliches and repetitions. After a certain point, you start guessing what the next sentence will be.
February 28, 2007
Lots of people have tried to "explain" Iran -- I think this is the best of the lot. Part travelogue, part history, part colourful reportage, and beautifully written.
October 10, 2007
An interesting foray into Iran.
February 1, 2010
one of my favorite travel writings of Iran, written from insider's perspective. honest n sharp.
June 10, 2011
fascinating
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews