In this prize-winning Iranian novel, a spoiled and foul-mouthed young woman looks to get high while her family and city fall to pieces.
What do you do when the world is falling apart and you鈥檙e in withdrawal?
Disillusioned, wealthy, and addicted to opium, Shadi wakes up one day to apocalyptic earthquakes and a dangerously low stash. Outside, Tehran is crumbling: yuppies flee in bumper-to-bumper traffic as skaters and pretty boys rise up to claim the city as theirs. Cross-dressed to evade hijab laws, Shadi flits between her dysfunctional family and depressed friends鈥攁ll in search of her next fix.
Mahsa Mohebali's groundbreaking novel about Iranian counterculture is a satirical portrait of the disaster that is contemporary life. Weaving together gritty vernacular and cinematic prose, In Case of Emergency takes a darkly humorous, scathing look at the authoritarian state, global capitalism, and the gender binary.
This book was so wild. I originally picked it up thinking it would be similar to my year of rest and relaxation and like yes? kind of if myorar took place in one day. This was very complex and had a good critique of class. it's a super short book and I will say the translators note is so so important and gives a lot of context to this story. I really enjoyed this and want more people to read it so i can discuss it- read it read it
Ziemia w Teheranie dr偶y. Sypi膮 si臋 budynki, sypi膮 si臋 relacje mi臋dzyludzkie, sypi膮 si臋 ulotne nitki 偶ycia. Ziemia usuwa si臋 spod n贸g, a dla Szadi, kt贸ra jest na g艂odzie, trz臋sienie wydaje si臋 najmniejszym problemem. Zostawia zdenerwowan膮 matk臋, braci (Babaka - dziecko mi艂o艣ci, Arasza - brzydki przypadek, dobrze, 偶e nie by艂o kolejnego, bo urodzi艂by si臋 pewnie szympans) i rusza w w臋dr贸wk臋 zniszczonymi ulicami miasta. Szuka szalonej babci, pr贸buje dotrze膰 do kumpla, kt贸ry po raz kolejny chce si臋 zabi膰, a przede wszystkim szuka drag贸w, bo g艂贸d narkotykowy niczym ma艂e zwierz膮tko przemieszcza si臋 po jej wn臋trzno艣ciach. Mija ruiny, mija ludzi, kt贸rzy pr贸buj膮 uciec, mija s艂u偶by porz膮dkowe, kt贸re 贸w porz膮dek chc膮 przywr贸ci膰 pa艂owaniem niepokornych. Patrzymy na Teheran oczami Szadi, rzeczywisto艣膰 filtrowana jest przez jej emocje i jej wra偶liwo艣膰. To nie jest bohaterka, kt贸r膮 si臋 polubi, to nie jest 艣wiat, kt贸ry si臋 polubi. To powie艣膰, kt贸ra sama niesie. Gdybym mia艂a wskaza膰 ulubion膮 scen臋, by艂aby to Szadi w 艣rodku armagedonu s艂uchaj膮ca piosenki "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis" Toma Waitsa.