The Struggle for Iran
De Bellaigue's nuanced musings on Iranian culture and politics have been a celebrated fixture of the New York Review of Books since 1999, when the journalist first hit the streets of Tehran, inspired by the possibility of democratic reform and eager to tell the rest of the world about it. Since then, nuclear brinksmanship and religious conservativism have dominated Iranian political discourse, and the reform movement has gradually stagnated in accordance with what de Bellaigue calls "the slow flattening of hopes." Generally framed as commentary on books (including Kenneth Pollack's The Persian Puzzle, 2005) or cultural events (such as viewing Picasso in Tehran), the 14 essays collected in this book showcase de Bellaigue's talent for contextualizing current political developments within broader patterns of Iranian society. The true vehicle of de Bellaigue's analysis, however, is his willingness to talk politics with a diverse array of Iranians, including students, clerics, and his auto mechanic. An eloquent and sensitive memoir of an increasingly bleak political situation, this collection deserves special recognition for its emphasis on young Iranians' efforts to hybridize Islam and Western values and its implicit suggestion that such efforts may be the way of the future. Driscoll, BrendanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved