Black on Black: Iran Revisited

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Summary: Everything you would like to know about Iran
Review: Black on Black. Iran Revisited is a charming book on Iran that makes you understand what Iran has been during the shah's rule and what it is nowadays. The Spanish author Ana Briongos has been living, studying and travelling in Iran. Her first visit was in 1969. As a woman, she is able to penetrate what is probably the most mysterious aspect of Muslim society: the role of women, which has changed significantly since the Islamic revolution. The Spanish prose has been translated by Chris Andrews. His excellent translation makes this complex people come alive, with vivid descriptions of accepted practices. Black on Black has given me a better understanding of Iran and its people. Through reading the book I was able to see the better side of Islam and feel the obvious love the author have for Iran, a contradictory and fascinating country and I shed a couple of tears at the book's end when I read the final description of Bubu, Rave and Nuri, it was so beautifully written.

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Summary: The best of Black & Black Iran Revisited
Review: Dear Lectors: Black and Black Iran Revisited is the most beutiful and interesting book about Iran culture, costumes,people, geography.The writer Ana Maria Briongos try to demostrate how is Iran live from the 70's and 90's, she makes somes comparissons about her lives there and now,she describes wonderful the best cities of Iran,The Caspian,the traditional Persan New Year called Now Ruz and many many history about the beautiful country. I think she is the best writter of Iran. Iwould like to encourage people to read this book, also invite to read small review abouit her book on the Ira Journal newspaper of Northen california.Enjoy it.

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Summary: A Wonderful book
Review: I absolutely recommend this book to every Iranian or anybody who is interested in learning more about Iran. This book is beautifully written and entertaining, while giving a lot of valuable information to the reader.

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Summary: Iran, the Shador unveiled.
Review: I bought this book prior to my tour of Iran mostly because of others' write-ups on Amazon. However, I found the book delivers no information to anyone seeking to learn about Iranians' contemporary cultural, political, and social landscape and their way of life under current circumstances. Instead, it is pure trash mostly related to the "below the belt" fantasy of a female transient in Iran during seventies. For the first time, I returned a book to Amazon and asked for refund!

At the same time, I discovered "Persian Mirrors, The Elusive Face of Iran" by Elaine Sciolino of New York Times the most fascinating, brutally honest, wonderfully written, and most comprehensive book about Iran's current state. This gem of book covers every social and political aspect of this amazing land and culture. It uncovers the day-to-day struggles within every tier of the Iranian society and communities to move their beloved country toward more freedom and prosperity. It is a must read for anyone with slightest interest in Iran's current and future position. I hope someone in Bush administration read this book as well. Peace.

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Summary: Very helpful
Review: I really liked this book. I wanted to travel to Iran and was looking for something else than a guide to read during my trip. Black on black acompagnied me in a long bus day in Iran and made me understand better the country and it's people. Easy to read, clear and very interesting point of view of the country. Unfortunatelly it was written before the Khatami era and I missed the author's opinion of this new political period.

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Summary: Iran, the Shador unveiled.
Review: I would just like to say that I greatly enjoyed reading Black on Black, that it is by far one of the best travel books I have read in years and that it has provided me with many hours of thrill, information and pleasure. I consider Ana Briongos as one of the most powerful first-hand witness of today's society in Iran, and a great author who has filled her books with information obtained after being warmly welcomed by a society which does not open their arms to anyone. Black on Black transmits the hours spent drinking tea with iranian families, the long talks with iranian women, the hospitality and the day to day life of the people encountered. A truly moving and fascinating acount.
For those of you who read in Spanish, I strongly recomend Ana Briongos' other travel book on Afghanistan, A WINTER IN KANDAHAR (UN INVIERNO EN KANDAHAR), an equaly great book and a helpful key to understand Afghan society today. Furthermore, I would like readers not to be mislead by the last review Black on Black has received and take into consideration the rest of opinions which in majority have been very flattering and full of praise. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Summary: A great view about Iran
Review: It's incredible that Black on Black-Iran Revisited is the first book of Ana Briongos. She writes as an expertise, with perfect narrative control. Briongos goes and back on time with great self-confidence. She woks with years of history: since her first travel to Iran in 60's, passing 1973-74 when she studied Literature in Teheran, and 1996 when she returns. She talks about Shah's and Islamic Revolution's periods, mixing life's stories with politics informations. She never boring the reader with to much historics facts, but she puts in a pleasant way the importants events. The traveler like me, whom had a short time in Iran, never would be able to catch the beauty and contradictions of persians. Briongos doesn't give all the answers (unfortunately she didn't take the Khatami's scene), but she's arrived close. I think it's because she put herself into the book. She's not a neutral or a blasée specialist about a distant subject, for exemple, when she talks about the kurd problem. Ana Briongos is a spanish catalan woman and she knows what is a identity question. Read this book is a great travel, this kind of travel we say in the end: what a pity, is finished.

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Summary: Black on Black Iran Revisited
Review: Mrs. Ana M Briongos, has a very soft style, which she makes all readers to continue reading her books over an over. I have been away from my home town for almost 18 years by reading her book I feel I had travel all over my homeland as I was reading her book. She has viewed cons and Pro of traditional custom and has discussed such a tradition in a very delightful manner.

I would like to thanks her for her true analysis of Iranian society, custom as well as tradition, I believe it is due to her education and knowledge about Iranian culture and historical influence of our countries. Hope she will travel to Iran and publish more books.

Best Regards, Reza Dabestani. California June 24th, 2001

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Summary: A Passable Book
Review: Not an extraorinarily charming book as the reviews suggest, just passable. The flow of the book suggests discontinuity . Some interesting and amusing facts have been mentioned.