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Title: Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad
ISBN: 0345499565
Author:
Firoozeh Dumas
Publicate Date: 2008-04-29
Publish: 2008-04-29
List Price: $22.00
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $11.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $9.87
Amazon Merchant Price: $14.96
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Dumas does it again!!
"Laughing without an accent" is just as funny as her first book, "Funny in Farsi." After reading her first book I looked her up and was happy to see that she had a second. I really enjoy reading her books; she describes lives situations with an attitude of "Oh well!" This book is basically a Part 2 of her first. Look forward to reading Part 3. (Mrs. Dumas, that was a hint.)
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2: A Wonderful Read
I don't remember the last time I read a book that made me laugh out loud. As I read this book, I laughed often as I recognized myself and my family within the pages.
In this collection of essays, Dumas describes her experiences while growing up in Iran and her life in the U.S. Dumas' writing is honest, light, and laced with humor. Her stories are simple, yet powerful. This book is a fabulous reminder that our similarities far outweigh our differences- regardless of our cultural background. I can't wait to read "Funny in Farsi."
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3: From S. Krishna's Books
Laughing Without an Accent is Fizooreh Dumas' follow-up to her first book, Funny in Farsi. Both serve as anecdotal memoirs of situations Dumas faced as an Iranian growing up in the United States and eventually marrying a Frenchman. The book covers a vast time period; the youngest story is from when she was a six-year-old girl living in Iran, the oldest from events which probably took place mere months before the book was published. The stories are in no particular order; some reference events that took place in others.
The vignettes are curious glimpses into a culture that is foreign to most Americans. For example, the first chapter of the book deals with Dumas' attempts to have her book translated into Persian (the major language in Iran). The author was passionate about those in her home country reading her works as they were written, so she went about seeking her own translator rather than relying on the lowest common denominator. She recounts the roadblocks that were thrown in front of her, as well as how well the book was received once it was actually published in Iran. It's a wonderful beginning to establishing a relationship with a foreign culture, rather than fearing and vilifying it.
Some of the anecdotes are not so foreign, such as parents buying gifts for their children that the children abhor. Through these stories, Dumas illustrates that while she is from a different culture, the distinctions aren't as numerous as the similarities. That is what is important about this book, and why it is crucial that Americans read it: understanding is the beginning of acceptance. In the book, Dumas describes her family's reaction to and treatment during the Iranian hostage crisis. She speaks of their horror at the situation and her subsequent friendship with one of the hostages. In some ways, Dumas is brave; in her own way, she is standing up for the normal, everyday Iranians who only want to live their lives in peace. At the same time, by insisting her books be published in Iran, she is showing them that Americans aren't a people to fear. It is a phenomenal thing for one woman to do, and she does it incredibly well.
Perhaps the best element of Dumas' work is her sense of humor. It is apparent that most of the anecdotes are intended to be humorous; she fully expects the reader to laugh along with her about the nuances of her culture. However, it is not a malicious laughter - Dumas respects and loves her background, and she is not trying to make fun of it. It is charming and affectionate, full of love and life. Both Laughing Without an Accent and Funny in Farsi are funny and sentimental without being cheesy. The vignette style makes them incredibly easy to read, and the message is equally relevant in today's tense atmosphere: we are all different, yet we are the same.
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4: Laughing Without An Accent
One needn't have read Mrs. Dumas' first book, Funny In Farsi, to enjoy this take on the ethnic translation into American culture, but it would certainly help to get you into the mood. Knowing a bit of the family and its ways means you can start smiling, even chuckling, before the stories unfold. An occasional outburst of pure laughter also happen. Mrs. Dumas, in this sequel, shifts the terrain a bit, with a heavier focus on Iranian ethnic life amidst the bits and pieces of American life. An occasional downward spin on some of our habits and mores is fair game, but doesn't spoil this never-ending story of confused Iranians coping with the "New World." After all, this "New World" is now Mrs. Dumas' as well.
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5: An amusing read with a good message in the last chapter
While not laugh-out-loud funny it is amusing, enjoyable book. So many of us can see pieces of our own family dynamics in her stories of gifts that you pretend to like, food you serve they won't eat, and those incidents you laugh at only in hind-sight. Her last chapter where she spends time with one of the Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days is wonderfully poignant.
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