A picture. A few words in a book. A flashback. That is all it takes for our memories to be triggered from their dormant existence in the quiet corners of our mind. It can be nearly 30 years later and much may fade away in this life but some memories are pertinacious. No sooner had I opened the first page of Satrapi’s “Persepolis” that I remembered the first day returning home from school in Iran. [Read more…] about Marjane Satrapi: “Persepolis”
book review
Recipes for Happiness: Cookbooks Exclusively Made for Trader Joe’s
My first encounter with Trader Joe’s was through a beautiful care package sent years ago from Northern California by a dear friend. I do not remember any of the goodies she sent me except one: The Comodyne Oat Towels, the best make-up remover on planet earth! Soon after, I started my frequent business trips to San Jose and going back to Trader Joe’s to pick up more of my Oat Towels was a mere necessity. What would have been a simple errand run on my first stop in this store turned into a memorable experience. The place instantly filled me with a sense of comfort, curiosity and community. A grocery store like no other, Trader Joe’s is even easier to love and enjoy with this one brilliant idea: A cookbook and shopping handbook designed specifically for it. [Read more…] about Recipes for Happiness: Cookbooks Exclusively Made for Trader Joe’s
John Irving: “A Prayer for Owen Meany”
“A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving is an uncommon story. It is a compelling read but not an easy one. The writing evokes so much anxiety, sadness, pleasure, frustration, and laughter throughout but most of all, you read with unquenchable curiosity about the character whose name bears the title of the book, a character you will be hard pressed to ever forget: Owen Meany.
The themes of Christianity along with discrepancies of various denominations, American politics and foreign policies, Vietnam war, and life in New England small towns among other similar subplots shape the backdrop of this book. Themes and elements which fall entirely outside my general reading genre. Even so, I believe we sometimes should seek diversion [Read more…] about John Irving: “A Prayer for Owen Meany”
Gustave Flaubert: “Madame Bovary”
I finally know the timeless story of Madame Bovary.
What a remarkable journey to delve into the timeless classics whose names I first heard uttered in adult conversations in my childhood in Iran. The Godfather is such an example. Victor Hugo’s Les Les Misérables another. Madame Bovary yet another.
I read Gustave Flaubert‘s masterpiece in English, translated not by Penguin Classics which seems to be the most well-known version but by Wordsworth Classics, which I picked up in a small bookstore in London. Despite the extremely smooth translation with countless awe-inspiring passages, I have no doubt much was lost in translation from the prose and poetic style associated with the original French version. [Read more…] about Gustave Flaubert: “Madame Bovary”
Michelle Moran: “The Heretic Queen”
“I am sure that if I sat in a quiet place, away from the palace and the bustle of the court, I could remember scenes from my childhood much earlier than six years old.”
– Prologue to “The Heretic Queen”
I wish there were still a thousand more pages to read but alas I have finished reading all of Michelle Moran’s fantastic fiction! I could not have imagined a more fulfilling journey through time back to Ancient Egypt than the one taken through Moran’s genuine voice and her simple yet beautiful prose. “The Heretic Queen” tells the story of young Nefertari which takes place nearly half a century following Nefertiti‘s reign. [Read more…] about Michelle Moran: “The Heretic Queen”
I am Farnoosh, the founder of Prolific Living. So glad you are here. My mission is to empower you to unblock your creative genius to live your dream life.