A bestselling short story collection in Iran over a period of 50 years, Mourners of Bayal had fixed itself a permanent position on the classics shelf. Bayal is a fictional village, sort of a symbol of all Iranian villages, uneducated poor people battling to survive. These sort stories have a magical realism aspect and convey a feeling of horror. The ever present horror, not in the form of a physical monster, but an atmosphere of decay, gives this collection a special touch. A must read for anyone interested in Iranian modern fiction.

A bestselling short story collection in Iran over a period of 50 years, Mourners of Bayal had fixed itself a permanent position on the classics shelf. Bayal is a fictional village, sort of a symbol of all Iranian villages, uneducated poor people battling to survive. These sort stories have a magical realism aspect and convey a feeling of horror. The ever present horror, not in the form of a physical monster, but an atmosphere of decay, gives this collection a special touch. A must read for anyone interested in Iranian modern fiction.