Jalal Al-e-Ahmad

Jalal Al-e-Ahmad (جلال آل احمد)‎ (1923-1969) was an Iranian writer and social/political critic.

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Jalal Al-e-Ahmad

Personal Life

He was born in a religious family in Tehran. His father was a cleric, but Jalal pursued academic studies and received an MA in Persian literature from Tehran University. In 1950, he married Simin Daneshvar, another successful Persian writer. Jalal and Simin were infertile, a topic that was mirrored in some of Jalal's works. He died in Asalem (اسالم), a rural region in north of Iran, inside a cottage which was built almost entirely by him. He was buried in Firouzabadi Mosque in Ray, Iran.

Literary Life

Jalal used a colloquial style in prose. In this sense, he is a follower of avant-garde Persian novelists like Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh. Since the subjects of his works (novels, essays, travelogues and ethnographic monographs) are usually cultural, social and political issues, symbolic representations and sarcastic expressions are regular patterns of his books. Jalal rigorously supported Nima Yushij (father of modern Persian poetry) and had an important role in acceptance of Nima's revolutionary style. Some of Jalal's works have been published after his sudden death. It caused controversies in literary circles, as if it is right to publish an author's very personal drafts or not. For example, there is a big difference between what was published by Jalal himself as a brief report of his travel to the United States and what can be found in his private notes (which was published after his death). However, it can not be denied that a distinct characteristic of his writings was honest examination of subjects, regardless of possible reactions from political, social or religious powers.

Novels

• "The school principal" (مدیر مدرسه),
• "By the pen" (نون والقلم),
• "The tale of beehives" (سرگذشت کندوها),
• "The cursing of the land" (نفرین زمین),
• "A stone upon a grave" (سنگی بر گوری).

The first two novels have been translated to the English language.

Short Stories

• "The se tar" (سه تار),
• "Of our suffering" (از رنجی که می بریم),
• "Someone else's child" (بچه ی مردم),
• "A pink nail paint" (لاک صورتی)
• ...

Criticial essays

• "Seven essays" (هفت مقاله),
• "Hurried investigations" (ارزیابی شتابزده),
• "Plauged by the West" (غرب زدگی),
• ...

Monographs

Jalal traveled to far-off, usually poor, regions of Iran and tried to document their life, culture and problems. Some of these monographs are:

• "Owrazan" (اورازن),
• "Tat people of Block-e-Zahra" (تات نشینان بلوک زهرا),
• ...

travelogues

• "A straw in Mecca" (خسی در میقات),
• "A journey to Russia" (سفر روس),
• "A journey to Europe" (سفر فرنگ),
• "The land of Azrael" (ولایت عزرائیل),
• "A journey to America" (سفر به آمریکا).

Translations

• "The Gambler" (قمارباز) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
• "L'Etranger" (بیگانه) by Albert Camus,
• "Les mains sales" (دستهای آلوده) by Jean-Paul Sartre,
• "Return from the U.S.S.R." (بازگشت از شوروی) by Andre Gide,
• "Rhinoceros" (کرگردن) by Eugene Ionesco,
• ...

Links

• "A stone upon a grave" (سنگی بر گوری) in Persian: http://jalalealeahmad.blogspot.com/
• Al-i Ahmad, Jalal A biography by Prof. Iraj Bashiri, University of Minnesota.