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''My Uncle Napoleon'' (, ''Dâ'i jân Nâpel'on'', literal translation: ''Dear Uncle Napoleon'') is a
coming-of-age novel In literary criticism, a bildungsroman () is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth and change of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood (coming of age). The term comes from the German words ('formation' or 'edu ...
by Iranian author Iraj Pezeshkzad published in Tehran in Persian in 1973. The novel was adapted as a TV series in 1976, directed by Nasser Taghvai. Though the book and the TV series were briefly banned following the
Islamic Revolution of 1979 The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
in Iran, it remained popular. It is noted for its lampooning of the common social attitudes and beliefs in Iran during the period of Allied occupation of Iran. The novel has been translated by Dick Davis into English.


Plot summary

The story takes place at the time of Iran's occupation by the Allied forces during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The story starts on Friday, August 13th, which would therefore have been 1943. Most of the plot occurs in the narrator's home, a huge early 20th-century-style Iranian mansion in which three wealthy families live under the tyranny of a paranoid patriarch, Uncle. The Uncle—who in reality is a retired low-level officer from the
Persian Cossack Brigade The Persian Cossack Brigade, also known as the Iranian Cossack Brigade (), was a Cossacks, Cossack-style cavalry unit formed in 1879 in Qajar Iran, Iran. It was modelled after the Caucasian Cossack regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. Until 1 ...
under
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
Vladimir Liakhov Polkovnik (Colonel) Vladimir Platonovitch Liakhov (also spelled Liakhoff, ) (c. 20 June 1869 – June 1919) was the commander of the Persian Cossack Brigade during the rule of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1907-1909). He gained considerable notori ...
's command—claims, and in latter stages of the story actually believes, that he and his butler Mash Qasem were involved in wars against the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
and their "lackeys", as well as battles supporting the
Iranian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution (, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911 during the Qajar era. The revolution led to the establishment of a parliament in I ...
; and that with the occupation of Iran by the Allied forces, the British are now on course to take their revenge on him. The story's narrator (nameless in the novel but called Saeed in the TV series) is a high school student in love with his cousin Layli, Dear Uncle's daughter. The novel, at its core a love story, unfolds around the narrator's struggles to stall Layli's pre-arranged marriage to her cousin Puri and ensure their love, a love which is constantly jeopardised by an army of family members and the mayhem of their intrigues against one another. A multitude of supporting characters, including police investigators, government officials,
Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...
, housewives, a medical doctor, a butcher, a sycophantic preacher, servants, and a shoeshine man also appear throughout the development of the story.


Literary significance and reception

Loosely based on the author's real life experiences and his love for the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, My Uncle Napoleon story instantly became a cultural reference point and its characters national icons of the '70s. The novel was translated into English by Dick Davis in 1996, and published by Mage Publishers. The English translation has since been re-published by
Random House Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...
in 2006 with an introduction by
Azar Nafisi Azar Nafisi (; born 1948)Following eighth grade, Nafisi's parents sent her to England for schooling from 1961 to 1963. Nafisi 2010, chapter 8, pp. 69-70; chapter 13, p. 115 is an Iranian-American writer and professor of English literature. Born in ...
and an afterword by the author. The novel is a satire of the
Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
society of the 1940s. The garden in which the story takes place "in more ways than one becomes a microcosm of modern Iranian society".


Television adaptation

In 1976, director Nasser Taghvai turned the novel into a television
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
, compiling the story into 18 episodes. The series was a success both with audiences and the critics. It topped the ratings during every airing of its episodes and it was the most watched show when it played on Friday nights. Many consider the series to be the father of modern television comedy in Iran, and many terms coined during the series' run have become part of Persian
popular culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art
f. pop art F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet. F may also refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems * ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function * F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
. The series was a huge success financially, as the production cost has been estimated to be 50 million
Rials Rial, riyal, or RIAL may refer to: * Rial (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, McGill University * Rial Racing, a former German Formula One team Currency Various currencies ...
(equivalent to $770,000 in 1976), while the broadcaster was paid about 200 million
Rials Rial, riyal, or RIAL may refer to: * Rial (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning, McGill University * Rial Racing, a former German Formula One team Currency Various currencies ...
, four times the production cost, to buy the rights to the series. Due to its popularity, reruns of the series were frequent in the
National Iranian Radio and Television National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT; , ''Râdyo Televizyon-e Melli-ye 'Irân'') was the first Pahlavi Iran, Iranian state broadcaster, which was established on June 19, 1971, following the merger of the country's radio and television serv ...
until the Islamic revolution of 1979. Although the series has been banned in Iran since the revolution it is still watched, and has been released on DVD by Pars Video,
Taraneh Records Taraneh Records () is an Iranian-American record label based in Reseda, California. The label focuses on Iranian music. Taraneh Enterprises, Inc. (dba: Taraneh Records) is a major manufacturer and distributor of Persian Media (DVD, CD, VHS) in th ...
, and Chehreh Nama.


Cast

* Gholam-Hossein Naghshineh as Dear Uncle *
Parviz Fannizadeh Parviz Fannizadeh (; January 27, 1938 – February 24, 1980) was an Iranian film and television actor. He was one of Iran's first method actors. Fannizadeh is best known for his roles as "Mash Ghaasem" in '' My Uncle Napoleon'' (aka ''Daii jan N ...
as Mash Qasem * Saeed Kangarani as The Narrator (Saeed) * Nosrat Karimi as Agha Joon *
Parviz Sayyad Parviz Sayyad (; born 22 March 1939) is an Iranian Americans, Iranian-born celebrated actor, director and screenwriter of Iranian cinema. He was one of the earliest television stars in Iran. Early life Parviz Sayyad was born on March 22, 1939 ...
as Asadollah Mirza * Mohamad Ali Keshavarz as Colonel * Esmail Davarfar as Dustali Khan *
Jahangir Forouhar Jahangir Forouhar (; May 24, 1916 – November 6, 1997) was an Iranian actor. Biography Forouhar was born in 1916 in the city of Isfahan. His father was Mustafa Khan Davam al-Saltanah. His grandfather was Mirza Mohammad Ali Khan Ghavam al-Dawl ...
as Deputy Teymour Khan * Parvin Malakooti as Aziz al-Saltaneh *
Parvin Soleimani Parvin Soleimani ( : 13 June 1922 – 1 June 2009) was an Iranian actress of theater and cinema, who dedicated over 60 years of her life to Iranian art and cinema. She died at the age of 86 in Tehran. Career Parvin Soleimani was born in 192 ...
as Cadet Officer Ghiaasabadi's Mother * Mohammad Varshochi as Cadet Officer Ghiaasabadi * Sousan Moghadam as Layli * Kheirollah Tafreshi Azad as Shamsali Mirza * Bahman Zarrinpour as Puri * Zari Zandipour as Qamar * Mir Ahmad Irvanloo as Dr. Naser al-Hokama * Mastaneh Jazayeri as Akhtar * Fereydoun Nariman as Asghar the Diesel *
Karmen Zaki Karmen may refer to: *Karmen (name) *KARMEN Karmen may refer to: *Karmen (name) Karmen is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Roman Karmen (1906–1978), Soviet war camera-man and film director *Steve ...
as Farokh Laqa * Mahmood Lotfi as Shir Ali the Butcher * Minoo Abrishami as Tahereh * Gril Singh as Sarda Maharat Khan


Crew

* Nasser Taghvai ( Producer) * Alireza Zarrindast (
Cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
) * Abbas Ganjavi (
Editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
) * Amir Farrokh Tehrani (
Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
Production Designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
and
Art Director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
) * Eskandar Radfar (
Costume Design Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...
) * Abdollah Eskandari (
Make-up Artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
) * Mohsen Taghvai (
Assistant Director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
) * Valod Aghajanian ( Sound Department) * Yadollah Asgari ( Sound Department) * Hassan Zahedi ( Sound Department)


Main characters

* Dear Uncle Napoleon (Daï Jan Napoleon): The patriarch of the family, Dear Uncle is a paranoid, imaginative and delusional character who believes he is in constant conflict with the British and their "lackeys". The title "Uncle Napoleon" is sarcastically given to him by his nieces and nephews due to his admiration and obsession with the French Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
. * Mash Qasem: Dear Uncle's faithful servant and butler from the small town of Ghiasabad. Strongly devoted to Dear Uncle, who claims to have fought alongside him in numerous battles, the most important of which are the Battle of Mamasani and the Battle of Kazeroun. He's proud of his native town and becomes the messenger between the narrator and Layli at times when the two cannot meet, partly as a favor to the narrator and partly to satisfy his own unbounded inquisitiveness. * The Narrator (Saeed): The narrator of the story and Dear Uncle's nephew. He remains nameless and rather arcane in the novel despite being the central figure around whom the story develop. * Agha Joon: The narrator's father, a pharmacist who is the brother-in-law of Dear Uncle. After years of being ridiculed by Dear Uncle for not belonging to an aristocratic family, he takes his revenge by reinforcing Dear Uncle's delusion that the British are after him. * Asadollah Mirza: An official in the Foreign Ministry and half brother (through his father's gardener's daughter) of Shams Ali Mirza. A playboy, Asadollah Mirza was once happily married and in love with a woman until she cheated on him and left him. The " Mirza" of his and his brother's name is an honorific which indicates a distant relation to the
Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...
royal family. As a result, he is often referred to as "Shahzdeh", or prince. He becomes a close friend of the narrator during the course of the novel, often trying to help him in his efforts to reach his love.


Supporting characters

* Colonel (Sarhang): Dear Uncle's younger brother, referred to as Colonel by the family. In the final chapter that reveals the fate of characters around 1965, it is revealed he is retired as a "Sargord" (Major), a lower rank than a colonel, and is living with Laily and Puri in the garden. * Dustali Khan: Dear Uncle's brother-in-law, known for being inept at nearly everything and getting constantly ridiculed of by the other members of the family, especially Asadollah Mirza. His wife tries to cut his penis off with a kitchen knife after finding out that he has cheated on her, and shoots him in the bottom when he impregnates his step daughter. * Aziz al-Saltaneh: Dustali Khan's wife and Qamar's mother. A cousin of Asadollah and Shams Ali Mirza. * Dr. Naser al-Hokama: An old family doctor and close friend. He has been married three times. His rudimentary knowledge of medicine is often ridiculed in the book. * Shams Ali Mirza: The older half brother of Asadollah Mirza. A discharged/retired District Attorney who believes that all problems can be solved by interrogation. * Layli: The only child of Dear Uncle. She and the narrator fall in love despite her arranged marriage. * Puri: The clumsy son of Colonel who is destined to marry Layli. A subject of ridicule by the narrator, he is conscripted by the army to fight the Allied invasion, but faints in battle after hearing a gunshot. He loses one of his testicles in a fight with the narrator, becoming a subject of Dr. Naser al-Hokama's treatments. * Qamar: The mentally challenged, overweight daughter of Aziz al-Saltaneh from her first marriage and Dustali Khan's stepdaughter. The family goes to great lengths to find her a husband and save her honor after she is found impregnated by Dustali Khan. * Deputy Taymur Khan: An "internationally renowned" detective famous for his aggressive methods of deduction. * Cadet Officer Ghiaasabadi: An old opium addicted detective and Deputy Taymur Khan's assistant who eventually marries Qamar and wins her inheritance money, overcoming Dustali Khan in the process. * Naneh Rajab: Cadet Officer Ghiaasabadi's mother. * Akhtar: Cadet Officer Ghiasabdi's sister, a promiscuous woman who dances at a nightclub. * Asghar the Diesel: Akhtar's boyfriend, a street thug. * Farokh Laqa: A bitter old woman who has never been married and is always in search of funerals to attend. * Sardar Maharat Khan: A Sikh Indian businessman; though not a military man, his honorific Persian title of Sardar means "Commander". Dear Uncle thinks that he is a British spy. * Lady Maharat Khan: The Sardar's blonde British wife. * Shir Ali the Butcher: A giant, violent butcher, protective of his wife Tahereh's honor, but too simple to realize her infidelity. The "Shir" in his name means "
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
". * Tahereh: Shir Ali's lascivious wife whom everyone in the neighborhood, from Dustali Khan to Asadollah Mirza, sleep with. * Houshang: A local cobbler and shoe shiner whom Dear Uncle believes is sent by the Germans to protect him from the British. * Seyed Abolqasem: A local preacher. * Naneh Bilqis: Dear Uncle's maid and chef.


English translation publication history

* 1996, US, Mage Publishers , Hardcover * 2006, US,
Random House Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...
, , Paperback


References


External links


''My Uncle Napoleon'' at Mage Publishers

''My Uncle Napoleon'' at Random House
* {{IMDb title, qid=Q5961486 1970 novels Iranian bildungsromans 20th-century Iranian novels Novels set in Iran Novels set during World War II