''The Gods Laugh on Mondays'' (in Persian: و خدايان دوشنبه‌ها مي‌خندند) was the first novel by an Iranian author with the pen name

Reza Khoshnazar Reza Khoshbin-e Khoshnazar () is an Iranian novelist who published his first novel, '' The Gods Laugh on Mondays'' in 1995 when he was in his twenties.Newsweek, October, 1995, page 37. The reaction was hot and some conservative papers accused him of ...

which was published in August 1995. It was a lurid chronicle of Iran in which the male protagonist is raped by his schoolmate, and can not be sure whether he liked it or not. He then marries a young woman who has an affair with his best friend. Eventually, the angst-ridden hero goes on a murder-suicide binge. This novel has been dedicated to

Gregor Samsa ''The Metamorphosis'' (), also translated as ''The Transformation'', is a novella by Franz Kafka published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''The Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes to find himself inex ...

, protagonist of novel ''

The Metamorphosis ''The Metamorphosis'' (), also translated as ''The Transformation'', is a novella by Franz Kafka published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''The Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes to find himself inex ...

'' by

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of Litera ...

. Reaction was hot, and some conservative papers called ''Gods'' a

blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...

. On the night of August 22, 1995, men arrived at the book publisher's shop identifying themselves as Islamic building inspectors. They set the building on fire. A head of Islamic propaganda (

Ahmad Jannati Ahmad Jannati (Persian: احمد جنتی; born 23 February 1927) is an Iranian conservative politician. Jannati is known for his anti-LGBT rhetoric and opposition to secularism. He is also a founding member of the Haghani school of thought. ...

) declared at Friday prayer that zealots are above the law.

has published six other novels in Sweden.

References

1995 novels Book burnings Censorship in Iran Iranian bildungsromans Censored books 20th-century Iranian novels {{1990s-bildungsroman-stub