Exhaling

In this book, the author narrates four stories with common themes of urban life such as emptiness, relationship crises, alienation, and, as usual. Most contemporary stories also feature similar themes and examine couples’ conflicts and disputes with humor and wit. In this collection, “Hoshmandzadeh” deviates from the conventional narrative style of such stories and chooses an unusual form for describing his tales. He utilizes a fragmented form in which the narrator reveals his experiences and interactions with those around him in each piece. Although his innovative approach to storytelling is unique, his works ultimately do not uncover new features or another type of life represented in the stories of “Haa Kardan.” A part of the book reads: “In fact, I no longer listen. I open a can of these thirty-six percent blacks and sit down and change the channels myself. On one side, I watch football; on the other side, I keep flipping depending on the style of the actors—one less or one more sip makes a world of difference—but it’s mostly football. I follow the Englishmen completely. Manchester has been spectacular this year. With just two substitutions, everything changes. Now tonight, they have an injured player in the attacking line, but overall, they are sensational. There’s still half an hour to go until the match.”