Mirza

The collection titled “Mirza” is a work by “Bozorg Alavi,” which includes six short stories. In addition to the story “Mirza,” the collection features the stories “Water,” “Wanderer,” “Loner,” “The Best of Stories” (Ahsan al-Qisas), “Cholera,” and “All Alone.” “Bozorg Alavi” wrote these stories during the 1940s and 1950s while he was living in Germany. The stories of “Mirza” are short, sweet, and engaging, written by “Bozorg Alavi” in a simple and unpretentious language. The themes of the stories in this collection differ from one another, and there is no continuous connection between them, but the author’s views and writing style remain consistent throughout the collection. The first story, titled “Water,” is about a man attempting to bring water for a dying stranger. “Mirza,” the title story from which the book takes its name, tells the story of an individual living abroad who helps political refugees find their families. In this story, “Bozorg Alavi” portrays the social and emotional state of exiles who seemingly left their homeland of their own accord, though this choice was not entirely voluntary and involved elements of compulsion and necessity. “Ahsan al-Qisas,” as its title suggests, revolves around the regret of the brothers of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) (pbuh) for what they did to him. “Wanderer” tells the story of a girl who, after marrying a wealthy man, realizes she must be independent and start working on her own. The story “All Alone” is about the correspondence between a political prisoner and his daughter, and “Cholera” is the tale of a ruthless man who morphs into a different persona each day for his personal gain.