Nonsense, Nonsense

Despite the passage of more than a century since the Constitutional Revolution and the events that followed it, one can still observe the substantial impacts of this significant event on various aspects of Iranian life, especially their political and social life. This influence has prompted numerous researchers from various disciplines within the humanities to explore the Constitutional Movement and the subsequent revolution, as well as the events that followed it, to both better understand and grasp the event itself and achieve reliable insights into its effects on contemporary life in Iran. The idea that, in addition to studying official histories, letters, and existing documents, researchers should also investigate newspapers and literary works—both poetry and prose—remaining from that historical period to better comprehend the prevailing conditions, thoughts, and the intellectual legacy of the great figures and thinkers of that time, without neglecting them, has many supporters. Moreover, it should be mentioned that studying these works is of the utmost importance for researchers in the field of literature who seek to understand the literature of the Qajar era. Works by poets and writers such as Malek-o-Shoaraye Bahar, Seyyed Ashraf Gilani (Nasim e Shomal), Aref Qazvini, Ali Akbar Dehkhoda, Mirzadeh Eshghi, Farrokhi Yazdi, Abolqasem Lahouti, Mirza Jahan-Shoar Shirazi, and many others not only pave the way for researchers but are also consistently regarded as valuable and enjoyable readings in the history of Persian literature. The book *Chareand-o-Parand* written by Ali Akbar Dehkhoda is one of the brilliant works of this era. This book is a collection of Dehkhoda’s social and political satirical writings, composed in various forms such as short stories, announcements, telegrams, news reports, and more. These writings were published during the years between the victory of the Constitutional Revolution and the start of the Minor Autocracy in the weekly *Soor-e Esrafil*, a publication managed by Mirza Jahan-Shoar Shirazi, across 32 issues, and later in three additional issues of *Soor-e Esrafil*, printed in Switzerland by Dehkhoda following the ascent of Mohammad Ali Shah to power and the initiation of the Minor Autocracy. Dehkhoda’s sharp sarcasm, paired with his subtle wit, along with the rare historical truths and his social concerns conveyed in this book, make it a useful, delightful, and engaging read for readers from all walks of life.