The Counterclockwise Snails Society

The novel “The Counterclockwise Snails Society” by Mahsa Alioun is narrated in a semi-dystopian or anti-utopian setting and takes place in an unspecified future. The book’s title symbolically refers to a group of individuals who move against the general flow of society; those who strive to choose a different path and do not conform to the prevailing tendencies. The story depicts a society with its own rules and order, an order that is more structural and engineered than human. Within this setting, a group called “The Counterclockwise Snails Society” forms, which opposes this official order. The main characters are members of this society or their close associates, each dealing with personal and social issues. Their experiences with the society and the group are expressed through personal or internal narratives. A large portion of the book focuses on the mental struggles of the characters—people standing on the borderline between staying within the framework or stepping outside it. The book shows these individuals’ reactions to social pressures and their efforts to maintain personal identity. Some join the society, some remain mere observers, and others fear or resist these differences. The narratives rely more on reflection and mental conflict than on external events. Rather than reaching a specific conclusion, the story illustrates how people cope or fail to cope with ambiguous situations, themselves, their choices, and the surrounding world. Contrary to traditional storytelling structures, this novel lacks a closed ending or major events. It centers more on relationships, emotions, and the individual’s confrontation with society without offering judgments or imposing definite conclusions.