There Is Always a Way to Go

The book “There Is Always a Way to Go” by Ali Changizi is a collection of five short stories published in 2024 by Cheshmeh Publishing as part of the “New World of Story” series. With a concise and poetic prose style, the book immerses the reader in the human experiences of loss and loneliness. This loss is sometimes personal, sometimes collective, but leaves a trace in all the stories. Ali Changizi, known for works such as “Wandering Under the Tamarisk Trees”, “Fifty Degrees Above Zero”, “Skewed Pines”, and “Crystal Goats”, has established a recognized place in Iranian fiction. His writings often depict moments when ordinary life falls apart, forcing characters to confront their past, wounds, or difficult choices. Changizi’s unique prose combines archaic vocabulary with modern language, creating a distinctive and tangible atmosphere in his stories. The collection includes five stories titled “Bronze Cypresses”, “Sarooj”, “Wind in the Thorns”, “Wandering”, and “This Is Not a Grenade”. Each story has an independent structure but shares a common theme: the encounter with loss. Loss sometimes flows silently and sometimes erupts outwardly, always leaving an impact. Changizi has mentioned in an interview that these stories are an effort to touch on the shared wounds of humanity without resorting to superficial consolations. He stated, “I wanted to write stories that touch on the common wounds of people without giving in to cheap consolations.” In this collection, Changizi uses a language that balances classical structures with everyday vocabulary. He explained in an interview that this language blend gives the text a natural rhythm and keeps the reader connected to the literary experience. The atmosphere of the stories is often static and introspective; a place where characters struggle more with themselves than with the outside world. Among the stories, some stand out with minimal narration and precise descriptions: “Bronze Cypresses” tells the story of a man named “Khosrow” who spends his day off at home. His encounter with the doorbell becomes an excuse to uncover layers of loneliness, habit, and a kind of existential fatigue. “Wind in the Thorns” presents a picture of tension and internal conflict within characters; a story that, born from crisis and obstacles, paints a vague but impactful image of psychological wounds. In an era when fiction sometimes remains superficial, “There Is Always a Way to Go” delves into deeper layers of lived experience. This collection is not only a reflection on suffering and loss but also an attempt to listen to what is usually overlooked. Therefore, reading this work offers serious readers of contemporary Persian literature a valuable opportunity for a fresh engagement with language, narrative, and the human psyche.