Yahya of Zayandeh-Rud

Yahya of Zayandeh-Rood is a short story collection comprising seven stories by Keyhan Khanjani. This author is known to readers for his acclaimed novel “Band-e Mahkoumin” (The Convicts’ Band). The short story “Yahya of Zayandeh-Rood,” from which the collection takes its title, was previously published in the book “Isfahan.” This story is set in the city of Isfahan, where the city itself is vividly present, almost as a constant character. Death is the main and consistent element in the stories of this collection, casting a shadow over the entire book. Death draws close to the characters and appears suddenly, such as the death of a student girl in the story “Roodat al-Shohada” or the unwanted death in “The Dark Silvery Leopard,” where illness strikes a man. All the stories revolve around a death or a loss. Death is affordable and within reach, and the stories seem to be an ode to mourning. The characters in these stories are often preoccupied with dialogue and communication with the world of the dead. Some critics have emphasized the hallucinatory and experimental nature of the stories, referring to these attributes as influenced by the style of Houshang Golshiri. The eerie atmosphere and the extraordinary unfold within a realistic setting, intertwined with the everyday lives of the characters. The writer cloaks fantastical and supernatural elements beneath a layer of realism. This is well-executed in the story “The Radiance of Yalda’s Night.” At times, to create this eerie atmosphere, the author relies on the extraordinary, such as the mother’s apparition in the story “Puneh.” Experimentation in these stories occurs on various levels. The story themes are generally derived from social realities, yet they are not confined to a realistic world, instead blending with hints of fantasy and mystery, which can be considered a form of thematic experimentation. The parallel narrative structure utilized in some of the stories can also be seen as formal experimentation. In terms of the linguistic approach, the stories are narrated with a poetic quality, temporal disarray, and linguistic deviation, showcasing the author’s mastery of technique. The seven stories in the collection are titled “Roodat al-Shohada,” “Puneh,” “The Radiance of Yalda’s Night,” “The Story Never Ends,” “The Dark Silvery Leopard,” “Based on the Police Station,” and “Yahya of Zayandeh-Rood.” “Yahya of Zayandeh-Rood” is a thought-provoking short story collection by a writer with insight and technique, making it an excellent choice for short story enthusiasts.