And honestly, it probably still is. This book excels in so many areas. It upsets me that the one thing it did poorly overshadowed all of it for me. Darius the Great is Not Okay tells the story of a “fractional Persian” who visits Iran for the first time.
Darius’ struggles with mental health, cultural identity, and not fitting in are painfully relatable to me. Khorram does well in showing the distinct differences between Iranian and American culture, from the attitudes towards mental illness to Social Cues, as Darius calls them, like taarof. Darius is extremely likeable and isn’t afraid of expressing his feelings through his own unique voice and sense of humor.
I’ve seen mentions of this book having LGBT themes, but the way the book deals with sexuality is disappointing. There are a plethora of hints that lead the reader to suspect that Darius isn’t straight, but it is never acknowledged as Sohrab is only ever a friend to Darius. The way Khorram deals with LGBT themes comes off as denial rather than subtlety.
Darius’ struggles with mental health, cultural identity, and not fitting in are painfully relatable to me. Khorram does well in showing the distinct differences between Iranian and American culture, from the attitudes towards mental illness to Social Cues, as Darius calls them, like taarof. Darius is extremely likeable and isn’t afraid of expressing his feelings through his own unique voice and sense of humor.
I’ve seen mentions of this book having LGBT themes, but the way the book deals with sexuality is disappointing. There are a plethora of hints that lead the reader to suspect that Darius isn’t straight, but it is never acknowledged as Sohrab is only ever a friend to Darius. The way Khorram deals with LGBT themes comes off as denial rather than subtlety.