Amirhossein Yazdanbod’s debut book, Portrait of An Incomplete Man,is composed of eight short stories that, like scattered pieces of a puzzle, come to portray the character of Mehrdad Naseri. The stories are technically independent and maintain the autonomous form of a short story, yet they contribute to the formation of an incomplete account of his life. As we move on, the stories depart from the present life of Mehrdad Naseri.
The first two stories, ‘One Minute over White Cold Spindle’ and ‘I’ll Return Tomorrow’, are set in neighbor flats downtown Tehran, where the narrator’s matrimonial life is in contrast to their pregnant neighbor’s life and desires.
“The Shouter” is a portrayal of poverty and “For Dear Mean Marcia” probes into the life of college and student demonstrations that reveal a different aspect of Mehrdad Naseri’s past life.
“Something Like Sonia,” set in time of Mehrdad’s graduation festival, revolves around the character of his professor, and “Ultra Light” is based on dialogues between two girls at a Café, making guesses about Mehrdad and his company who had occupied the table just before them.
“I’ll Return Tomorrow” pursues the story of the pregnant woman from her own point of view and her fear of Caesarian. The intertextual “Still Yousef” offers a double reading of the Tabari History and Mehrdad Naseri’s pamphlet left in an omnibus.
“Janavar” is the story of Mehrdad’s grandfather, inspector Morteza Gholi Naseri as he is involved in a case of murder during the 1940s.
Yazdanbod offers a cubic portrait of his main character, through pieces that never come fully together to form a complete portrait.
