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City of Lies

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City of Lies

By: Ramita Navai
Narrated by: Sylvia Lisle
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About this listen

Far removed from the picture of Tehran we glimpse in news stories, there is another, hidden city, where survival depends on an intricate network of lies and falsehoods.

It is a place where Mullahs visit prostitutes, cosmetic surgeons restore girls' virginity and homemade porn is bought and sold in the bazaars. It is also the home of our eight protagonists, drawn from across the spectrum of Iranian society: the porn star, the ageing socialite, the assassin and enemy of the state who ends up working for the Republic, the volunteer religious militiaman who undergoes a sex change, the dutiful housewife who files for divorce, and the old-time thug running a gambling den.

These are ordinary people forced to live extraordinary lives. Plotted around the city's pulsing central thoroughfare, Vali Asr Street, City of Lies is an energetic, intimate and unforgettable portrait of modern Tehran and of what it is to live, love and survive under one of world's most brutally repressive regimes.

©2014 Ramita Navai (P)2014 Tantor Activists Politicians Politics & Activism
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If you could sum up City of Lies in three words, what would they be?

The story seemed very interesting and the book well written, but listening to the recording was an ordeal.

Would you be willing to try another one of Sylvia Lisle’s performances?

NO WAY!!! Such monotonous style, I could not tell when the story moved from one scene to another. Worst reading style ever.

Any additional comments?

I am thinking of buying the book and reading it, as the reader has literally ruined it for me.

unbearable to listen to this reader

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this was a superb account of lives beyond the regime though we could wonder about ordinary lives of others beyond those portrayed in the book. such a good read

brilliant and insightful

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As a British-Iranian brought up in the UK, this book was an outstanding account of the true face of Tehran and Tehrani’s. A complicated multi-layered world that represents the rest of Iran. I’ve always struggled to put this multifaceted society into words, but this book has done a fantastic job of that. A great read, would defo recommend to anyone.

Honest, Transparent, Informative, Just great

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Very apt and true description of Tehran and Iran as a whole. The country has been held back decades by the religious and traditional hang ups that have gripped the country from the top down, despite many forward thinking and intelligent individuals. I highly recommend this book..

BUT… awful, AWFUL narration! There are literally millions of Iranians in the diaspora. Why was a narrator not selected that can actually speak Persian??? Road names, expressions, names… totally butchered. Very substandard selection of the narrator

Great book, awful narration

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Fascinating, shocking & interesting read. However it was spoilt by the narrator’s robotic voice. My first experience of an audible book - such a shame.

Fascinating....

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Essential reading for understanding modern Iran and focusing on the underbelly of Tehran. A poor reading as other reviewers have noted but worth every minute.

Essential reading for understanding modern Iran

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The low rating is purely due to the performance of the narrator as she made it so difficult for me to listen to this book. It was a torture to follow her accent and her pronunciation even to simple English words let alone the Farsi words. The book should be narrated by a narrator who’s voice and pronunciations are clear and easy to follow. Not sure if it was just that or the book too but I certainly did not enjoy this experience.

Narrator

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don't bother with the audio book, buy the real thing because the narrator completely ruins the experience

narrator is awful

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