Book Review: House of Sand and Fog
- ➢ Home
- ➢ Book reviews
This book is a dark and gripping tragedy with characters who seem deeply likable and unlikable in equal measure. In the opening pages Kathy Niccolo loses her home due to a mundane error at the county tax office. That in turn opens a door for Colonel Massoud Behrani, an air force colonel under the Shah of Iran who fled his home country during the revolution. Niccolo is an escapist at heart, whose deep depression in the wake of a breakup sets off the drama. Behrani is a contemptuous narcissist whose excessive pride prevents him from adjusting to his new and humble circumstances. What unfolds from here is a tragedy that pits legality against morality, racism against sexism, and desperation against desperation. Neither Niccolo not Behrani have very much margin for error in their lives, but both of them make a string of relatable but fatal mistakes.
I found the story rather depressing, but gripping. I cared about these characters more than I should have, especially because I knew from the start that it was a tragic work. At every turn I thought some sort of amicable resolution was possible - and perhaps it was. But again and again the characters, imprisoned by their own flaws, chose self-destructive paths that only sharpened the drama. The writing also includes some clever juxtapositions - such as a bit of back story that includes a traditional Iranian ceremony of spilling lamb’s blood on a newlywed’s doorstep, set against a present-day accident which leads Niccolo to walk with a bleeding foot into the Behranis’ new home. These juxtapositions serve to tie the back story and present day timelines together nicely.
For all that the characters are relatable and the writing quite engaging, I did find the storyline exceptionally dark. That’s only fair for a tragedy, but it can be a little difficult to read at times. The story also digressed a bit much at parts, with the ending a sort of sputtering out rather than a cathartic conclusion. It’s a decent read, but certainly a downer!