Dāyī jān Nāpilʼawn Persiska (Farsi) 2021

The novel My Uncle Napoleon is one of the most enduring and beloved works of satirical fiction in modern Iranian literature, written by Iraj Pezeshkzad. First published in 1970, the book was met with extraordinary popular acclaim. Set within a traditional, upper-middle-class family in Tehran during the Pahlavi era, the story is narrated by a teenage boy who is in love with his cousin Leila. Along the path of this romance, however, he must contend with unhealthy mindsets, blind prejudices, childish rivalries, and a gallery of eccentric, vividly drawn characters—most notably Uncle Napoleon, a man obsessed with the belief that the British are constantly conspiring against him.

Through witty dialogue, precise social observation, and sharp social satire, the novel challenges the lifestyles, beliefs, and paranoias of Iran’s middle class. Characters such as Asadollah Mirza, Mash Qasem, and Uncle Napoleon himself have become so iconic that they now form part of Iran’s collective cultural memory.

The novel has been reprinted many times, translated into several languages, and in 1976 was adapted into a highly successful television series directed by Nasser Taghvai. My Uncle Napoleon is not merely a comic novel, but also a vivid document of Iran’s social history.