Persian Classics

Seeking to depose his brother Artaxerxes and take his place upon the Persian throne, Cyrus the Younger leads the 10,000 mercenaries on a dangerous campaign deep into the heart of Persia. There, Cyrus is killed and his generals overthrown, leaving a young Xenophon to lead the army on its treacherous journey home. Snowy mountains, wide rivers, violent blizzards, and hostile tribes obstruct their way, testing Xenophon's leadership and his soldiers' perseverance to the extreme.

Aeschylus’ historical tragedy Persians, with its dire warnings against the hubris of imperialist overreach, is as relevant today as it was when first presented to an Athenian audience in 472 BC. This new edition of the classic drama features a literal translation by Mark Will (translator of Fernando Pessoa’s Message) which reconstructs in contemporary English verse the epic cadences of the original Greek.

Savushun chronicles the life of a Persian family during the Allied occupation of Iran during World War II. It is set in Shiraz, a town which evokes images of Persepolis and pre-Islamic monuments, the great poets, the shrines, Sufis, and nomadic tribes within a historical web of the interests, privilege, and influence of foreign powers; corruption, incompetence, and arrogance of persons in authority; the paternalistic landowner-peasant relationship; tribalism; and the fear of famine.

The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.

The Persians: A Translation from Aeschylus There is no drama where the total multiplicity of horror in defeat is more cogently presented than in the Persians by Aeschylus, who fought in the Athenian triumph at Salamis, where the Persian fleet was rammed and wrecked.

Once, when young Nasruddin was acting up in class by distracting his classmates with endless antics, jests, and stories, his irate teacher uttered a curse: ''Whatever you do or say, wherever you go or stay, whether it's night or day - people will only laugh at you.'' Now, eight centuries later, people everywhere are still laughing at the immortal Mullah Nasruddin, one of the world's most beloved folk characters.

A collection of four traditional Persian tales: "The Cat and the Mouse," "The Son of the Soap Seller," "The King's Treasure," and "The King and the Fisherman." The stories embrace such topics as power struggles, the reward for kindness and loyalty, and the importance of religious piety and sacrifice.

Dostoevsky tells the story of a young tutor named Alexey Ivanovitch, who works in the household of an imperious Russian general. He wants to break through the wall of the established order in Russia. To reach this goal, he tries to achieve money and power by gambling. He descends further and further into a life of roulettes and casino living and sinks himself in the endless downward spiral of betting and loss. As he fails to resist the temptations of his addiction (the gambling), he finds himself engaged in unrequited love with Polina, the General's cruel yet seductive niece.

White Nights is a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, published in 1848, early in the writer’s career. The story tells about unfortunate young man who is lonely and shy. He strolls the streets of 1840s Saint Petersburg contemplating his solitude when he happens upon a young woman in tears.