“An important new novel, not-to-be-missed... A sharply observed, painfully intimate and illuminating vision of Iran that will be invaluable to readers.” — Joyce Carol Oates“I found Amir Arian’s Then the Fish Swallowed Him a strange and startling vision written with the ferocity of an endangered artist and the lyric eloquence of a master. The world conjured up in these pages will haunt the reader with a real, palpable but entertaining dread much like the Iranian classic, The Blind Owl. It is a debut of genuine brilliance and wit.” — Chigozie Obioma, Man Booker Shortlisted author of The Fisherman and An Orchestra of Minorities“Then the Fish Swallowed Him had me gripped from the start, I couldn’t turn away. A story about power and the way it can hold us in its cruel grasp. This is a novel of our times. Revealing, dark and illuminating, beautiful and tense.” — Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo“Then the Fish Swallowed Him is a gripping, intelligent novel, opening vistas of the imagination with economy and insight. Harrowing and clear as a bell.” — Isabella Hammad, author of The Parisian“In this stunning work, Arian accomplishes a rare feat by telling a captivating story of an unforgettable character and by bearing witness to the hard truths endured by political prisoners everywhere.” — Booklist (starred review)“A distressing, smartly interior tale of the horrors sown by oppressive politics.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Reminiscent of Camus’ The Stranger, Iranian writer Arian’s first novel published in the U.S. excels in its own right for its sheer literary and moral brilliance. . . . In this stunning work, Arian accomplishes a rare feat by telling a captivating story of an unforgettable character and by bearing witness to the hard truths endured by political prisoners everywhere.” — Booklist (starred review)“A depiction of how abstract political machinations crystallize into absurd, capricious violence.” — The New Yorker“A convincing, unnerving read . . . poignant and tragic. . . . The novel is an uncomfortable deep dive into the belly of a beast that swims in every sea.” — Dina Nayeri, New York Times Book Review“Arian’s hard-hitting English-language debut. . . . This is an essential work of contemporary Iran.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
