Women Without Men
Published on 26. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
112 pages
978-0-241-79251-3 (ISBN)
Description
This internationally acclaimed masterpiece traces the interwoven destinies of five women - including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher - as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.
Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.
Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh.
Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.
Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh.
Reviews / Votes
Parsipur is a courageous, talented woman, and above all, a great writer -- Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis Using the techniques of both the fabulist and the polemicist, Parsipur continues her protest against traditional Persian gender relations in this charming, powerful novel * Publishers Weekly * Gracefully brutal... Parsipur writes with the surface simplicity of a tale-teller. But she drops in prosaic, stinging touches of realism - of gossip, envy, suppressed thoughts and misunderstandings * New York Review of Books *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 133 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
150 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-79251-3 (9780241792513)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2026
Penguin
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
Shahrnush Parsipur (Author)
Shahrnush Parsipur was born in Iran in 1946. She began her career as a writer of fiction and producer at Iranian National Television and Radio. She was imprisoned for nearly five years by the Islamist government without being formally charged. Shortly after her release, she published Women Without Men and was arrested and jailed again, this time for her frank and defiant portrayal of women's sexuality.
While still banned in Iran, the novel became an underground best-seller there, and has been translated into many languages around the world. She is also the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night, among many other books, and now lives in exile in Northern California.
Faridoun Farrokh (Translator)
Faridoun Farrokh was born and educated in Iran, where he began a teaching career. He is a professor of English at Texas A&M International University. His research focuses on eighteenth-century English literature and contemporary Iranian fiction, as well as literary translation.
Shahrnush Parsipur was born in Iran in 1946. She began her career as a writer of fiction and producer at Iranian National Television and Radio. She was imprisoned for nearly five years by the Islamist government without being formally charged. Shortly after her release, she published Women Without Men and was arrested and jailed again, this time for her frank and defiant portrayal of women's sexuality.
While still banned in Iran, the novel became an underground best-seller there, and has been translated into many languages around the world. She is also the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night, among many other books, and now lives in exile in Northern California.
Faridoun Farrokh (Translator)
Faridoun Farrokh was born and educated in Iran, where he began a teaching career. He is a professor of English at Texas A&M International University. His research focuses on eighteenth-century English literature and contemporary Iranian fiction, as well as literary translation.