Desolation (Hossein Asgari, Ultimo)
Desolation, the latest novel from Miles Franklin–shortlisted author Hossein Asgari (Only Sound Remains), is a taut and haunting exploration of trauma, memory and meaning. It traces the psychological unravelling of Amin, whose life is indelibly shaped by the loss of his brother in the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655. While deeply embedded in the political and cultural landscape of 1980s Iran, the story extends to present-day Adelaide, where an older, hardened Amin recounts his past to an unnamed writer-narrator. Through Amin, we witness the enduring effects of trauma: his turbulent relationships, his drive to inflict harm on others, and further tragedies tied to radicalism. Some readers may find Amin’s brutality – particularly against women – disturbing. However, his story mirrors the broader cycles of violence that have scarred Iran’s recent history, revealing how cruelty is inflicted on the innocent in a relentless pattern. At its heart, Desolation poses an urgent existential question: In a world where governments, institutions and entrenched systems of authority seem uncaring or hostile toward individual lives, how can people create meaning in their own existence? Asgari doesn’t offer easy answers. Desolation is a short, searing novel that refuses to flinch from the telling of difficult histories. It weaves biography, history, fiction and academia into a bold metafictional narrative grounded in the lives of ordinary people yet resonating on a global scale. This powerful work cements Asgari as a vital voice in Australian literature and will appeal to readers of Behrouz Boochani, Hisham Matar and Ocean Vuong.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Samantha Mylan is a freelance reviewer and librarian with an advanced bachelor's degree and honours in English literature. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews
