Golden Years by Ali Eskandarian

Book Review by Rosie Barron | 29 Dec 2015
Book title: Golden Years
Author: Ali Eskandarian

Singer, songwriter and novelist Ali Eskandarian's Golden Years is exactly what the literary scene needs. Claimed by Eskandarian himself as an 'Iranian-American novel' and certain – for tragedy alongside literary talent – to be a cult classic, it's a semi-autobiographical novel where present narratives of Ali, in New York and on tour, blend with memories of Tehran, past loves and losses.

Eskandarian grew up in Tehran and moved to Dallas with his family as a child, then on to New York to pursue his art, and this book is in many ways a new version of the Beat novel genre. It enchants the reader with brutal honesty about sex, drugs, music and war. A new beat longing to be heard, it adds unique depth to the typical Beat narrative with its undercurrents of apprehension and destruction, provided by a very national, personal and cultural war, and the delicacy and allure of its author.

In 2013, Eskandarian was tragically murdered alongside two members of the band Yellow Dogs. This posthumous publication facilitates a communication between the living and the dead, creativity and criticism, past and present.

Eskandarian's new beat and superb account of the pursuit of art will linger with you, ringing in your ears. As h himself questions in Golden Years, 'Has the past ever been so dead and alive at the same time?'

Out 7 Jan, published by Faber & Faber, RRP £14.99