Prince Naser inherits the throne of Persia after his father, the shah, dies. Naser, his staff and harem move to Tehran to rule. His new status alters his relationships with his mother, Mahdolia, and his grand vizier, Mizra Kabir; each competes for power over the new, young and inexperienced shah’s decisions and style of governance. Vizier and mother take the opportunity to slander one another in private consultations with Naser. Conflict exists on multiple levels in The King, translated by Nancy Forest Flier: 19th-century Persia is unstable, lying on the brink of modernisation. The country’s relationship with Britain is tellingly represented in a public showing of disrespect by the latter, whose men refuse to remove their boots when entering the royal palace. The King is closely based on the life of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who ruled Persia from 1848 to 1896. Character – which, beyond that of the shah, often lacks complexity – is secondary to plot in a novel that reads as a very detailed and well-researched historical account.
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