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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Bittersweet: Experiences of an Iranian Living in Norway is a work of non-fiction in the autobiography and memoir subgenres. It is suitable for the general adult reading audience and was penned by Karan Sotoodeh in which he recounts his personal experiences. As the title suggests, Karan came to settle in Norway after many different life experiences that the book describes, including military service after his childhood in Iran and a spell in the United Kingdom during his educational career. A prominent engineer, Karan has always had big dreams, and this beautifully told story encompasses his entire journey to achieve those dreams, despite the horrors of war, political unease, love, loss, and family around him.
Karan Sotoodeh presents a poignant and frank look at his own wealth of life experience, and it is always an honor to see people relate their experiences with such honesty and in such raw, emotional terms. I enjoyed the balance between the factual and inspiring information about Iranian culture, literature, and history alongside Karan’s personal relationships, triumphs, and struggles. I felt that the book never leans too heavily on perspective, but gives you a full viewpoint of the highs and lows of every period of his life. I was absolutely fascinated to learn about the military service, and I felt that every element was detailed and fed into the overall theme of Karan overcoming so many obstacles, both in the outside world and within his own mind to achieve happiness. I would not hesitate to recommend Bittersweet to readers seeking sensational, interesting, and poignant non-fiction.
