The Subversive Seventies in Tehran: Romancing Revolutions

The 1970s are emerging as a pivotal decade in global history, in which enduring and unprecedented revolutionary changes radically altered our conception of society, polity and culture. In this book, Hamid Dabashi gives a potent account of the momentous changes in Iran during this time, mapping the social, political and cultural forces that shaped the decade and led to the downfall of the Pahlavi dynasty. Recollecting his years as a student in the Iranian capital, Dabashi explores the social and cultural scene of 1970s Tehran and offers a thorough account of the political disposition of the country in the years leading up to the 1977–9 revolution. He places this in the context of revolutionary aspirations around the world, putting Tehran on the map of the global ‘subversive seventies’. The story is framed around an analysis of iconic novels and films that both reflected and shaped the time in which they were produced.