Surreal, dreamlike and overall trippy. Reading this is a dark experience that seems to twist any expectations you create. The reader is left in awe as to how to interpret the psychedelic narratives Hedayat portrays. The first part of the book is the most visual part. It at times felt like being in a dessert-like surrealist painting: weird images fills the mind while reading it. The smart use of repetition and symbolism strengthen the landscape the mind draws while reading this book.

I was actually quite surprised that it was less dark than I anticipated, especially after reading about the suicide myths surrounding the book. It is however a twisted reflection on death for the most part, which I would not recommend for the more sensitive reader, or anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts. It left in awe about the power literature can have, not so much longing for the darkness the protagonist deals with.

Would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a dark and twisted, opium-fuelled fairy tale.