The Cannon

"The Cannon" is the first and best of Gholam-Hossein Sa'edi's novels. It has an unwavering focus on a single character, the independent itinerant Mullah Mir Hashem who is clever and manipulative. Based on historical events, the novel is set in north-western Iran in the early twentieth century. It features tribal supporters of the Constitutional Revolution; Russian Cossacks who are backing the status quo; and Mullah Mir Hashem. The novel offers a glimpse into the tensions and machinations of the revo-lution, where each party is attempting to outwit, out-manoeuvre and otherwise deceive the other. For most of the narrative Mir Hashem seems to have outsmarted the others. The story comes to an intriguing and unpredictable end.