The king of Flowers:
Genre: Horror, Crime, Fantasy, Philosophical
The King of Flowers is the debut play by Pooya Salehi, originally published in Persian in 2018. Although it has not yet been released in English, an audio version narrated by the author was published in Iran in 2022. The play is inspired by a children’s story of the same name, which Salehi wrote as a teenager under the influence of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Plot Summary:
The King of Flowers centers on the brutal murder of a writer by his wife. After killing him, she sets fire to their house and herself. However, the writer’s notebook survives the fire. A detective and a clerk are assigned to examine the notebook purely to fulfill bureaucratic protocol. The notebook contains the story The King of Flowers, which follows a child on a quest to find the King of Flowers.
Analysis of the Work:
This play offers a philosophical exploration of the psychological roots of fascism in society. Salehi aims to confront serious philosophical and political questions through allegory, psychological insight, and elements of crime and horror. It is suitable for readers and viewers interested in philosophical fiction, dark psychological drama, and political allegory.
Selected Quotes from the Play:
“I’m the author of a children’s story.”
“If there were a religion for angry people that united them all, then peace would spread across the entire world.”
Detective: “What if the system turns out to be fascist?”
Clerk: “Then we’ll fight it with the same system.”
“Chief Justice of Fairytale City! I couldn’t describe the place more positively than that. I just hope you won’t order my story to be burned.”
Detective: “What if this whole war was a mistake?”
Clerk: “I told you—I don’t have another option.”
“Burn me to keep yourself warm.”
“I’m a detective. My name doesn’t matter.”
“You don’t know Franz Kafka?”
“What matters is that we’re dependent on each other. That way, we might kill each other, but our shared life will go on—until one of us dies, or gets murdered.”
“The Chief Justice of Fairytale City told me I spoke badly of the Earth and that I should never say the Earth doesn’t answer. Because the Earth always answers us—it’s our lack of awareness that keeps us from hearing it.”
“Love isn’t a commodity that runs out after being used. The more you love, the more love you have.”
“Violence justified by ideology is often seen not as a sin, but as a duty. And that creates unspeakable brutality.”
“Not all promiscuous people are thieves or killers. Promiscuous people are just that promiscuous. And thieves aren’t necessarily killer. These are separate things.”