Super Short Summary

The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat is a fragmented, symbolic narrative told by an unreliable narrator who falls into mental and physical decline due to unfulfilled desire for a beautiful woman he ultimately murders. The narrator recounts two parallel versions of events: his increasingly withdrawn and substance-dependent life haunted by visions of the woman, and his troubled domestic life leading to the murder of his wife. The book contains depictions of sexual assault, murder, necrophilia, suicidal ideation, substance misuse, and stillbirth.