The Blind Owl is a novella written in journal form with first person narration. It is a tale told by a man, physically and mentally ill, writing only for "his shadow." There are similiarities between this novella and Rilke's The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, of which the most striking is the "prose-poetry" of both books. Another similarity is the dominant themes of the past, loneliness, fear, and death. Similar symbols are also employed in both books. (For a detailed discussion, see Manoutchehr Mohandessi, "Hedayat and Rilke," Comparative Literature, 23, No. 3, Summer 1971, pp. 209-216.)