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| Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books | 
 enlarge | Author: Azar Nafisi
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00 (35.31 RON)
Buy New: $10.20 (24.01 RON)
You Save: $4.80 (11.30 RON) (32%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  361 reviews
Sales Rank: 23879
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 1
ISBN: 081297106X
Dewey Decimal Number: 820.9
EAN: 9780812971064
ASIN: 081297106X
Publication Date: December 30, 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 A tribute to the human spirit October 25, 2008
This memoir is a marvelous piece of writing. Azar Nafisi's recollections of the early days of the Islamic Revolution are absolutely compelling but, when she adds the thoughts provoked by various great novels and the interplay between her "girls", one is left spellbound. I was won over by the very first page and I soon found myself highlighting the author's wonderful use of the English language (so that many pages are almost all bright yellow now). The "girls" reminded me so much of the young women with whom I worked in Tehran many years ago. Their tenacity and humor in the face of unbelievable pressures never ceases to surprise and their fearless femininity leaves any man reading this book in a state of sheer admiration. The description of Sanaz's dance awoke so many priceless memories that it brought tears to my eyes - but then so did a lot of other episodes in the book. Perhaps because there is so much sadness implicit in much of its subject matter, this book is an extraordinary tribute to the human spirit and, most particularly, the incomparable qualities of Iran's women.
 Memorable October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
The title of this memoir/literary criticism hybrid delivers exactly what it promises. A teacher dares to challenge an unimaginably oppressive Muslin regime, by reading "Western" classical fiction at a time when all thing "Western" was either illegal or openly despised. As Azar Nafisi strives to educate her students, we get a unique perspective on some of our beloved novels. How do you teach Lolita about the disturbing rape and forced captivity of a 12 year old, when the legal age for marriage in Iran is nine? How do you approach Gatsby when adultery is a crime, western excess is shunned and of all things you have to be worried about your veil slipping off when your gestures become too animated?
Nafisi handles all this in stride. Finding courage in her favorite heroines, and instilling passion in her students as all great teachers become accustomed.
The literary criticism, moments and theories alone are enough to make the book a worthwhile read for fellow lit junkies. The book is full of relatable moments as the students grapple with the literature and characters. A standout scene involves a stringent Islamic Revolutionary using an EE Cummings poem to woo his unrequited lady love. This setting is Tehran however so not all scenes are so light, there are doses of executions, rape, and shameless brutality, but Nafisi masterfully balances the tone; keeping the reader enthralled through several genres of storytelling.
You'll want to read this one as your favorite authors and novels inspire so many different women to pursue their own dreams even if at tremendous costs. In a word memorable.
cinsandiego October 2, 2008
I loved this book, although I started it three times (over a period of two years) before becoming thoroughly engaged. After that, I looked forward to getting back to it every day and made sure to set aside a time and place to enjoy it, without interruption, as it took my full focus. I read the book first, then listened to it on cd's (narrated beautifully by Lisette Lecat). After sixty years of loving books, this one ranks among my favorites and I will enjoy rereading it many times.
Pleasantly surprised September 7, 2008
I picked up this book out of curiosity and wasn't sure what to expect. It reads easily, but there is actually quite a bit going on in these pages. I was pleasantly surprised to get so much out of one book. Nafisi effortlessly weaves her personal history and that of her girls into the larger story of the revolution in Iran. Not knowing much at all about the Middle East, it was a huge help to have the larger cultural/historical landscape explained. As if these threads were not enough, Nafisi decides to weave in one more - the relationship between literature, the Iranian revolution, and the personal lives of the girls. Best of all, I got the itch to revisit many of the classics mentioned in this book.
 Finally Gave Up September 4, 2008
I slogged faithfully through this...it has been praised from there to here and everywhere, after all...but towards the end I laid it down & I just couldn't finish it. And that is a rarity for me.
I think the book lacks a true FOCUS. Perhaps the author is a good writer, perhaps the subject seems interesting, but somehow it never seemed to come together. And I am disappointed because I really wanted to like this book.
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