Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

I happened to read this book back in July 2015. The book left a lasting impression on me. I had since then gifted this to most of my friends who love reading books. The book is a memoir by Azar Nafisi detailing her years after being suspended in the early 1990s from the University for not wearing the veil. She forms a ladies only literary club consisting of her past students. The meetings are held once every week in a clandestine manner to discuss banned works of literature. Soon, they find parallels between the works they discuss and their present situation. As their bond strengthens, they try to use their understanding of fiction to make sense of the constantly changing world that is adversely impacting the lives of women.This book is a delightful read. You shall find yourself to have changed from the one you were before laying your hands on this one.

I would like to sit in Azar Nafisi's literature class for sure! She is a wonderful writer and a lover of literature. She is also courageous about voicing her believes and she has been successful in giving her personality to the book.I'm recommending the book to all literature lovers!

The media could not be loaded.  The book was not in a good state

Situation over here is more or less similar when you talk about the mentality of people. This book is helped me understand many other perspectives revolving around issues of 'narrow thinking' and its impact on the one who is over come the odds and realized the reality is different than the way they are conditioned. It is a good read.

This book takes you on a literary journey across the works of Nobokov, James, Austen and so on - amidst the distress in Tehran during the war. By the time i was done with this book, it felt like a good friend had left me - but not unfulfilled! A must read.

Its an amazing book. An enthralling tale of womam through the great works of Western literature. I learned a lot about the war in Iran back then. The way woman were treated and being oppressed.

Some books can never be rated especially when we talk about a book like this one. Non-fiction, for me, has always been a boring read and as an assignment for the upcoming course, Azar Nafisi was just a satisfactory read for me.A one-time read, with some good focal points and relation to the classics of Nabokov, James, Gatsby, Austen and alongside struggle of an Iran, where day in and day out is a constant struggle to survive and live, Nafisi has tried to make synchronisation between the real and the fictional life.

A nice piece of work, a memoir very brillantly crafted. Must read book in life. A dig in history and experience. Perhaps the best ever memory by Azar Nafisi

Esta é a segunda vez que leio este livro excelente e perturbador, da escritora iraniana e professora de Literatura ocidental Azar Nafisi. Minha primeira leitura foi há dezoito anos, pouco depois da sua primeira publicação nos Estados Unidos, onde eu morava na época. O sucesso foi imediato e tive a sorte de assistir a uma palestra dela em Nova York, que muito me marcou.Além de muito bem escrito, o livro me cativou por conseguir expressar como poucos a revolta e as dificuldades das mulheres iranianas na luta contra a sua colossal perda de direitos após a instauração da República Islâmica do Irã após a queda da monarquia. O que mais me impressionou foi perceber que esta completa reversão histórica, que tão poucos iranianos e observadores internacionais acreditavam ser possível, de repente se impôs na vida de todos os cidadãos com imensa força política, através da ideologia religiosa e manipulação das massas polarizadas. Não há país livre destes perigos, que ameaçam a vida não somente das mulheres, mas de toda a sociedade.Leitura altamente recomendada tanto para homens como mulheres, para aqueles leitores que ainda se lembram da época do Xá da Pérsia, no século passado, bem como para aqueles que já nasceram nestes “novos tempos” do século 21, em que todas as iranianas são obrigadas a sair às ruas envoltas em seus chadors.

I must admit I found it a little difficult to get into this book for the first 50 pages but once the author began to describe life in Iran, I found it fascinating & could not put it down.

Le combat d'un être appartenant à la force de la Nature. La femme et sa détermination... et sa force de caractère, la vaie force, pas celle de la violence qui oblige à la soumission...Le livre est arrivé dans le temps attendu.L'emballage était parfait, soigné,Le contenu correspond à mes attentes.Je remercie le vendeur pour son professionalisme et Amazon de mettre cette plateforme à la disposition du public et des vendeursBonne journéeJosé Manuel

I chose to read Reading Lolita in Tehran because I am currently in the middle of reading Lolita. I am very happy that I chose to read this book, it is beautifully written and powerful. This book details the authors, Azar Nafisi’s experiences in Iran after the revolution and her move to America. The book focuses on a class she teaches in her home, during the class they read forbidden western classic books including Lolita. This class gave Azar and her students a chance to take a break from he restrictions of the Islamic State, and gives them the freedom to express their individuality and opinions. I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who value individuality, individual freedom, women's empowerment, and those who appreciate he power of fiction. Personally, I plan on rereading this book in the summer after I finish reading Lolita, so that I can better appreciate Reading Lolita in Tehran. Azar Nafisi's writing style lacked a lot of dialog, but made up for it with lots of descriptive language and powerful comparisons. The dialog that was included was appropriately placed within the memoir. Azar Nafisi is a talented story teller and while you read her book you can really envision the situations she was in and experience her feelings. A powerful composition made to compare Azars students to classic Greek characters is “Their mistakes, like the tragic flaw in a classic traded, become essential to their development and maturity.” (Nafisi 223). She uses Greek characters hamartia’s to relate to her young students. The student’s choices and mistakes help them become who they are by the end of their final class. Another great comparison was used to compare the students to some of Jane Austen's characters, “Austen’s protagonists are private individuals set in public places. Their desire for privacy and reflection is continually being adjusted to their situation within a very small community which keeps them under its constant scrutiny. The balance between the public and private is essential to this world.” (Nafisi 267). This comparison was used to show how important he class was for students to have their own private space to be themselves without strict laws getting in the way. The examples Azar uses are good for keeping the reader engaged and help them develop a clear image of Azar’s students. The most appropriate audience for this book is someone who doesn't expect a lot of intense action or dialog, but can appreciate hearing personal complex thoughts and feelings. Even though I've never been in any situations similar to Azar Nafisi I was able to feel for her and think of points in my life that I felt similar emotions to hers. For example, I can relate to her students and herself feeling trapped without a private life. Being in high school while being controlled by adults can feel like I have no private life, but this is so different and less intense compared to Azar Nafisi’s experiences, regardless she makes it easy to relate to her emotions while reading the book. Azar did an incredible job of describing her students on a very personal level. She made it easy to understand their internal and external struggles. To a degree you were able to choose who to like and dislike, but most of Nafisi’s descriptions determined who you would trust and distrust. Nafisi’s explanations of characters struggles helped me better understand the characters as a whole, like this explanation of a characters relationship with wearing her scarf and the governments mandated dress code “…the revolution that imposed the scarf on others did not relive Mahshid of her loneliness. Before the revolution, she could in a sense take pride in her isolation. At that time she had worn the scarf as a testament to her faith. Her decision was a voluntary act. When the revolution forced the scarf on others, her actions became meaningless.” (Nafisi 13).By explaining the shift in the meaning of Mahshid wearing a scarf it allows the reader to better relate to her and have sympathy for her situation. Azar did not write this book in chronical order. Instead the book jumps around in time from when she worked at a small university, to a large university, to her private class, and to moving to America, all of this is talked about but not in order of when the memories and situations happened. The way she does this doesn’t confuse the reader because she makes it clear what point in time she is describing within each chapter. This book was engaging the whole way through. Azar holds the reader’s attention by emerging them in the lives and emotional struggles of not only her students but her own life as well. Azar writes about many examples of the Islamic state restricting women’s rights and freedoms, she writes about how this effected students and herself. One student, Vida, is written about expressing her anger when she showed her rage regarding the regime’s new laws “‘The law?’ Vida interrupted him. ‘You guys came in and changed the laws. Is it the law? So was wearing the yellow star in Nazi Germany, should all the Jews have worn the star because it was the blasted law?” (Nafisi 134). By sharing Vida’s outrage with the reader they can become invested in Azar’s students’ lives. While reading this book I learned about what life was like for the people, particularly women, in Iran during the time Azar Nafisi lived there. I now have a better understanding of the restrictions the government put in place and the terrible things people unfairly suffered through. Overall I am very pleased with Reading Lolita in Tehran. I learned about Iran and how their revolution affected the country’s women. I would recommend this book to anyone, primarily to anyone interested in modern history, learning about other cultures, women’s rights, and education.

Much of the what takes place in the book DID happen in Iran during the period after the war in Iran. However I urge the non-Iranian readers to consult other historical sourses on Iran before and after reading this book since it CAN NOT be taken as a gate to Figuring out Iran, its people and customs. Enjoyed reading it as an Iranian youny woman who spent over 20 years of her life in Iran (28 now) and learned much about the circumstances back then when i wasnt even born. However, life is very different now in Iran and this book is not giving a correct image of the iran women. Plus, the writer seems to be taking sides with the Western liberating ideology!