A little bit memoir, a little bit dissertation.
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'Reading Lolita in Tehran' is definitely not a mainstream "chick-lit" book, nor a highly literary work of non-fiction, nor a basic memoir- it's a combination of all three. "Reading Lolita" has many things it's trying to accomplish, and this is where I think it falls short.
I must admit, it took me a few chapters to get into "Reading Lolita". I thought it was going to be a strict memoir, and when she digressed into these elaborate dissertations on (especially Lolita), I found myself getting bored. Now, I'm not one to ever eschew an intellectual conversation or debate on ANYTHING, but I really wanted to hear about the girls and their lives and Azar Nafisi's life in this horrible theocratic regime. I also wanted to know how they managed to get away with reading such blasphemous stuff. When Azar Nafisi talked of these things, I couldn't put the book down, but when she started on her diatribes and nuanced descriptions of "Lolita", Nabokov, Fitzgerald and Austen, I found my mind wandering, wondering, "What am I going to wear tomorrow?" I suppose if I had picked up a book entitled, "The In-Depth Analysis of Vladimir Nabokov and Lolita", I wouldn't have felt that way, but as you know, this isn't that book. As the book progressed, I really did have affection for some of the characters, and I truly felt scared for them and hoped that this book didn't have a horrible ending like all the women getting executed in a soccer field or something. Luckily, we didn't have to deal with that, but I wish Azar Nafisi would write a book JUST talking about the lives and feelings and situations of young women in Iran, so that people throughout the world can really figure out what's going on over there. Unfortunately, I believe that would be hard for Nafisi to do. She is definitely an intellectual, and I think her interest lies in absolutely dissecting fiction in a way that no one else is interested in, and I believe she is a bit self-promoting.
Finally, I do believe this book is worth reading. I learned some things about what was going on when the Ayatollah was in power- things I didn't realize- and I did find myself sort of missing "the girls" after I read the last page and closed the book. If I could have, I would have made the rating 3-1/2 stars just for a little added oomph to her rating.
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Of Literary Criticism, Repression and Revolutionary Horrors
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This book will appeal most to those who want to understand what it has been like to be a Western educated and liberated woman in Iran since the Iranian revolution began against the shah. If you also enjoy English literary criticism and analysis, you will have a great treat ahead of you. If hearing about injustice and brutality upset you, you will like this book less well. The format of this book is most unusual. I predict that you will either find the format intriguing or maddening, depending on how flexible you are in your appreciation of new styles. Professor Nafisi writes her memoir of those years in a sort of semi-diary form. The observations are filled with nuance about the people in her life, the nature of her life, her thoughts and how what's going on reflects the concerns of four novelists, Nabokov (especially through Lolita), Fitzgerald (especially through The Great Gatsby), James (especially through Daisy Miller and The Ambassadors), and Austen (especially through Pride and Prejudice). Against this literary and personal backdrop, violent events explode every few pages as the Islamic Republic is established and begins its crackdown on women and dissidents. Later, the Iran-Iraq war provides similar moments of violence. The literary-real life nexus is related to Professor Nafisi having been an English literature professor in Tehran when the revolution began. At first, she still taught in the university. Later she resigned. Still later, she agreed to return in full Muslim regalia for women. Then, she quit again and began teaching a secret class for her most devoted students in her home. The book opens with a lyrical description of the home teaching experience in the context of Lolita, which the group was studying. After that section, the book moves back in time and proceeds in chronological fashion through the author's decision to leave Iran to relocate with her family in the United States. This book taught me many things. First, I had no idea of the degree of repression and oppression that has occurred in Iran. Second, I was intrigued by how Professor Nafisi tried to live a decent, meaningful life in this difficult context. Her life is a good example for all who like to help others. Third, I was impressed by the way she could use student reactions to literature as a way of explaining what their culture and experiences have been like. For instance, her women students usually did not date, but were trying to understand complex relationships between people of the opposite sex who were attracted to one another. There was a difficult experience void to fill. In addition, the more literal male students would associate any immoral action taken by any character as suggesting that the book is immoral and that the author approved of the action . . . even if the character later suffered the direst consequences because of the action. Fourth, our freedom in the United States is vastly more precious than we realize. Reading about what it's like to have a religion running the country is an important lesson that we should all be aware of. Professor Nafisi is a thoughtful, insightful and caring person. I enjoyed learning about her as well. Many of her students also appealed to me, and I enjoyed finding out how they dealt with their challenges. Be free!
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