Member Reviews

  • Robert of Ravenclaw
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 3 stars

    Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
    by Azar Nafisi ( Three Stars )


    To start with I am not a fan of memoirs , but there were parts of this book I enjoyed . The format I found a bit strange . The book is broken down into four parts . If the 2nd and 3rd part of the book would of been the 1st and 2nd part and the 1st part would of been the 3rd . I would of liked it better The book start off with the Writer Azar Nafisi, Ph.D. quiting her at Free Islamic University, and starting a class at her home for 5 girls as she calls them ( these " girls are all in there 20 and 30s )

    The 1st part of the book is called Lolita
    Is about Azar Nafisi quiting her job . And starting this class in her home . This section of the book mostly focuses on 3 books . They are Lolita, One Thousand and One Nights and Invitation to a Beheading. She uses these book to tell you about what is going on in Iran and the oppression the government is doing to it's people . You also learn about the 3 books she talks about .

    the 2nd part of the book is called Gatsby
    Is about Her life as college student in The USA , and the start of the Iranian revolution. You learn a bit about the different groups fighting for power .

    The 3rd part is called James
    It is about her being fired from her job at University of Tehran for refusing to put on the veil , The birth of her 2 kids , the Iran-Iraq war , and her job at Free Islamic University

    The 4th part on the book is called Austen
    Is about what is happening in her new class and the girls . I found this section of the book the most interesting . I found the life of these girls vary interesting . You also got better incite of the daily life in Iran .

    Robert of Ravenclaw wrote this review Tuesday, July 22 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Andrea B
    • Rated 2 stars

    This was a hard book to read after reading several other books about the people in the Middle East (Three Cups of Tea, Kabal Beauty School, Kite Runner...) . I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the books they were discussing (Lolita...). You can tell the author is extremely intelligent which is how the book was written but it just didn't come across as well as the other books I mentioned.

    Andrea B wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )
  • sophie d
    • Rated 0 stars

    We learn a lot about Iranian history as well as classic litterature... great :)

    sophie d wrote this review Tuesday, September 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mayka
    • Rated 3 stars

    This book isn't bad, but I'm just not interested in finishing it...

    Mayka wrote this review Thursday, September 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Monique
    • Rated 4 stars

    After quiting her job at the University of Allameh Tabatabei Nafisi forms a reading group with 7 of her best students. Every Thursday, for over 2 years, the woman come together to read and talk about forbidden books. With the information from the books Nafisi tells the readers about Iran and his history, but also about her own life and that of the 7 woman.

    I liked this book, although I didn’t always like the parts of Nafisi’s own life. The explanations of the books I thought were very interesting. I actually understand Lolita a bit better now for example. The lives of the woman made me really sad. How lucky we are to be free to read and do whatever we want.

    Read for TittM: Memoir, Memoirs & Middle East

    Monique wrote this review Sunday, August 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • connie k
    • Rated 0 stars

    Just started reading this. It's about a woman who teaches literature in Tehran (Middle East) and she has to teach from her home because it is against the law there to teach certain books, especially to women!

    connie k wrote this review Thursday, August 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Kira G
    • Rated 5 stars

    I would recommend this book to anyone. It's fascinating

    Kira G wrote this review Thursday, August 21 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
  • Barb N
    • Rated 3 stars

    Very 'philosophical' and centered around connections to classics which the author taught in Tehran.

    Barb N wrote this review Monday, July 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Yuri G
    • Rated 5 stars

    Passionate. I like the cleverness of her reading of Lolita and a few other books, and the way she makes them relevant to the situation in Iran.

    Yuri G wrote this review Saturday, July 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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