Reading Lolita in Tehran

a memoir in books

356 pages

English language

Published Nov. 7, 2004 by Random House.

ISBN:
9780812971064
OCLC Number:
54030894

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5 stars (1 review)

Prof. Nafisi resigned from her job as professor of English Literature at a university in Tehran in 1995 due to repressive government policies. For the next 2 years, until she left Iran, she gathered 7 young women, former students, at her house every Thursday morning to read and discuss works of Western literature forbidden by the new regime. They used this forum to learn to speak freely, not only about literature, but also about the social, political, and cultural realities of living under strict Islamic rule.

14 editions

Review of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I've been trying to read more non-fiction and I thought this one would be good to get me back into the genre. It was! It's worth considering for any readers who like thoughtful conversations about culture, history, literature, or interpersonal relationships.

The book is structured as a memoir describing a group of young women studying Lolita together with Ms. Nafisi in 1990s Tehran. As the women met to discuss the novel, their exploration of its themes formed a framework for talk about their lives and how the politics and culture of Iran affected them.

I read Lolita a long time ago, so I'd forgotten a lot. Ms. Nafisi's memoir would give any reader a valuable literary analysis of Lolita, but it was also a truly rich depiction of women struggling with oppression on a personal level (Lolita and the book group members) and on a …

Subjects

  • Nafisi, Azar
  • English teachers -- Iran -- Biography
  • English literature -- Study and teaching -- Iran
  • American literature -- Study and teaching -- Iran
  • Women -- Books and reading -- Iran
  • Group reading -- Iran