Reading Lolita In Tehran

by Azar Nafisi | Biographies & Memoirs |
ISBN: Global Overview for this book
Registered by hulababykala of Virginia, Minnesota USA on 9/18/2006
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by hulababykala from Virginia, Minnesota USA on Monday, September 18, 2006
Interesting read. Able to start to get an idea of life in Iran.

Journal Entry 2 by Buffheart from Bremerton, Washington USA on Thursday, December 14, 2006
I recieved this book in the mail from fellow BookCrosser Hulababykala . Thanks much!

March 11- Started reading this book about two weeks ago and I will send it to Harmaja when I am done

Journal Entry 3 by Buffheart from Bremerton, Washington USA on Monday, March 12, 2007
I decided to move this book on today as I do not have much time to read it now. Maybe I will buy my own copy for later. Thanks Hulababykala and I will send it on its way to Harmaja!

Journal Entry 4 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Thursday, April 12, 2007
I received this book in the mail today. Thanks! But hey, I feel bad that Buffheart sent me the book without reading it first! It's so nice of you, Buffheart, and I understand why you did it, but I'm sorry you missed the chance to read the book yourself! If you'd like to, I can send the book back to you when I'm done! Just let me know, OK?

Thanks for sharing this book with the world, hulababykala, and thanks again for trading with me, Buffheart! It's been a pleasure.

Journal Entry 5 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Saturday, May 26, 2007
Well, now I've read Reading Lolita in Tehran. It took me a while, since it's not a fast read by any means. More than a memoir, it's a collection of essays - and a very good one, at that. I really enjoyed the book, although it was very different from what I expected it to be.

The secret, all-female study group didn't play such a large part in this memoir, after all. It's the one thing most often mentioned in the blurbs and reviews - I guess because it is the most obvious human interest aspect of the book - but it's not like this memoir is just about the study group. The works of fiction are far more important, and Dr. Nafisi also describes long periods of her life before the study group was formed. There's quite a lot of politics, too, and obviously lots of critique towards the Islamic Republic.

As a literature student, I enjoyed the insights into the works of fiction dear to Dr. Nafisi. I don't share all her tastes, though. I'm not passionate about Fitzgerald, for example, and I've always found The Great Gatsby a dull book. Still, it's fascinating to read about it being put into trial.

The one thing I didn't like about Reading Lolita in Tehran was the role of the so-called magician. I felt like he was idolized too much. In a way this is a very feministic book, but then again, I felt like some of its feminism was compromised by introducing this one guy behind the scenes as the highest authority of opinion. Maybe there really was some charm in the real-life version of him - I'm sure he may have been important in Dr. Nafisi's life. Who knows? Memoirs are pure fiction, after all. However, I failed to be interested in the magician as a character of this book. I didn't see why he deserved to be put into a pedestal.

All in all, I am very happy having read Reading Lolita in Tehran, and I'm further delighted by the reading suggestions in the end. I'm especially glad that Persepolis by Marjane Starapi is mentioned. It's one of my favourite graphic novels, and another brilliant account of life in Iran.

Now I will send this book back to Buffheart, so that she may read it as well!

Journal Entry 6 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Monday, May 28, 2007
Reading Lolita in Tehran is now book #21 in my "2007 Keep Them Moving" challenge, started by Guinaveve.


Journal Entry 7 by Buffheart from Bremerton, Washington USA on Saturday, June 2, 2007
I recieved this book back in the mail today from Harmaja. All the way from Finland! I will get to it ASAP:)

Journal Entry 8 by Buffheart from Bremerton, Washington USA on Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I have decided to release this book because I just can't get into it. It just seems so boring.

Journal Entry 9 by Buffheart at Bremerton, Washington USA on Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Released 14 yrs ago (1/20/2010 UTC) at Bremerton, Washington USA

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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I am sending this book as a surprise RABCK to GronnLivsstil.

Journal Entry 10 by GronnLivsstil from Bryne, Rogaland fylke Norway on Friday, February 5, 2010
Thank you so much for sending me this book. I'll read it as soon as I can.

Journal Entry 11 by GronnLivsstil at Bryne, Rogaland fylke Norway on Monday, June 20, 2011
Available.

Journal Entry 12 by GronnLivsstil at Bryne, Rogaland fylke Norway on Monday, June 27, 2011
Decided to make a book ray for this book. I'll add a list of participants when I've got some to write down.

Journal Entry 13 by GronnLivsstil at Bryne, Rogaland fylke Norway on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
In my permanent collection.

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