The latest 99p book with The Times - shame that this great series is coming to an end :(

(Mar'09) One of my oldest unread BookCrossing books, I took it in hand last year and finished the first chapter, more of a novella really, the self-titled 'Lolita'. [Dr] Nafisi was an Eng Lit. lecturer, and has written about Nabukov, my excuse for finding this a bit scholarly in parts. For example the parallel drawn between the 'perverse intimacy' of Humbert Humbert and Lolita 'Jailer/Victim' and the Iranian women and their role, the Imams, persecutors...?

The rest of this memoir is the story of how Nafisi left the University in Tehran and set up a reading group amongst her former pupils, a group of women - no men allowed for obvious reasons - who only slowly begin to assert their individual characters. Some of the background, the constant pressure, indoctrination fear living in such a fundamentalist state, was fascinating, although strangely non-engaging. Maybe my worldview and experiences are so far removed from these women that I can't begin to empathise?

I'm going to pass this on - unfinished - sharing is the better part of persevering, or something!

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

This is going to today's Ipswich meet-up...to share or help stock the bookshelves

I picked this book up at Cafe Nero while leaving one of my own. Looks like a good book,and I am looking forward to reading it. I will leave a review once I have read it.


31st May 2009
I have now read this book, and would largely agree with the first journaler. It is in large parts too scholarly, which does make the book more difficult to read. It is not a book that you want to keep picking up to read. Towards the end I did skip the scholarly parts. Having said all that, I did find the parts that were about the changes in the regime, particularly towards the woman and how they coped with it all very interesting. It does make you appreciate the fact that generally in society we are equal with men and have equal rights, something far removed from these womens lifes.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

A good book, but not really a light hearted easy going summer beach read!

Had heard about this book at a book club meeting. We've read Lolita, with lots of disagreement and I've also seen the new film of Lolita. It'll be interesting to read this book.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Left on the book shelf at the bar at the Parador (hotel). Hopefully someone, a holidaymaker perhaps, will find the book and it will continue on its journey around the world.