I absolutely fell in love with this book when I read it and had to pick up another copy to share here on BookCrossing. This is very powerful, and it really brings home the fact that despite cultural differences, despite geography, religion, politics—humans share so many likenesses.

I would love to see this book become standard required reading in schools.

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Trade paperback, 353 pages

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.
—Mark Twain

From the back cover:
Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic expresison, the girls in Azar Nafisi's living room risked removing their veils and immersed themselves in the worlds of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. In this extraordinary memoir, their stories become intertwined with the ones they are reading. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature.

I like this book so much that I want to share. I'm sending this into the world as an international bookray. Participants and shipping preferences in no particular order are:

• Totje2 (The Netherlands/Int'l.)
  
• Scribacchina (Italy or Portugal/Europe)
  
• LiniP (Germany/Int'l.)
  
• helena100 (Greece/Int'l.) The book is here!
  
• LittleDachshund (Bulgaria/Europe)
  
• glitterbee (Germany/Europe)
  
• Originalmulli (U.K./Int'l.)
  
• Tinina67 (Australia/Int'l.)
  
• davemurray101 (Australia/Int'l.)

Thank you very much for sending this book into the world as a ray! It arrived safely in my mailbox today, together with the BC-goodies you included. What a surprise!!
It is next on the list of books to be read, after my other ringbook. Looking forward to reading it :-) I'll post again after reading and let you know my thoughts about this book.

I know this book is highly valued and loved by many people all over the world. Too bad I am not one of them. I had a hard time reading this book and I think it was due to the fact that I did not read any of the novels the women read in their circle. Did not understand the quotes / referrals and therefore much just passed by.
The part about suppression of women in Iran and how this small group found an escape in literature was okay, but it was only a part of the book.
Human beings indeed are very much alike, all over the world. When you look beyond cultural differences you can see that. I know from personal experience, so that's not something I needed this book for.

Maybe I'll give it another try when I've finally read Lolita, The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice. I suppose then the referrals are not completely wasted and will I be able to value the book more.

I'm finished, waiting for a reaction to my PM from Scribacchina, to send on this book.

Thank you for sharing with us, mellion108!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Lolita is now on its way to a new reader, in Italy this time, Scribacchina is the next in line. I wish you lots of hours of reading pleasure with this book!

The book is safely here with me! I've read a few pages and it seems good! Thanks for sharing!

*****

I never got through to reading it, but I'm ready to ship the book on to its next reader. (My mom read it instead, and appreciated it too)

I'm really sorry for the delay. I finally got around to shipping this book today, it's now on its route to LiniP.

This arrived today with all my mail which was sent to me during my vacation. Hopefully, I will be able to start the book next week.

Thank you for sharing this book with me. I enjoyed reading it but have to agree with Totje2 that it would have been better if I had already read the novels mentioned in the book. I will make it an effort to at least read some of them. Nonetheless, I liked the book for the description of everyday life in a totalitarian state. For that matter it does not matter whether it is the Islamic Republic of Iran or another state. I was especially touched by the dilemma to decide to wear the veil in class and teach or not wear the veil and teach.

At times I found it difficult to follow the chronology.

I will send the book on once I have Helen100´s address.

Edit 11.1.11: The book is on its way to Helena100.

it took a while to get here, but finally it appeared and it is safely with me!
more after I read it.