Hope Road

Reading Lolita in Tehran [Azar Nafisi]

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi ***

For two years, Azar Nafisi, an Iranian professor, gathered a group of young women into her home every Thursday morning to discuss literature. This circular memoir begins by talking about these weekly meetings, then takes the reader into poignant fragments about Nafisi’s life in Iran and how things became the way they are. Throughout the book, learning and discussion occurs through novels such as Lolita and Pride and Prejudice.

I found the middle sections a little monotonous. The first and fourth sections were my favorites, because they focused on the girls’ group that Professor Nafisi led. I would recommend this book if you love literature and writing and English… or if you want to learn more about the nuances of Islamic life in Iran.

Recommended age level: 18+. If you’re at all familiar with Lolita, you’ll know that it is not a book for younger readers. Nafisi discusses the literary value and metaphorical qualities of the story, so the fact that it is included is not an immense problem for me. It is only one of the books that is discussed. Nafisi is also honest about life. She does not slip in offensive details, but what is necessary for the story, she writes. This book is best for adults.