A few months ago when I had the pleasure of being a guest at Eliz/Jfer/Step's bookclub, one the options for the next meeting was Reading Lolita in Tehran. It was not the book the group selected (you missed a good one) but Elizabeth bought a copy anyway and because of an inherited paternal gene she bought another copy forgetting she already owned one! I was the happy recipient of the extra book.
I really enjoyed this book immensely and am pleased to see that a book this worthwhile has made it to the best seller list. It is a personal - sometimes intensely so - experience of living in Iran under Ayatolloh Khomeini and having to wear the veil.
The other unexpected interest in reading the book is how the author weaves in literature - I've never been a big fan of "Pride and Prejudice" or "The Great Gatsby" but her interpretations made me see these books from a different perspective.
Comments (5)
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I remember reading Anna Karinina during my Russian novel phase - I loved Russian novels and have no idea why. Miriam the Medium sounds interesting but conjurs up all sorts of things it could be about!
Posted by Cynthia | June 19, 2004 4:03 PM
Posted on June 19, 2004 16:03
I ordered the book at Amazon.com along with Anna Karinina and my friend's book Miriam the Medium.
Posted by mermu | June 19, 2004 1:15 PM
Posted on June 19, 2004 13:15
I thought everyone loved Mr. Darcy?!? Pride and Prejudice is my fave Austen book - although not because of him, of course. E. Bennet is the most appealing of Austen's heroines, IMO.
I too thoroughly enjoyed reading Reading Lolita and identified quite a bit with the Iranians. My family and their friends living in totalitarian CSSR coped similarly to the people living in totalitarian Iran.
I would love to take a literature class tought by Azar Nafisi. It sounds much more enjoyable than my college lit class.
Posted by stepan | June 18, 2004 2:18 PM
Posted on June 18, 2004 14:18
That book sounds fantastic!
Posted by mermu | June 18, 2004 9:06 AM
Posted on June 18, 2004 09:06
Hey! I resent that.
Posted by Daddy | June 18, 2004 8:32 AM
Posted on June 18, 2004 08:32