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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this. It did take me a long time to finish since it was very dense, but it was JUST my speed--reflections on life through books, philosophical asides, and an extremely atmospheric setting. All around excellent
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
So proud of myself for finishing this and slogging through the beginning. It's a shame that parts of the book are written, at best, with the tone and style a well written graduate school English Lit. paper. Strangely, or perhaps intentionally, the story of the "girls" and the books is less interesting than what's happening around them.
Azar Nafisi taught literature at the University of Tehran in the 70s and 80s, as the Iranian Revolution was happening. This memoir gives special insight into her life and the lives of several female students during these turbulent times.
I don't think I could have read this book at a more poignant time. Yes, I realize Iran and Afghanistan are two very different countries. Yet there are a lot of similarities as well. With the recent move of American troops to pull out of Afghanistan, this book gave me a window into the feelings and mind of the Middle East. I have a very skewed perspective of what has occurred based on what the media presents. It was enlightening to hear from someone who loves Iran, and yet made the decision to leave her beloved country. If you want to know more about what women have faced (and unfortunately continue to face), read this book. The following quote captures some of what women endure in a nutshell, "I wonder if right now, at this moment, I were to turn to the people sitting next to me in this cafe in a country that is not Iran and talk to them about life in Tehran, how they would react. Would they condemn the tortures, the executions and the extreme acts of aggression? I think they would. But what about the acts of transgression on our ordinary lives, like the desire to wear pink socks?" (p. 76). I did think the text was a little dry, so the audio may be a great option (although I've not listened to it, so maybe take it with a grain of salt). Oh, and while reading LOLITA first did slightly enhance my knowledge of the references, I do not think it's actually necessary before reading this book.
CW: abuse, war stories, rape, executions, jail stories
I don't think I could have read this book at a more poignant time. Yes, I realize Iran and Afghanistan are two very different countries. Yet there are a lot of similarities as well. With the recent move of American troops to pull out of Afghanistan, this book gave me a window into the feelings and mind of the Middle East. I have a very skewed perspective of what has occurred based on what the media presents. It was enlightening to hear from someone who loves Iran, and yet made the decision to leave her beloved country. If you want to know more about what women have faced (and unfortunately continue to face), read this book. The following quote captures some of what women endure in a nutshell, "I wonder if right now, at this moment, I were to turn to the people sitting next to me in this cafe in a country that is not Iran and talk to them about life in Tehran, how they would react. Would they condemn the tortures, the executions and the extreme acts of aggression? I think they would. But what about the acts of transgression on our ordinary lives, like the desire to wear pink socks?" (p. 76). I did think the text was a little dry, so the audio may be a great option (although I've not listened to it, so maybe take it with a grain of salt). Oh, and while reading LOLITA first did slightly enhance my knowledge of the references, I do not think it's actually necessary before reading this book.
CW: abuse, war stories, rape, executions, jail stories
I think it is interesting to hear what other cultures think of things that seem like no big thing in our culture. Jane Austen, Nabakov, and Fitzgerald just seem to me to be part of our collective consciousness, but not so much in places like the Asia or the Arabic parts of the world. So to hear what a group of women had to say about the Bennetts, Lolita and of course Jay Gatesby among others was so cool. For some of the women, this is the only positive notions they have of western cultures, I haven't decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing, it would probably depend on which novel they were reading. I highly recommend this book for people who love books, especially the classics, and who also like to hear what other people think of novels.
A simple, yet engaging, narration of a life that, although rough in various ways, consisted of many moments and faces worth cherishing. An insight into a world unknown to many, offers the opportunity to re-consider what we take for granted in the 21st century. Azar Nafisi did a great job in writing a worth-reading memoir, inviting the reader into her life and offering new interpretation to classic works of literature. Highly recommended.
*Extra credit for introducing me to Affogato al Caffé*
*Extra credit for introducing me to Affogato al Caffé*
This book provides interesting insight from the female perspective about the Iranian Revolution, but that is about the main aspect it brings. As a teacher I was looking for a bit more depth into the student-teacher relationship, and the book just seemed to end. I was also expecting to feel a lot more emotions about such a trying time, but I didn't. Perhaps I missed something, someone else give it a go and let me know.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Liked: learning about the Islamic Revolution, stuff about the women in the book group.
Didn't like: "my magician," the author's description of her own feelings about Iran.
I know the subtitle of this book is "A Memoir in Books," but I kept wanting it to be less about Nafisi's own experience and more about the lives of her students. I can't blame her for this, but ultimately my enthusiasm for the book fizzled out during the last 1/3.
Didn't like: "my magician," the author's description of her own feelings about Iran.
I know the subtitle of this book is "A Memoir in Books," but I kept wanting it to be less about Nafisi's own experience and more about the lives of her students. I can't blame her for this, but ultimately my enthusiasm for the book fizzled out during the last 1/3.
A LOT of this book went right over my head, but I enjoyed what I understood.