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kaleskorner's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent book with a fascinating look into America as a country through the lens of immigrants, students, and fiction. I adored Nafisi's writing as well as her use of language. She was able to explain complex political and historical concepts through a literary lens which enabled me to understand them much more and thus become more interested. I agreed with many of Nafisi's points and found myself underlining more sentences than I can count.
My only criticism comes from my own ignorance. Nafisi does a wonderful job of summarizing parts of the three books (four technically including the epilogue) so you don't feel too lost, however, if you have not read Huck Finn, Babbit or Carson, part of the book will be lost to you. on the flip side, this book made me want to read those three books and enrich my literary knowledge.
My only criticism comes from my own ignorance. Nafisi does a wonderful job of summarizing parts of the three books (four technically including the epilogue) so you don't feel too lost, however, if you have not read Huck Finn, Babbit or Carson, part of the book will be lost to you. on the flip side, this book made me want to read those three books and enrich my literary knowledge.
jacquelynjoan's review against another edition
5.0
If you loved Nafisi's 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' and 'Things I've Been Silent About', you will probably enjoy this. We learn more about Ms. Nafisi and her friend Farrah (and her sister Mahnaz). More analysis of literature and its importance. Thoughts on the "school reform" movement and Common Core. I've never read or heard of Babbit by Sinclair Lewis or The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, but I enjoyed Nafisi's analysis and thoughts.
angelal's review against another edition
4.0
Azar Nafisi continually reminds me of why I love literature, why its important, and why I should work to make it a part of my life. That is an incredible gift and I'm grateful for it.
librarydino's review against another edition
4.0
I think I liked Reading Lolita more, but I loved a lot of what Nafisi had to say here--particularly her views on Common Core and trigger warnings.
aethersea's review against another edition
I read slow when it comes to nonfiction, and then I had to return it to the library :(
queenkat's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advance copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway, and my only sadness is that I'll have to wait until I buy another copy so that I can read the afterword.
Azar Nafisi tackles one of the biggest issues of present day America, and that is how the American education system focuses only on producing readily employable citizens, not fully formed citizens who are armed with the critical thinking necessary to become good citizens. The American Dream is larger than just the pursuit of success. The American Dream is what allows Americans to become individuals, able to think through things for themselves, and giving their country what it most desperately needs in these days, people who are capable of realizing that patriotism is not defined by a party, but a love of country and doing what is right, even if your country is wrong.
Azar Nafisi tackles one of the biggest issues of present day America, and that is how the American education system focuses only on producing readily employable citizens, not fully formed citizens who are armed with the critical thinking necessary to become good citizens. The American Dream is larger than just the pursuit of success. The American Dream is what allows Americans to become individuals, able to think through things for themselves, and giving their country what it most desperately needs in these days, people who are capable of realizing that patriotism is not defined by a party, but a love of country and doing what is right, even if your country is wrong.
brucefarrar's review against another edition
4.0
Blending memories of her life and friends in the United States with the literary works of Mark Twain, Sinclair Lewis, and Carson McCullers, Nafisi looks at her adopted homeland through the lens of three books: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Babbitt, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
Part memoir and part literary criticism, professor Nafisi passionately defends the importance of fiction as a vital civilizing ingredient in human life. “The crisis besetting America is not just an economic or political crisis is wreaking havoc across the land, a mercenary and utilitarian attitude that demonstrates little empathy for people’s actual well-being that dismisses imagination and thought, branding passion for knowledge as irrelevant.”
Part memoir and part literary criticism, professor Nafisi passionately defends the importance of fiction as a vital civilizing ingredient in human life. “The crisis besetting America is not just an economic or political crisis is wreaking havoc across the land, a mercenary and utilitarian attitude that demonstrates little empathy for people’s actual well-being that dismisses imagination and thought, branding passion for knowledge as irrelevant.”
ashesandhoney's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It is technically about literary analysis which I did not care about in the slightest. I've never read any of the books she was analysing. Around the analysis though is this memoir meets meditation on fiction and nationality and education written in beautiful prose. I skimmed the bits where she analyses Huck Finn and reread the parts where she talks about her cousin or teaching in Iran or taking her citizenship oath. I kept screenshoting quotes. I want to buy a print copy (I got it as a library eBook) so I can mark it up because it's beautiful.
cuddlycuddlefish's review against another edition
2.0
You can tell Nafisi had a brilliant idea, but then got completely bogged down/lost in how to handle the subject matter. I enjoy her writing style, but the book is repetitive, poorly structured, and isn't going to reach the audience that it actually needs to reach. Coupled with the fact that I strongly disagree with how she reads some of the novels, it knocked the rating down to two stars.
jooniperd's review against another edition
3.0
3.5-stars, really.
i enjoyed this read -- i found nafisi's voice to be great, and her prose is lovely. it's very clear she is a passionate advocate for literature, and believes deeply in the importance and necessity of fiction in our world. i underlined many passages in the book, and will be pondering on many of nafisi's thoughts and ideas for some time to come. i just feel a bit disconnected from some aspects of the book, perhaps because i am not american? while i am certainly clear on nafisi's messages throughout the book, and much of it is universal, i don't feel i can comfortably debate some aspects of it, or that i can just accept some of nafisi's opinions as truths. (i don't doubt her, don't get me wrong. i just wish i had more knowledge myself. so perhaps she, in writing this book, will cause me to learn more? i did, however, spend an awful lot of time wondering which three books could be used for canada.... if this were to become a series. heh.)
saving this link to radio interview nafisi did here in toronto in late-2014; it's awesome: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2014/11/12/azar-nafisi-fiction-democracy/
suggestion: if you have not read these books, i highly recommend you read them before beginning 'republic of imagination':
* [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405973850s/2956.jpg|1835605], by [a:Mark Twain|1244|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1322103868p2/1244.jpg]
* [b:Babbitt|1473215|Babbitt|Sinclair Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408924226s/1473215.jpg|2772467], by [a:Sinclair Lewis|7330|Sinclair Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1205204856p2/7330.jpg]
* [b:The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|37380|The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|Carson McCullers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385265834s/37380.jpg|860196], by [a:Carson McCullers|3506|Carson McCullers|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1335451237p2/3506.jpg]
i have read all three, but it's been so long that i need (want) to go back and reread them. with the publication of nafisi's book, these 4 reads together could make a great american lit. project, if anyone is so inclined. :)
(also, since the afterword features [a:James Baldwin|10427|James Baldwin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1343346341p2/10427.jpg], a reading of [b:Go Tell It on the Mountain|17143|Go Tell It on the Mountain|James Baldwin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348424233s/17143.jpg|1027995] ahead of 'republic of imagination' would be great too!)
i enjoyed this read -- i found nafisi's voice to be great, and her prose is lovely. it's very clear she is a passionate advocate for literature, and believes deeply in the importance and necessity of fiction in our world. i underlined many passages in the book, and will be pondering on many of nafisi's thoughts and ideas for some time to come. i just feel a bit disconnected from some aspects of the book, perhaps because i am not american? while i am certainly clear on nafisi's messages throughout the book, and much of it is universal, i don't feel i can comfortably debate some aspects of it, or that i can just accept some of nafisi's opinions as truths. (i don't doubt her, don't get me wrong. i just wish i had more knowledge myself. so perhaps she, in writing this book, will cause me to learn more? i did, however, spend an awful lot of time wondering which three books could be used for canada.... if this were to become a series. heh.)
saving this link to radio interview nafisi did here in toronto in late-2014; it's awesome: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2014/11/12/azar-nafisi-fiction-democracy/
suggestion: if you have not read these books, i highly recommend you read them before beginning 'republic of imagination':
* [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405973850s/2956.jpg|1835605], by [a:Mark Twain|1244|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1322103868p2/1244.jpg]
* [b:Babbitt|1473215|Babbitt|Sinclair Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408924226s/1473215.jpg|2772467], by [a:Sinclair Lewis|7330|Sinclair Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1205204856p2/7330.jpg]
* [b:The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|37380|The Heart is a Lonely Hunter|Carson McCullers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385265834s/37380.jpg|860196], by [a:Carson McCullers|3506|Carson McCullers|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1335451237p2/3506.jpg]
i have read all three, but it's been so long that i need (want) to go back and reread them. with the publication of nafisi's book, these 4 reads together could make a great american lit. project, if anyone is so inclined. :)
(also, since the afterword features [a:James Baldwin|10427|James Baldwin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1343346341p2/10427.jpg], a reading of [b:Go Tell It on the Mountain|17143|Go Tell It on the Mountain|James Baldwin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348424233s/17143.jpg|1027995] ahead of 'republic of imagination' would be great too!)
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