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mirandareadsca's review against another edition
Realized it wasn't what I was in the mood for right now. Plus there was a lot of description of people's clothes and whatnot, it didn't feel like a typical memoir as I expected
aberdeenwaters's review
5.0
A wonderful and engrossing memoir. She recounts her personal history, a political history, and a history of literature in her life. Anyone that loves reading and talking about books will find this book enjoyable.
jamiehandy's review
2.0
I finished this book. It was interesting. It was OK. I loved some things about it and hated some things about. First, what i loved. . .
1. the ability to read about the changes that occurred to actual people during the revolution in Iran -- that very literally overnight the city of Tehran went from modern, western in fashion and dress to having all the women covered in the chador, burkah, -- whatever you call it.
2. the lives of these women
3. the discussion on the books -- made we want to avoid Lolita forever, reread The Great Gatsby, avoid Henry james, and love Jane Austen. My favorite, favorite quote in the book is from the women laughing at how Jane Austen would have started Pride and Prejudice had she been living in Iran. "It is a truth, universally acknowledged that a Muslim man with a wife would be in want of a 9 year old virgin wife."
4. the intermingling of historical events
Things I hated.
1. The absolute lack of an outline to move the story forward. This was not an easy book to keep reading -- there was just nothing to move the plot forward.
2. The constant shift between characters made it often difficult to keep track of all the characters.
3. All the finding of good redeeming qualities in the main character who rapes the little girl in Lolita.
1. the ability to read about the changes that occurred to actual people during the revolution in Iran -- that very literally overnight the city of Tehran went from modern, western in fashion and dress to having all the women covered in the chador, burkah, -- whatever you call it.
2. the lives of these women
3. the discussion on the books -- made we want to avoid Lolita forever, reread The Great Gatsby, avoid Henry james, and love Jane Austen. My favorite, favorite quote in the book is from the women laughing at how Jane Austen would have started Pride and Prejudice had she been living in Iran. "It is a truth, universally acknowledged that a Muslim man with a wife would be in want of a 9 year old virgin wife."
4. the intermingling of historical events
Things I hated.
1. The absolute lack of an outline to move the story forward. This was not an easy book to keep reading -- there was just nothing to move the plot forward.
2. The constant shift between characters made it often difficult to keep track of all the characters.
3. All the finding of good redeeming qualities in the main character who rapes the little girl in Lolita.
ellenrobison's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
3.0
This book included far more literary analysis and far less memoir about life as a woman in the Islamic Republic of Iran than I expected or was prepared for. I am sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I knew more about the English Literature she references throughout.
My only real beef with the book was with the character of Dr. Nafisi’s “magician,” who seemed condescending and self-important. I never figured out why the author spoke so positively of him.
My only real beef with the book was with the character of Dr. Nafisi’s “magician,” who seemed condescending and self-important. I never figured out why the author spoke so positively of him.
helya_x's review
5.0
I teared up at the end of my reading. Let me tell you why.
After I finished reading this book, I decided to read the review for it, and to my surprise, they were not favourable. But then after looking up some more of the people who gave negative reviews, I redacted my reactions. People say that Nafisi seems self-important or smug. But to me and I hope other Persian women, she is what we all go through or have gone through with our regime. We all felt at some point that we had been living in a dream state, that what was happening to us was fiction. When one struggles so much with personal identity and gender politics, being self-important becomes one of the greatest pleasures of all. When all you've known is oppression and group melancholy, feeling like you are at a higher level makes you feel like you detain some type of purpose under your pressure. This book became somehow a love letter and complaint letter to the Islamic Republic. This story reminded me of all the stories I was told as a young child by my mother and her time in our home nation. This story, to a Persian woman, is one of the most emotional and relatable ones of them all. From culture politics, and gender politics to the mind-washing of men by the Islamic republic, Azar Nafisi doesn't neglect to tell most Persian women horrible realities and how we essentially learned to live and grow within it.
After I finished reading this book, I decided to read the review for it, and to my surprise, they were not favourable. But then after looking up some more of the people who gave negative reviews, I redacted my reactions. People say that Nafisi seems self-important or smug. But to me and I hope other Persian women, she is what we all go through or have gone through with our regime. We all felt at some point that we had been living in a dream state, that what was happening to us was fiction. When one struggles so much with personal identity and gender politics, being self-important becomes one of the greatest pleasures of all. When all you've known is oppression and group melancholy, feeling like you are at a higher level makes you feel like you detain some type of purpose under your pressure. This book became somehow a love letter and complaint letter to the Islamic Republic. This story reminded me of all the stories I was told as a young child by my mother and her time in our home nation. This story, to a Persian woman, is one of the most emotional and relatable ones of them all. From culture politics, and gender politics to the mind-washing of men by the Islamic republic, Azar Nafisi doesn't neglect to tell most Persian women horrible realities and how we essentially learned to live and grow within it.
meryemelnejefi's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Brilliant clever insightful and very human. Really accessible window into Irans recent history, but also a warning on how human rights can be lost.