nicoletort 's review for:

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

3.0

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For such a much-beloved book, I expected more. It's a beautiful memoir that offers a glimpse into Iranian life shortly pre-revolution and much of the time after, relating the experiences of the revolution & government crackdown and the Iran-Iraq war, with which many Americans may not be familiar. The novels referenced add and extra depth to a point, but I found the works with which I am personally unfamiliar distracted from the narrative, rather than adding to it. Contrary to the advice I was given, I recommend reading "Lolita," "The Great Gatsby," some Henry James, & "Pride and Prejudice" before reading this.

Still recommend for those book lovers looking for an introduction to Iranian life pre- and post-revolution.