"Reading Lolita in Tehran" -- Recommended Reading

[Gichin13]

Just finished this book. I bought it some time ago, but it managed to slide off the top of the stack for a few months.

This is a great book, and also a very interesting and personal view of the culture, politics and personality of Iran. Definitely a good read.

[Ignatius J.]

What worries me is that more people seem to be reading this book than the actual book LOLITA. If you have some time, pick up LOLITA. if you finish that, then read a book about someone reading it.

[Gichin13]

Originally posted by Ignatius J.
What worries me is that more people seem to be reading this book than the actual book LOLITA. If you have some time, pick up LOLITA. if you finish that, then read a book about someone reading it.

Well, I got one pretty sorry response to what is an excellent book.

First, I have read Lolita twice so thank you for the nice superior commentary. I did not like the book any more the second time I read it.

Second, this book is an excellent commentary on Islamic theocracies, and also on the little things that a society can take away that are almost worse than the bigger ones.

[Ancalagon the Black]

I think the lack of response is due to the fact that most people here haven't read it. I just read the description on Amazon and am looking forward to picking it up. Thanks for the rec!

By the way, loved Lolita, but how much of it do I need to remember to get a lot out of this book?

[BG]

Originally posted by Ignatius J.
What worries me is that more people seem to be reading this book than the actual book LOLITA. If you have some time, pick up LOLITA. if you finish that, then read a book about someone reading it.

Tell that to some people living in Iran.

Damn dood, maybe someday they'll write a story abou that one.

[Gichin13]

Originally posted by Ancalagon the Black
I think the lack of response is due to the fact that most people here haven't read it. I just read the description on Amazon and am looking forward to picking it up. Thanks for the rec!

By the way, loved Lolita, but how much of it do I need to remember to get a lot out of this book?

Really nothing -- the book is written by a college professor of English literature from Iran (now teaches at Johns Hopkins). She describes her teaching history and her students, ties in the educational changes over there to events in Iran. Her dad was youngest mayor ever in Tehran, then was arrested, then released. Her family was intellectual, but also religious so they had a mixed bag after Khomeni came into power.

She was back and teaching during the revolution in 1979 and she describes the tugging amongst various groups (Islamic, Marxist, et c) for control of the country. Then Saddam attacked in 1980 (I forgot it was that long ago) and she describes the impact the Iran/Iraq war had on the internal politics.

She got shelved as a professor because she refused to wear a veil. Eventually (i.e. years later), she agreed to wear a veil at another institution and teach so long as she had control over content.

The book places much of these issues in the literature context of what she was teaching. For example, there is an incredible section during the 1979-1980 time frame where she is teaching The Great Gatsby while the revolution is in full swing and the question of Islamic for revolutionary control was still in play. The classroom commentary on the immoral nature of Gatsby is amazing. She actually held a class trial defending the "book" with one of the more religious conservatives acting as prosecutor.

She covers the interplay of a bunch of books (some Jane Austen, some Henry James, Lolita, Gatsby) and ties in some of the classroom discussion themes with weaknesses and failures in the regime. It really is a fascinating book.

I had not read Lolita in around 15 or more years. I do remember the characters just really all grating on me ... I have to say, I can appreciate Lolita a bit more after reading this book and putting it in context.