49 pages • 1 hour read
Azar NafisiReading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi, is a memoir recounting her experiences teaching English literature in Iran post-1979 revolution until her exile in 1997. Nafisi secretly formed a book club with her female students to freely discuss works by authors such as Nabokov, Fitzgerald, James, and Austen, using literature to explore political, cultural, and social issues of the Islamic Republic era. The book contains depictions of political and domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and death by suicide.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran captivates with its blend of literary analysis and personal memoir, offering profound insights into life in post-revolutionary Iran. Praised for its eloquent prose and poignant themes, it sometimes faces critique for digressive narration. Overall, it remains a thought-provoking homage to the power of literature.
Who Should Read Reading Lolita in Tehran?
A reader who appreciates memoirs blending personal narrative with literary analysis would enjoy Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. Fans of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis or Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns will find the exploration of life under oppressive regimes particularly compelling.