Reviews

Prisoner of Tehran, by Marina Nemat

parii's review

dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

teghan's review

1.0

A pretty amazing book. Was the last of my summer of middle-eastern books from several years back. Marina narrates her story incredibly well and you just sit there, totally immersed in her life. My one critique is that she whined a little bit. Almost too much. When you think of the lives other women have been forced to live, hers did not seem as bad. I mean, it sucked, she had no agency at all, but it was preferrable to others.

There was some subtext to the book about how Christianity is a better faith. the true faith. (Marina was forced to convert to Islam), which I didnt really appreciate.

karndestroyerofworlds's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

So emotional. My words cannot do this book justice. Only her words can. Read it. 

knitter's review

4.0

This tale caught my attention right from the beginning and I ended up totally engrossed in the story. However I think she willfully made many poor decisions so, in a way, was the author of her own misfortunes.

saralynnburnett's review

4.0

Nemat tells of her harrowing experience as a young Iranian girl at the start of the Islamic revolution. In January 1982, the 16-year-old student activist was arrested, jailed in Tehran's infamous Evin prison, tortured and sentenced to death. Ali, one of her interrogators, intervened moments before her execution, having used family connections with Ayatollah Khomeini himself to reduce her sentence to life in prison. The price: she would convert to Islam (she was Christian) and marry him, or he would see to it that her family and her boyfriend, Andre, were jailed or even killed.

ldv's review

4.0

It's always difficult to respond to stories that are real, not fiction. It's a compelling tale, very well crafted in terms of its presentation -- the flashbacks and segues and how concepts are introduced so later there relevancy will be seen. If I didn't know it was a true story I would have said it was unbelievable. Instead it is an important story for the world to read, to know that these things happen(ed).

kathleenitpdx's review

4.0

In a very straight forward and touching way, Ms. Nemat recounts her early life, including more than two years that she spent in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. She is a sixteen year old high school student when she is arrested, tortured and condemned to death. Born in the mid-60's, her early years were during the Shah's regime. Her first boy friend is killed during an anti-shah demonstration. She recounts the changes in society and her school under the Islamic Revolutionary government.

I would recommend this book for everyone but particularly for high school students. It is so easy to identify with the 13 and 16 year old Marina.

robynne's review

4.0

A moving memoir about one woman's experiences in the infamous Evin Prison.

likejennybutwithad's review

5.0

Moving, awful and powerful. I liked Marina Nemat's style of writing and want to read her second book to see how she put all the things she experienced behind her.

athenalindia's review

3.0

How do you review books about trauma? I've been thinking about that a lot the last few days, as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to say about this book, and also the two I read around the same time, reviews for which will appear over the next few days. I've said the universe sometimes throws me books in clumps? Well, this time it was three about traumatic experiences under authoritarian governments. Two fiction, one non-fiction.

Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook