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brannonkrkhuang's review against another edition
This book is very well-written and I love how parts of it are written, but I also am not interested in a detailed analysis of Lolita, so some chapters are falling flat for me. With talk of Vladimir Nabokov there also comes many critical references to the communist revolution in Russia, which doesn’t sit well with me. Of course Vladimir wouldn’t have been a fan of the revolution, he had a very privileged childhood, growing up as a member of the exploiting class. I’d take his takes on communism with SEVERAL grains of salt.
jadedcoffin's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite book this year. Nafisi, like any talented weaver, threads together her life (and those of her students, collegues, friends, family ) as an English teacher during the Iranian revolution with all the books she used to teach her students.(Nabokov Lolita, The great Gatsby , F scott Fitzgerald, Pride and Prejudice, etc).
Nafisi gives us a glimpse of a time many of us would not have imagined. A lovely and thought-provoking read.
Nafisi gives us a glimpse of a time many of us would not have imagined. A lovely and thought-provoking read.
bumblero's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
One of my favorite memoirs by far. The memoir through literature format was so unique and well-implemented. Also I learned a lot about Iranian history and politics.
nicivigh's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
2.5
Good but very dense. I think I may have enjoyed this more if I had read all the books the author taught.
macaroni69's review against another edition
Was a bit slow of me. Perhaps I was not thinking the correct mind space.
mehvie's review against another edition
4.0
A good teacher is one who sees their students potential and helps them succeed. Azar Nafisi is one of those teachers, who chose seven students to join her every Thursday to discuss classics which were forbidden in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Each one of her students brought to their discussions their own points of views and how these novels made them realize what they were going through. Through their weekly meetings, Nafisi helped them open up, express their feelings, and taught them to find happiness through difficult times. This novel is a memoir through different works of literature.
This book is divided into four parts: Lolita (Nabokov), Gatsby, James, and Austen. In each of these parts, the author entwines the realities of her life (and her students and Tehran's political situation) to the fictional world which they are currently reading about. My favorite part was the Gatsby one, especially when her class took the Great Gatsby to trial. This book made me realize, how works of fiction can be connected to the realities of our lives, as fiction itself is written by people who have lived through their own realities.
Oh, how much I miss sitting in a lecture at the university, especially the one for my introduction to literature class; this book made me feel that I was back at university discussing great works, and analyzing what their profound sentences meant. I loved how each book which they read in their classes were somehow aligned to their current situation be it political or personal. Each author's book which they discussed started a character's story, their story about their own difficulties in life.
There were parts which went over my head as I had never read the books she mentions in her memoir, but the good part is that she explains the stories, so thankfully I didn't get lost completely. I enjoyed the amount of history in this book, and I got many new books added to my 'to-be-read' pile.
A good novel is one that shows the complexity of individuals and creates enough space for all those characters to have a voice. And she did that ! Each character, from herself to her mentor, students, and her friends voiced their opinions and expressed what they believed in.
On the whole, I wouldn't mind reading this book all over again. P.s keep a dictionary close by and hopefully you guys are good with names cause there are A LOT of names to remember.
This book is divided into four parts: Lolita (Nabokov), Gatsby, James, and Austen. In each of these parts, the author entwines the realities of her life (and her students and Tehran's political situation) to the fictional world which they are currently reading about. My favorite part was the Gatsby one, especially when her class took the Great Gatsby to trial. This book made me realize, how works of fiction can be connected to the realities of our lives, as fiction itself is written by people who have lived through their own realities.
Oh, how much I miss sitting in a lecture at the university, especially the one for my introduction to literature class; this book made me feel that I was back at university discussing great works, and analyzing what their profound sentences meant. I loved how each book which they read in their classes were somehow aligned to their current situation be it political or personal. Each author's book which they discussed started a character's story, their story about their own difficulties in life.
There were parts which went over my head as I had never read the books she mentions in her memoir, but the good part is that she explains the stories, so thankfully I didn't get lost completely. I enjoyed the amount of history in this book, and I got many new books added to my 'to-be-read' pile.
A good novel is one that shows the complexity of individuals and creates enough space for all those characters to have a voice. And she did that ! Each character, from herself to her mentor, students, and her friends voiced their opinions and expressed what they believed in.
On the whole, I wouldn't mind reading this book all over again. P.s keep a dictionary close by and hopefully you guys are good with names cause there are A LOT of names to remember.
sophiasshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
sharkduck125's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
fede1807's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
phantomsparrow's review against another edition
There was nothing wrong with the book in a literary sense. It's well written and the topics covered are interesting and thought provoking. It's just that I cannot get into the writing style of the book, and was having to force myself through it