Reading Lolita in Tehran

Reading Lolita in Tehran  By  Azar Nafisi   After attending school in England and the U.S. Ms. Nafisi returns to her homeland of Iran. Shortly after the revolution begins and she spends the next 18 years pondering her existence as a woman, a wife, a teacher and a mother. She passionately loves teaching English literature at the University but life has become so difficult in the 1980's. The restrictions on women and the cultural arts has become suffocating. This memoir reflects her time as a teacher and the works she studied with her enthusiastic students. After leaving her teaching post she creates a small reading group in her home for some of her brightest and favorite students. These women embrace Austen and James and Fitzgerald to name a few. They begin to wonder who they are and what possibilities are available outside of Tehran. This memoir is very thoughtful and passionate. As a reader it is interesting to delve into the thoughts and ideals of these intelligent women. The freedom to choose what we read and when we read and have an opinion, is priceless.