Reading Lolita in Tehran

I just finished reading Azar Nafasi's Lolita in Tehran. At first, I was afraid that it would be a bit girly, but I actually really enjoyed it. It combined several passions of mine: the middle east, culture, and literature. It not only made me want to go to Iran, but also read more.

Nafasi is obviously a student of literature, because the form of the book is very creative. It's divided into different books: lolita, pride and prejudice, Daisy Miller, etc. It's not chronological, but instead mixes it up. She effectively communicates her frustration with the Iranian regime, but she also balances her emotions out by giving lots of facts and history. She effectively goes through the last forty years of iranian history, and the different revolutionary movements. I learned a lot from the book, and I also got a good feeling for the atmosphere there - I think.


8/10