If the thought of presenting a book to your dear mother has ever splashed in your mind, go to your local store and search for Azar Nafisi's "Reading Lolita in Tehran." It would be an amazing gift that your mother will absolutely treasure. Authored by Azar Nafisi, this amazing masterpiece takes us into the inside world of women's lives in revolutionary Iran. A passionate and poetic beauty, this work explores the resilience of women when they face tyranny and extols their liberating power. Azar Nafisi, an Iran - born American school instructor and the bestselling author of works such as 'Things I've Been Silent About'. He arrived at the Tehran University in 1979 when the country was going through a tumultuous era. Through the work, she takes us through the tumultuous era of Iran and the laws and rules that shackle the women of Iranian society. Present this amazing gift will make your mother feel great about you.
"Reading Lolita in Tehran" is a memoir of Azar Nafisi who along with her seven female students gathered secretly in a house on every Thursday morning. There, they used to talk about western classics that include "Lolita", "Great Gatsby", "Daisy Miller", "Pride and Prejudice", which were banned in Iran. Though shy in the initial days, they started speaking up, removing their veils, speaking freely about their stories, which dishevelled with the novels, which they read of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. Nafisi divides the sections of her book into four which includes "Lolita," "Gatsby," "James," and "Austen." While the first two sections bring in the reading group, the following sections take us to the Universities of Nafisi where we witness the revolution and war in Iran. The middle sections are more dramatic with the execution and persecution of professors, frequent clashes and air raids and the final section takes us into the personal lives of women.
The book peeks into the hearts and secrets, which were shared among them. The wildest among the group was a strange woman who applied red paint to her nails and hid them using gloves as applying any kind of makeup was forbidden in Islamic Law. She was a divorcee and despite being beaten by her third husband, she was not able to leave him as Islamic law permits child custody only to husbands. Two other women in the group were happily settled after marriage, while another girl named Sanaz, came from a distinguished family. However, she broke up with the person with whom she was already engaged before he decided to leave her to settle in England, as he did not want to share his life with a traditional Muslim girl.
Throughout the book, what Nafisi does is present a critique of the rules and laws that tie the Iranian society. However, she is not someone who defies paradox. Though she turns a critic of a society in which woman can be jailed or punished for expressing herself, she asks the westerners to marvel at the Iranian society, which implicitly resigns to the sexual appeal of women.
Annoying as well as emotive are the anecdotes that have been used to describe the girls who are on a vacation after which they get arrested for showing too much interest in western attitude. Forced to undertake even the virginity tests, these girls decide to fight the system. While one girl decides to settle in her own country while simultaneously pursuing a career in publishing and not marrying, another remain undecided on whether to stay back or get married or emigrate. The book also includes events related to Nafisi rebellion against the social norms, which suppressed the society and woman. This is exemplified in the events such as her refusal to wear a veil, her romantic relationship with a person whom she calls 'my magician' and reading plenty of western classics.
If you wish to give your mother a book as gift, 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' one of the excellent options you can ever opt for. The powerful and passionate characters of the story possess sufficient fire in them to ignite the hearts of every woman. The book would make any women raise their voice against injustice. It's sure to delight your mother as it celebrates the power of women and feminine aura.
"Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" is a revolutionary book by Azar Nafisi. It lends a fresh lease of life to the concept of Women Liberation.