From Booklist
Azar Nafisi's
Reading Lolita in Tehran, a 2003 best-seller, explores the relationship between literature and society in postrevolutionary Iran. Literature professor Keshavarz believes that Nafisi's book presents "many damaging misrepresentations" of Iran and its people, relying more on stereotype and easy comparison than on an accurate portrayal of the country and its people. While familiarity with Nafisi's book will be helpful in understanding some of Keshavarz's response, it is not necessary to have read
Reading Lolita to appreciate the thrust of her argument, which challenges the popular notion that Iran is an oppressive, joyless, intellectually stagnant place, particularly for women. The truth, Keshavarz contends, is that Iranian women are vibrant, teeming with intellectual curiosity and expression, and that the Iranian people are living not in fear but in hope. Keshavarz comes across as angry both at writers (like Nafisi) who portray their own people in stereotypical terms and at a world that accepts a skewed and bleak version of a country she loves so deeply. Controversial, certainly, but an excellent counterpoint for book-group discussions of Nafisi's book.
David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
In a direct, frank, and intimate exploration of Iranian literature and society, scholar, teacher, and poet, Fatemeh Keshavarz challenges popular perceptions of Iran as a society bereft of vitality and joy. Her fresh perspective on present day Iran provides a rare insight into this rich culture alive with artistic expression but virtually unknown to most Americans. Keshavarz introduces readers to two modern Iranian women writers whose strong and articulate voices belie the stereotypical perception of Iranian women as voiceless victims in a country of villains. She follows with a lively critique of the recent best-seller "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books", which epitomizes what Keshavarz calls the "New Orientalist narrative," a view marred by stereotype and prejudice more often tied to current geopolitical conflicts than to an understanding of Iran. Blending in firsthand glimpses of her own life - from childhood memories in 1960s Shiraz to her present life as a professor in America - Keshavarz paints a portrait of Iran depicting both cultural depth and intellectual complexity. With a scholar's expertise and a poet's hand, she helps amplify the powerful voices of contemporary Iranians and leads readers toward a deeper understanding of the country's past and present.
