Reading Lolita in Tehran

The latest book club book. The author, Azar Nafisi, discusses about a decade of her life as she lives in Iran (bookended by time in the US)... and the literature that framed her experience.
The book is broken up into sections that are assigned authors. (My favorite section of the book placed The Great Gatsby on trial and the students debated out the criticism it received for being amoral and leading people astray with the allure of the Western world.) The prevalent books under discussion in those sections (spanning months, years, or jumping in and out of particular time periods) correspond to those authors, but certainly are not limited to them. If you've read everything that Nafisi discusses, then I imagine you might get a good amount out of her literary criticism. Otherwise, I found certain parts were a little more sluggish than others, but on the whole, it was fascinating to read about the interpretation of authors like Nabokov, Fitzgerald, James, and Austen by these students in Iran. Some of the accusations made about these books were statements I never would have thought of in my wildest imaginings.
Naturally, then, for these interpretations to be so important, the people who read these books are just as important as the books themselves -- and the depiction of these people and perspectives are Nafisi's strength. Indeed, the glue for the book (and indeed, one might argue for Nafisi's own sanity in some of these trying times) is a small group of students that Nafisi collects together for a study group that is independent of any formal institution. These women of various ages and backgrounds have Nafisi and literature in common and the result is a very interesting mix of opinions and circumstances.
One of the more intriguing issues (particularly in how it relates to the frequently passive act of reading) was something that arose for each individual: the question as to whether or not one should leave Iran or stay. Does one flee the oppressive situation or does one stay and fight for change? While Nafisi leaves, there are strong voices for the other side (one of whom is Nafisi's husband who loves his homeland).
The revolutionary act of reading is at the heart of this book but ultimately Nafisi presents an intriguing portrait of people in a place that would otherwise suggest there is no time to remove yourself from the world and dive into a novel.