“Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books” – Azar Nafisi
As the title suggests, the book “Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books,” is a memoir by Iranian-American author Azar Nafisi, who is also a professor of English Literature. In this book, Nafisi relates the time of her life when after completing her education in America she returned to Iran only to find it in the clutches of religious fanatics. The book is set during the late 1900s, the time when the last Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi was overthrown by Imam Ayatollah Khomeini, a religious leader who wanted to run the country on Islamic principles, however, he only turned it into a hub of religious fanaticism, hypocrisy, and tyranny by usurping the rights of its citizens. The book tells not only the disruptions caused by the regime but also describes the atrocities caused by the war against Iraq.