Jasmine and Stars

March 1, 2007
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)