End of the road...

Thanks for all the great discussion this month! I definitely gained some new perspective from this book (and our chats, of course). The one thing I think was missing (at least for me) was more revelation about the actual lives of the women in the book club. I would have liked to see more of Tehran through their eyes and not just through Azar's, but I suppose that's not really possible with a non-fiction memoir. On a final note, anyone have any idea who the wizard was? Thanks again!!

Halfway Point

I hope everyone is enjoying the book. I know I am, but it also makes me sad at times, and I was hoping to bring some light reading to the list...sorry.

Anyway, I'm stealing from Abby's last comment: Does everyone agree that empathy is at the heart of the novel? I certainly think Nafisi's novel draws on empathy. A powerful moment for me (and one that has stuck with me since reading it) was when Nafisi says that her students' generation is different from her own because while her generation suffered a loss, the girls of her students' generation have no past and a "sense of longing for the ordinary, taken-for-granted aspects of life" ...like the ability to wear pink socks. Sitting at my desk at work, it is hard to imagine going through life with so little control ...and so few of the little, silly things that can make the bad days bearable (like pink socks).

Anyone else have one of those "lightbulb moments," as the inimitable Dean Levmore would say???

February Reading Schedule

Hey everyone!

I am very excited to finally get a chance to read Azar Nafisi's "Reading Lolita in Tehran." Let's read the first seven chapters (through page 173 in my book) by Friday, February 15th, and then finish the second half of the book in time for the leap year on Friday, February 29th.

My opening discussion question is: Why is it important (or even just worthwhile) to read fiction?