The Republic of Imagination: A Life in Books Paperback – September 1, 2015

One of the best books I've read (listened to) in several years. Azar Nafisi's loving criticism of our American DNA is so well written and thought-provoking. I bought the CD after reading an uncorrected proof & then turned around and bought 5 hard copies to send to friends. This book is NOT political, just one woman's view of why we are who we are and links it to the books most of us have read during middle school, high school and college.

This turned out to be very good. The introduction alone is a strong case for literacy and deep reading and a lament for what the rich and politicians have done to impose a new kind of illiteracy on the poor. I was struck by one quote she found from John Adams in 1765 wrote, "A native of America who cannot read or write is as rare an appearance...as a comet or an earthquake." And this apparently was true and remained true for a number of years. I had previously read that the literacy rate tested on inducted WWI white soldiers was in the low 90 percent. It dipped in the WW2 testing and dipped further to the mid sixties for Vietnam.Nafisi chose three books to illustrate the American reading experience. Huckleberry Finn, Babbitt, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. She doesn't really examine critically the three books but instead tells stories about them that illustrate her choices and her view of American Literature.

Fascinating book offering commentaries on contemporary ways of living by looking through experience of life in Iran and the USA, and also through US literature. I found it provocative in ways that resonated with me. The critique of contemporary education and the way it is being emptied out by instrumental logics is spot on

I saw this author interviewed on PBS and had read her amazing book Reading Lolita in Tehran. This is an imaginative and insightful book which showed my country and the wisdom of writers in a whole new light. I have always wondered if I read too much! After this I realized that is just not possible!!!

Nafisi is the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran. Although this book is more theoretical than that highly personal work, it still contains Nafisi's insight into the power of fiction, especially as seen in three American novels.If you love literature and want to delve more deeply into the reason for its continuing appeal, you will like this work. Highly recommended, but not light reading.

How is it that many of the best observations of America come from our newer citizens? Azar matches her clarity and brilliance with the caress of a lover. She makes powerful arguments for the importance of the arts in our schools.

A major disappointment. In making its case for fiction this is a book that resembles a long-winded and not very interesting essay. It has little of substance to say, but manages to use an excess of words to spin out its unremarkable case for imaginative writing. To be fair there may be more interest in the analysis it offers when the author eventually gets around to books by Mark Twain and Sinclair Lewis as her chosen examples of outstanding fiction. However, after wading through many pages of a far too long exposition full of rambling digressions and sentimental anecdotes, I'd simply given up by then. The case for fiction is profoundly important but this book does the cause little justice.

This book reads like a lecture which makes sense because Ms. Nafisi is a college professor. I enjoyed the analysis of literature vs. America's spirit but found it more instructional than entertaining.

Book in pristine condition, wrapped in tissue in small book box.

Great voyage through book and authors own life and experience. Great reflections on the question of what America is and is becoming and how stories can provide insight.

Why does it take a foreigner to give us an eye view on the disintegration of American values? Can't Americans see that themselves?Apparently not! Otherwise they would see the foolishness of the Common Code reading list which eliminates so many of the great novels by American writers and fills it with bland inoffensive novels. Ignorance is bliss one might say!Political correctness wants to send out the message that students should be warned before reading The Great Gatsby because there are a variety of scenes of abusive and misogynistic violence or because Huckleberry Finn addresses racism! Wow! Apparently it might disrupt a student's learning and cause trauma. Wow! I would think the endless scenes of murder, rape and violence shown on T.V. would cause much more trauma. Why don't these busy-bodies address that? It is probably the most distructive element in our culture and the public acceptance and worship of these violent criminals and drug dealers as some kind of heroes, is equally destructive. American T.V. thinks to fill their screens with violence, murder, torture are okay, but bare body bit and sex is a big no no! Were is the political correctness in that? They should be addressing these issues instead of trying to limit the reading of great classic books? Education's purpose is to enlarge the mind, to develop a love of literature, history, and the arts that make lives fuller, not shrink it by only teaching what will get people a job.I would recommend this book to everyone but most of all to Bill Gates. His generosity to education is admirable but his giving money only to those areas that help people get jobs shows his lack of understanding what is most important in life. Life and a full education!

Was an interesting analysis of some American Literature by an Iranian,Muslim lecturer in American Literature.I hadn't read any of the books showcased but could still follow the premise that the spirit of freedom to imagine is the basis of what is good in about America-democracy,the ability to question, the ability to rise above your station amongst other things..that I cannot remember or articulate.She feels that many Americans dont take advantage of the many ideas expressed in their literature.She lived in Iran under Sudam Hussein, and her students had to go underground but American literature kept their minds alive, and their souls spirited.Nafisi got into trouble for not wearing appropriate dress.She doesn't wear a scarf and does't feel that this is a contradiction to her Muslim beliefs.I especially loved her discussion on Bobbit.He is the consummate company man who lives a life based on materialism,conformity and popularity and fails to question its narrowness.

The colossal significance of literature in today's byte orientated society is championed courageously, intelligently and humorists ally in this ode.CPR for the soul