READ DANGEROUSLY The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times

The celebrated author of READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN narrates her audiobook in a deliberate, serious, and passionate manner. Listeners need to be aware that while she is an eloquent writer, she does read with a distinct Iranian accent. This works to her advantage when she discusses Iranian literature and places in Iran. The work is written as a series of letters--each concerns a different writer or writers--to her deceased father, the heroic former mayor of Tehran. Candidly, this conceit wears thin. That said, her ability to define how various writers chose to flaunt authority, write independently (fearlessly), and speak truth to power makes for an engrossing audiobook that will give listeners fresh appreciation for Rushdie, Atwood, Baldwin, and other writers around the world who wrote bravely. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]