tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post1715498703839595756..comments2024-01-24T11:41:28.022+00:00Comments on A Cuban In London: Reading Lolita In Tehran (Review)A Cuban In Londonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-8544189633921561592010-02-01T16:59:01.848+00:002010-02-01T16:59:01.848+00:00Many thanks for your wonderful comments.
Greeting...Many thanks for your wonderful comments.<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-70484487483635158482010-02-01T09:16:31.636+00:002010-02-01T09:16:31.636+00:00Your mind is amazing CiL. To pair up Chopin
with a...Your mind is amazing CiL. To pair up Chopin<br />with a book review and this book in particular<br />makes me want to get inside your mind.<br /><br /> I must read this novel, I have walked past<br />it many times, however now this will be the<br />next book I pick up. By giving snippets of<br />the prose found within you have made me<br />want to read this novel as soon as possible!Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10256391836026637655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-73143237994671024992010-01-29T02:02:26.466+00:002010-01-29T02:02:26.466+00:00"Reading Lolita" was the first book I re..."Reading Lolita" was the first book I read when I joined my book club. It was a great read and sparked a lively discussion. We all tried to imagine living in a world so oppressive that you wouldn't be allowed to meet in order to discuss literature. We couldn't of course. <br /><br />Your selection of Chopin's "ripples" is very fitting.Dutchbabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00844296297519447526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-8472660861527922502010-01-28T17:15:22.589+00:002010-01-28T17:15:22.589+00:00Another excellent review, Mr. Cuban. The Chopin ta...Another excellent review, Mr. Cuban. The Chopin takes me back to my old piano playing days.Tess Kincaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04889725786678984293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-31832611298127678022010-01-28T14:52:12.434+00:002010-01-28T14:52:12.434+00:00Well, I came back to add Part II of my comment, bu...Well, I came back to add Part II of my comment, but see you have already read my Part I. I'll add it anyway. It's not the written word that helps us escape. It's the story telling which was helping people escape through oral telling well before anyone could write.Judith Mercadohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13739476600999112092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-85764334850869060612010-01-28T14:24:08.328+00:002010-01-28T14:24:08.328+00:00Many thanks for your wonderful comments. I agree w...Many thanks for your wonderful comments. I agree with you both, Nevine and Judith. In fact, I think that readers and writers are the most masochist of the spectators/executioners genre. :-)<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-90944254694927741442010-01-28T14:07:28.710+00:002010-01-28T14:07:28.710+00:00"a novel stands for escapism."
You spoke..."a novel stands for escapism."<br />You spoke about that from the perspective of a reader. It applies equally well to the writer. The phenomenon of "escaping" into the lives of characters is peculiar in so many ways. It could be called a psychological deficiency, even pathology. Both the reader and the writer are drawn into worlds which, though they sometimes elicit joy, they also draw one into sadness and pain. Yet -- here's the surprising part -- we love to go there. It makes me think that, just as there is with music, there is something about the written word that leaps across cognitive filters to a primal part of the psyche. By the way, my post this Saturday is about music's role in that.Judith Mercadohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13739476600999112092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-57394122666052818792010-01-28T00:47:59.299+00:002010-01-28T00:47:59.299+00:00Cuban, for the first time ever, after reading one ...Cuban, for the first time ever, after reading one of your posts, I am stumped and at a loss for words. But let me just say this: Your review was stellar, your linking the events in Iran and in the book with what is now happening in Haiti is no passing thing, and I am honestly speechless at this review of a book I so enjoyed reading, maybe because I am like Mitra, and I derive a certain pleasure from reading about such pain within the context of so-called literature. But no, that is not the right thinking. For me, the right thinking is that when we read about someone else's pain in a novel, and we experience a certain joy, it is because we have found a mythical someone that we can connect with, someone who has suffered a similar pain or experienced a similar emotion to one we have suffered or experienced before. And besides that, I too can associate with the abrupt and unexpected invasion of memories. Can't we all?<br /><br />A beautiful and warming post, Cuban!<br /><br />NevineNevine Sultanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08794887684860140819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-66518832209510718132010-01-27T23:16:44.547+00:002010-01-27T23:16:44.547+00:00Very interesting review, and clearly a fascinating...Very interesting review, and clearly a fascinating book. I'll look out for it.<br /><br />I would love to have the chance to talk with you some day about your experiences in Cuba, and your decision to leave...Rachel Cotterillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08969719330048416996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-4970167719524358652010-01-27T22:53:15.282+00:002010-01-27T22:53:15.282+00:00Very interesting review, as usual. I've often...Very interesting review, as usual. I've often walked past "Reading Lolita" in bookstores but have never picked it up for some reason. Now you have prompted me to do so. Gracias, Cubano.Fly Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18191335990973494972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-89019637199640063262010-01-27T21:23:55.404+00:002010-01-27T21:23:55.404+00:00Hello London, I will pass on your review to a frie...Hello London, I will pass on your review to a friend in London who has just finished writing a novel set in Iran just after the overthrow of the Shah. <br />The analysis and comparison of politics à la Castro and Khomeini was very interesting, and the opening quote from 1984 chilling. Why is it that their brand of mind control is so successful? That the dissemination of hate finds such fertile ground? Why are the critical thinkers so outnumbered? I'd be interested to hear what you might have to say about this. <br /><br />Excellent and articulate, as always.Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10892637441668897411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-78388744478098883272010-01-27T20:58:28.473+00:002010-01-27T20:58:28.473+00:00"Reading Lolita.." maybe the best title ..."Reading Lolita.." maybe the best title in quite a while. Is not the worst loss the one of the soul, of our own volition, so that we become what the fascist wants?<br /> Fairy tales release the unconscious, maybe leading us to courage in the real world..<br /> This book is next, for me..thank you.Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11985979258848310351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-46680766989521078612010-01-27T16:39:50.680+00:002010-01-27T16:39:50.680+00:00Yes, 1984 is still powerful despite being dated. ...Yes, 1984 is still powerful despite being dated. SPOILER ALERT: Winston’s “Do it to Julia!” bothered me much more than the predicted submission. I kept expecting him to fight back. One of the best books every written and the movie was superb too.<br /><br />Excellent review of Reading Lolita in Tehran – how fascinating to combine politics and literature. I like your sum of “a novel stands for escapism.” Her final words are stunning. I love Chopin too.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-54750691208469405612010-01-27T16:20:31.192+00:002010-01-27T16:20:31.192+00:00I wish I were there my friend. I would love to see...I wish I were there my friend. I would love to see that exhibit. I look forward to your interviews and perspectives. I am also picking up Nafisi's book.Yolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06068063513978782703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-77490966972258897722010-01-27T14:33:34.910+00:002010-01-27T14:33:34.910+00:00Thanks for this recommendation! I'll make sure...Thanks for this recommendation! I'll make sure I don't miss that exhibition.Pollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10085905065734027788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-79855027967917427002010-01-27T13:58:02.868+00:002010-01-27T13:58:02.868+00:001984 is one of my top favourite books of all time....1984 is one of my top favourite books of all time.<br /><br />I loved it then and I love it now.<br /><br />By the way every tarot card came out the same for you and your family 'wonderful life'.<br /><br />xoxoReneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11785932958464359112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-32382072739481924522010-01-27T13:40:07.609+00:002010-01-27T13:40:07.609+00:00Many thanks for your kind comments. I agree with y...Many thanks for your kind comments. I agree with you, Polly, that many times people in the West take certain rights and liberties for granted until they lose them, or are in danger of losing them. Then, they realise.<br /><br />By the way, and off topic, if you're in London and want to visit an excellent photography exhibition, there will be one opening tonight at the Rich Mix and until 27th February. It's called 'Cuban Stories'. I'm planning to interview the three photographers, Claire Boobbyer, Angel Gil and Helena Smith tonight and post our conversation next week. In the meantime, if you're visiting the British capital, this is an opportunity not to be missed.<br /><br />www.richmix.org.uk/rm_winter10.htm<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-22924567533417027542010-01-27T12:45:06.006+00:002010-01-27T12:45:06.006+00:00I've been interesed in literature about Iran e...I've been interesed in literature about Iran ever since I've read The Blood of Flowers and Persepolis and I've heard of Reading Lolita before, so thank you for this great review. I did wonder about the title and now it makes perfect sense: literature as escapism from grim reality. I think we don't appreciate it so much living in Europe or America where reality isn't that grim, despite what we think. <br /><br />And thank you for this last quote, it's perfect. As an immigrant, a "hybryd" no longer feeling Polish but never fully becoming English I appreciate importance of keeping memories alive because whether we want it or not, they define who we are.<br /><br />(okay, this last paragraph may not be very relevant but that's what I thought when I read the quote)<br /><br />Perfect choice of music!Pollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10085905065734027788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-20899363535863542092010-01-27T11:13:10.099+00:002010-01-27T11:13:10.099+00:00Sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks for th...Sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks for the pointer.<br />xRachel Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11803852725693518924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-87691934291367750232010-01-27T02:52:58.187+00:002010-01-27T02:52:58.187+00:00Reading your review of the story of the time of Kh...Reading your review of the story of the time of Khomeini's totalitarian, I wonder why there is an appearance of support of the demonstration against the result of the latest election in Iran. When the call should be for citizens of a country to embrace democracy and respect the outcome.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02399300464457820101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165773290907101242.post-70592918991812199992010-01-27T01:19:14.761+00:002010-01-27T01:19:14.761+00:00Thanks Cuban, this is a wonderful review of Nafisi...Thanks Cuban, this is a wonderful review of Nafisi's beautiful memoir. I'm grateful for your initial quote from Orwell's 1984. <br /><br />It alerts me yet again to something I've been grappling with, the business of excluding the heretics, those who do not tow the party line. <br /><br />But totalitarianism is worse. It's not simply about exclusion, it's about obliteration. <br /><br />Novelists and writers generally go some way to stop such obliteration from succeeding, but totalitarianism still gets a foothold in places where there are vulnerable, disenfranchised people everywhere. Thanks.Elisabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015624747225433940noreply@blogger.com