By no means am I an expert on Iran. Even though my knowledge of the country and its politics since the 1979 revolution is limited, I can’t say I learned a whole lot from this memoir. And Ms. Nemat’s writing style is fairly dry and devoid of emotional affectation. Sometimes that’ good and helps a work avoid the maudlin. And in this case, it meant I never had a solid emotional reaction to the horrors Ms. Nemat endured. More clinical I guess.
Marina Nemat became a political prisoner at the age of 16 because of her support for anti-Khomeini crowds and anti-authoritarian views at her school. Briefly tortured, she was sentenced to execution. A last minute intervention by one of her interrogators resulted in her sentence being commuted to life, and later reduced to three years. In return, she had to convert to Islam and marry her tormentor.
In other words, she wouldn’t be killed if she agreed to be raped. Quite the choice.
Pretty decent read, but not great. I’m at a loss as to what else to write about the book. It’s definitely worthwhile, and even more so for those people interested in Iran that don’t know much about it. But there has to be better writings about the country out there.
Title: Prisoner of Tehran: a memoir
Author: Marina Nemat
Cover creator: Eric Fuentecilla (designer)
Imprint / publisher: Free Press / Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardcover
Length: 306 p.
Publication date: 2007
ISBN-10: 1-4165-3742-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-3742-7
Subject: Nemat, Marina
Subject: Women political prisoners — Iran — Biography
Subject: Political prisoners — Iran — Biography
Subject: Iran — Politics and government — 1979-1997
LC classification: DS318.84.N46 A3 2006
