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Things I've Been Silent About (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,561 listener ratings
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I started making a list in my diary entitled “Things I Have Been Silent About.” Under it I wrote: “Falling in Love in Tehran. Going to Parties in Tehran. Watching the Marx Brothers in Tehran. Reading Lolita in Tehran.” I wrote about repressive laws and executions, about public and political abominations. Eventually I drifted into writing about private betrayals, implicating myself and those close to me in ways I had never imagined. --From Things I Have Been Silent About Azar Nafisi, author of the beloved international bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran, now gives us a stunning personal story of growing up in Iran, memories of her life lived in thrall to a powerful and complex mother, against the background of a country’s political revolution. A girl’s pain over family secrets; a young woman’s discovery of the power of sensuality in literature; the price a family pays for freedom in a country beset by political upheaval–these and other threads are woven together in this beautiful memoir, as a gifted storyteller once again transforms the way we see the world and “reminds us of why we read in the first place” (Newsday). Nafisi’s intelligent and complicated mother, disappointed in her dreams of leading an important and romantic life, created mesmerizing fictions about herself, her family, and her past. But her daughter soon learned that these narratives of triumph hid as much as they revealed. Nafisi’s father escaped into narratives of another kind, enchanting his children with the classic tales like the Shahnamah, the Persian Book of Kings. When her father started seeing other women, young Azar began to keep his secrets from her mother. Nafisi’s complicity in these childhood dramas ultimately led her to resist remaining silent about other personal, as well as political, cultural, and social, injustices. Reaching back in time to reflect on other generations in the Nafisi family, Things I’ve Been Silent About is also a powerful historical portrait of a family that spans many periods of change leading up to the Islamic Revolution of 1978-79, which turned Azar Nafisi’s beloved Iran into a religious dictatorship. Writing of her mother’s historic term in Parliament, even while her father, once mayor of Tehran, was in jail, Nafisi explores the remarkable “coffee hours” her mother presided over, where at first women came together to gossip, to tell fortunes, and to give silent acknowledgment of things never spoken about, and which then evolved into gatherings where men and women would meet to openly discuss the unfolding revolution. Things I’ve Been Silent About is, finally, a deeply personal reflection on women’s choices, and on how Azar Nafisi found the inspiration for a different kind of life. This unforgettable portrait of a woman, a family, and a troubled homeland is a stunning book that readers will embrace, a new triumph from an author who is a modern master of the memoir.
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"Nafisi is a master of the memoir- she weaves Iranian history in with lessons about life, love and family. Her honest reflections and transparent grappling with the past hold something for all of us. While I found Reading Lolita in Tehran to be captivating in the beginning and slower as I read on, I found the opposite with this book. She also provides the names of her favorite authors/books throughout and includes a reading list in the back, which is an added bonus for book junkies like us!"
— Jessa (5 out of 5 stars)
Things I've Been Silent About Listener Reviews
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" How understanding our family "stories" can help us to decipher the present. "
— Gita, 2/14/2014 -
" i started listeniing to this book on tape but realized I just have toooo many books on my plate and have to back off it for now. I think I am on chapter 2 or 3. I hope I'll get back to it some time as I enjoyed reading her book "Reading Lolita in Tehran". "
— Sandy, 2/11/2014 -
" Interesting combination of life and events in Iran, before and during the Islamic revolution, and the difficult relationship between the author and her mother. "
— doug, 2/7/2014 -
" I was disappointed in Nafisi's newest book. While her prose is simply amazing, I lost interest in her relationship with her parents, which is the primary focus of the book. "
— MK, 1/16/2014 -
" i looked forward to the publication of this book from the moment i heard about it and was not disappointed. i'll keep returning to it again many times. "
— Mindy, 1/12/2014 -
" So far I am let down by this book. It doesn't have the passion that Reading Lolita in Theran had. "
— Kim, 12/30/2013 -
" even better than "reading lolita in teheran". "
— Ilaria, 11/22/2013 -
" Amazing story of family struggles linked with social struggles. "
— Katy, 10/13/2013 -
" Heavy memoir: very interesting now Iran has been in the news recently. "
— Joy, 9/28/2013 -
" I really enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed her last book but this one seemed different, yet the same in a way. She can tell a skillful tale yet tells it as it was. For me, this book tells me to cherish life. I also get more of a sense of the Iranian nation and why it is still as it stands. "
— Wes, 8/27/2013 -
" Done reading, this book touched my heart, I just did not want it to be finished. Nafisi takes us, readers through her life journey, and we learn about History facts too. It was very touching to see the daughter-mother relationship. I highly recommend this book. "
— Revital, 5/17/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I liked the history of the author's family intertwined with the political history of Iran (by no means comprehensive). I did think it meandered a bit, focusing too much on the author's mother's "quirks." But it was a good read. "
— Sarah, 2/12/2013 -
" this book is enjoyable and i wish i had more time/brains to finish it. Maybe at a different point in my life i'll try again. "
— Kara, 11/7/2012 -
" I listened to this one on a long drive. It was a well-told, intriguing story that explained many things in "Reading Lolita..." Probably a better book to listen to than to read (for me, at least). "
— Rosemary, 10/22/2012 -
" Although they're different genres, I enjoyed this one much more than Reading Lolita in Tehran. "
— Narjes, 4/3/2012 -
" This is a personal story about growing up in with a troubled family life, but since it is set in Iran and since the author's father was a mayor of Tehran, it is necessarily also political. Thoughtful and well written. "
— Gail, 1/16/2012 -
" A slow read about growing up in Iran. Perhaps if I knew more about the politics of the time, it would be a bit easier. However, I do love getting the perspective of the people who seem to be on the outside of their culture and how this has affected them. "
— Emma, 8/20/2011 -
" Not nearly as interesting as I thought it would be. "
— Jessica, 8/5/2011 -
" This time an Iranian writer and memoir. A fascinating look at another culture. "
— Dfmorris, 6/27/2011 -
" I did not finish this book.....perhaps because I had pre-conceived notions about the book and they turned out to be incorret. It's possible that I had another book in mind.....but whatever the reason I found myself not enjoying it.... "
— Ellie, 5/24/2011 -
" Azar Nafisi is someone who showed true mettle as she faced many difficulties in her life. This is her personal story of growing up in Iran. She talks about the political difficulties she faces with her refusal to wear the veil as well as deep-seated family difficulties. "
— Elyse, 5/11/2011 -
" I liked Reading Lolita in Tehran better, but it was ok. "
— Beth, 4/13/2011 -
" Outstanding! One of the best books that I have ever read regarding Iranian culture. <br/> "
— Sunni, 4/5/2011 -
" Nafisi explores her intense relationship with her capricious mother and idealistic father. It's a fascinating portrait of a family and the Iranian revolution. "
— jen8998, 3/13/2011 -
" I listened to this one on a long drive. It was a well-told, intriguing story that explained many things in "Reading Lolita..." Probably a better book to listen to than to read (for me, at least). "
— Rosemary, 2/6/2011 -
" While the writing style is not the most compelling, the story itself is. Again, for me it is a book that is great bibliotherapy as well as extremely informative and enlightening on the Persian revolution during the 1970's. "
— Karen, 1/30/2011 -
" Great. Beautiful writing, very interesting story. "
— Mauras, 1/22/2011 -
" A very well written account about a life in Iran..... Nafisi was a young woman who became a professor of English Lit in Iran! "
— Toula, 1/10/2011 -
" I like this book.It's far more better than "Reading Lolita in Tehran",which I dropped every time I tried to read it.This one is more personal. "
— Hajer, 1/8/2011 -
" Amazing story of family struggles linked with social struggles. "
— Katy, 1/4/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I liked the history of the author's family intertwined with the political history of Iran (by no means comprehensive). I did think it meandered a bit, focusing too much on the author's mother's "quirks." But it was a good read. "
— Sarah, 1/2/2011 -
" It is alright. Some key stories interested me, but it didn't capture me as much as her previous book. "
— Watashi, 12/19/2010
About Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi is a professor at John Hopkins University. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal among others.