The Republic of Imagination: A Life in Books

This book serves as an impassioned tribute to the vital role of fiction in a democratic society. In this follow-up to her bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran, Nafisi blends memoir with literary critique. She examines classic works of American literature—such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—to show how the “democratic imagination” is essential to keeping a society free, fighting against conformity, and nurturing an open mind.