The Republic of Imagination is a wonderful book if you like to read about books (which I generally enjoy). Nafisi breaks the book down into three books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (which she argues all the others are derived from), Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. These books are discussed as art that has not only reflected our culture but has effected it as well - the importance of Huck, who casts off "sivilized" society being an icon American literary hero. Nafisi interweaves analysis of these works with reflections on America and her journey to becoming a citizen of this country. While I prefer her first book Reading Lolita in Tehran (another book about books) and this title can sound a bit too much like and English thesis at points, I still found it to be beautiful done and a great way to look at our culture (especially through the eyes of someone who choose to be an American).
Lisa
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