In "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books," Azar Nafisi explores the transformative power of literature. She describes how novels provided an escape from the harsh realities of life under oppressive regimes, allowing readers to lose themselves in beautiful and perfect worlds. These stories became a refuge where imagination thrived, contrasting starkly with their suppressed existence.

However, this escape was not merely an avoidance of reality; it also sparked a deeper reflection on their own lives. The beauty of the novels led to profound questions about their circumstances, prompting them to confront feelings of helplessness that they struggled to articulate. Through literature, they found both solace and a catalyst for self-examination, revealing the complex interplay between fiction and reality.